Stein village enjoys an elevated position with excellent views in the rolling landscape of the Appenzell hinterland. The unspoilt, typical Appenzell village centre is surrounded by a traditional scattered settlement nestling amidst lush green meadows.

Places of interest: historic village centre with its church under a preservation order, notable stucco work and pulpit, the Appenzell show dairy and Appenzell Folklore Museum. The Appenzell show dairy with restaurant and shop is in the centre of the village, together with mainly 18th-century houses. Appenzell cheesemaking can be followed daily from the visitors’ gallery, commentary in various languages.

The Appenzell Folklore Museum exhibits numerous objects from Appenzell customs and traditions as well as demonstrating various crafts in the weaving cellar and embroidery workshop. Cheese is also made here, in a traditional Alpine dairy.

A 75-minute round tour near the village leads to the «Reservoir» vantage point with views of the Bodensee. The «Solarweg» trail shows the potential use of solar energy and leads from St. Gallen through Stein up to the Hundwiler Höhi. The nearby Alpstein massif with the dominant Säntis is a major regional excursion and hiking destination.

Stein lies on a peninsular virtually surrounded by deep valleys, so that roads have to lead down through wooded gorges. Carpenters spanned the rivers with covered wooden bridges. In 1937, Stein received Europe’s highest pedestrian footbridge with a walkway of steel over the Sitter providing a direct link to the nearby town of St. Gallen. The walkway is 355m long, 2.3m wide, up to 99m high and carried on 6 supports.

Highlights

• Appenzell show dairy – with visitors’ gallery, shop and restaurant, open daily.
• Stein Appenzell Folklore Museum – 19th-century weaving looms and embroidery machines as well as a working Alpine dairy.
• Highest footbridge in Europe - 99m above the Sitter, once planned as a road, linking Stein with St. Gallen.