Heiden – Kaienspitz (1121m) – Rehetobel – Heiden

This lovely little walk up Kaienspitz easily fits into an afternoon. It offers views of Lake Constance, Alpstein and the hills of Appenzellerland. It’s any easy hike and there are several restaurants along the walk, in case you need a break.

Start in Heiden, where there is free parking by the sports ground. Make your way to the Coop in the center and turn left up the road. Just before the flower shop turn right onto a smaller road. Walk up the road and turn left at the next junction. The path now meanders along a road through fields and farm houses. On the way up, Lake Constance slowly comes into view.

At the junction, turn left towards a farnhouse and shortly after, underneath a tree, a path turns off the paved road and starts leading uphill, a bit further up you can already see a bench in the field. A great place for a stop to enjoy the views.

Continue up through the fields, until you enter the woods (there is another bench where the trees start) and then walk further up until the path ends in a gravel road and levels off. Turn left onto the road and soon you will pass the Kaienhaus Hostel, where you also leave the trees. A few meters further turn of the road to make your way up to the top of Kaienspitz.

Moving on from Kaienspitz, you will reach a farmhouse and fantastic views of Alpstein will open up. There are more benches by the house and a board naming the mountain tops that can be seen from here.

Make your way downhill, until you get to a small paved road again, make your way along the road with the great views of Alpstein to your left. Soon a path turns off to the right just before a wooden house. Follow this path, leading slightly uphill but soon levelling out. The path leads around a hill and soon will lead you to a small bench with a roof and a little box full of books. So if you need a longer break – you might find some entertainment here.

Take the path on the left and follow it around, until it passes a parking lot of the Gupf restaurant. Turn right behind the fence and make your way downhill. Soon you will reach the first houses of Rehetobel.

When you reach the first house, turn left behind it and follow the paved road along the ridge above Rehetobel. Views to both sides are amazing. There are also two benches under a tree up here, in case you need a break.

The road will now lead into Rehetobel in a couple of turns. Once you reach the main road below, turn left. For continuing this hike you should now turn immediately left again at the next turn. You could also go straight for a few more meters until you reach the well in the center of the village. There is an amazing view from here and you will have a restaurant on either side.

Once you are ready to continue the hike, turn back and walk up to the right at the next turn. Walk up the road. Once you reach the retirement home, leave the road and cross the parking lot instead, following the path above. It leads a bit more steeply up to a farm house.

The path now leads along the other side of the hill you had rounded before coming into the village. There are iews of Alpstein in abundance. Soon you will get onto a paved road again and after a few hundred meters you will be back on the path that leads up to Kaienspitz. Make your way to the top and back down the other side as you know already.

Once you reach the Kaienhaus hostel on the other side, don’t walk on straight but turn into a small path to your right. It leads through the woods for a little distance and then emerges in the fields above Heiden. Make your way down straight through the fields, following the path.

Soon after reaching the first houses, the path will lead down a set of stairs and then turn into a paved road which will lead you all the way back down into the center of Heiden.