Brülisau – Hohe Kasten (1793m) – Sämtisersee – Brülisau
Up to the great view point of Hohe Kasten and then down to the unique Sämtisersee
A beautiful hike in Appenzellerland with everything! Flower filled meadows, cows with bells, stunning views, alpine lakes and even a rotating restaurant. And there's even the option of a cable-car if you don't fancy the hike uphill!
This is a circular hike starting from Brulisau in Appenzellerland (north-east Switzerland).
Time of year: Spring, Summer, Autumn
Tags: Circular hike, Public transport, Mountain transport, Food en-route, Accommodation en-route, Views of mountain lakes, Ice-cream at end of hike, Can be shortened
Rating: 
Hiked by us on: 9 June 2018
We parked in the tiny village of Brulisau, north-east Switzerland and contemplated how to start the hike. Since it was such a lovely day we decided not to use the cable car, but to stroll up to Hohe Kasten. We headed off towards Resspass – a great choice, the views were fantastic!
And with dew on the ground, it was a great chance to be artistic with the macro-mode on the camera.
It was warm and a bit sweaty, but the views made up for the hard work!
After Resspass, we headed on towards Kamor – with the clouds starting to gather above Hohe Kasten.
By the time we reached Hohe Kasten, the clouds had fully enveloped the summit, so we had only limited views (but still, quite impressive!)
We had planned to walk along the wonderful ridge to Saxerlucke. But with the clouds sitting stubbornly on the ridge we changed our plans.
We walked along the ridge to Baritsch – where there are great views into the Rhine valley and from here…
… a path leads down towards the Sämtisersee lake…
… which is simply stunning. In fact it was so beautiful and the sun was coming out again, so we extended the hike to walk around the lake to enjoy views from where we had come.
It was such a beautiful day we decided to not walk directly back to the start of the hike at Brülisau. But instead go pass Brüllenstein, Hüttenbüel and onto the restaurant at Ruhsitz.
From here it’s a 30 minute downhill stroll back to Brülisau and back to the start. The Alpstein never fails to disappoint!
Food, accommodation and/or villages we found on this hike
Ruhsitz
(Food and accommodation)
The family run business in Appenzellerland lays in a beautiful location above Brülisau. Enjoy the open views on the surrounding magical Alpine world. The guesthouse is an ideal starting-point for hikes, mountain bike and snow-shoe tours.
Hohe Kasten Drehrestaurant
(Food only)
Fantastic view point in all directions! The restaurant includes a rotating floor - the Drehrestaurant. Or sit outside on the terrace. The restaurant can also be reached by the cable car.
The 5 day forecast in Brülisau
Webcams
We could not find any webcams in the area close to this hike.
Need some hiking down-time?
If you need a day off from hiking, below are some of the great things you can do within 30 km from the start of this hike.
Appenzell outdoor pool
(4.4 km away)
Great outdoor pool in the shadow of the Alpstein mountain range
Appenzell town
(5.3 km away)
Wonderful historic picturesque town at the foot of the Alpstein mountain range
Kobelwald crystal caves
(6.4 km away)
Fascinating underground caves - worth a visit in any weather
Gais outdoor pool
(8.2 km away)
Small quiet outdoor pool in Appenzellerland
Kronberg Alpine park
(10.0 km away)
Alpine "park" with summer sledge run and rope park - fun for all!
Hot-pot Appenzellerland
(11.2 km away)
Relax in a a unique hot-tub surrounded by Appenzeller hills and mountains
Badi Schönenbodensee, Wildhaus
(12.0 km away)
Beautiful small lake for swimming above Wildhaus below the Alpstein
Werdenberg
(14.2 km away)
800 years of history and the smallest city in Switzerland - beautifully preserved places to visit
Götzis outdoor pool
(15.4 km away)
Beautiful area for enjoying the sun and a relaxing swim
Heiden Schwimmbad
(17.3 km away)
A lovely outdoor pool with large grassy areas on which to relax.
Berneck outdoor pool
(18.4 km away)
Wonderful, quiet outdoor pool with lots of grassy areas. Perfect place to relax
Badestrand am Rohr
(19.0 km away)
Relax and swim in the lake which is the old Rhine
Festungsmuseum Heldsberg
(21.5 km away)
Look back into Switzerland's second world war history in this perfectly preseved fort built into the hillside
St Margarethen mineral baths
(21.7 km away)
Recently fully refurbished wellness center - spend an afternoon to recover
Laterns summer sledge run
(21.9 km away)
Sledging in the summer on the Laterns Sommerrodelbahn
Walenstadt lakeside beach
(22.2 km away)
Large grassy swimming area with wonderful views of the surrounding mountains
Rhein railway
(22.7 km away)
Travel on the Rhein railway to the delta of the river
Rolls Royce museum
(26.3 km away)
Fascinating museum of the world's most famous car.
Rappenlochsclucht
(26.3 km away)
Impressive stroll on elevated walkways through narrow gorge
Bischofszell outdoor pool
(27.2 km away)
Relax in this lovely pool in the historic town of Bischofszell.
Sargans castle
(27.4 km away)
900 year old castle full of history (and a restaurant)
Lichtensteig outdoor pool
(27.9 km away)
Wonderful relaxing pool in the Toggenburg region
Rate this hike
Have you down this hike? What did you think? Please leave us a rating!
Thanks for your rating!
Leave us a comment - thanks!
Interested in this hike?
Please feel free to contact us for more information.