# Abbey books, cowbells and the Churfirsten – by camper through the Appenzell region, Toggenburg and to Lake Walen

> From the Abbey Library in St. Gallen via Ebenalp, Säntis and the Toggenburg down to Lake Walen and on to Rapperswil, the town of roses: around 200…

Source: https://camping-spirit.com/guides/rf-485-eastern-switzerland-appenzell-toggenburg/

**At a glance:** 7-day road trip of about 120 km (75 mi) with 13 stops, from St. Gallen to Rapperswil. About 1 h 40 min of driving in total. Best time to go: June–September. Tolls and vignettes for a car: about €40 (Switzerland, Vignette). From the Abbey Library in St. Gallen via Ebenalp, Säntis and the Toggenburg down to Lake Walen and on to Rapperswil, the town of roses: around 200 kilometres on which you will spend more time in cable cars and hiking boots than behind the wheel.

| | |
|---|---|
| Distance | approx. 120 km (75 mi) |
| Driving | 1 h 40 min |
| Suggested days | 7 |
| Stops | 13 |
| Route | St. Gallen → Rapperswil |
| Countries | Switzerland |
| Best time to go | June–September |
| Tolls and vignettes | ≈ €40 |
| Updated | October 1, 2026 |

[Download GPX file](https://camping-spirit.com/gpx/rf-485-eastern-switzerland-appenzell-toggenburg.gpx)

Practical guides for this route: [Switzerland and Austria by motorhome: vignettes, limits and overnight rules](https://camping-spirit.com/magazine/eu-switzerland-austria-by-motorhome/), [Alpine passes in a motorhome: gradients, closures and tunnels](https://camping-spirit.com/magazine/eu-alpine-passes-camper/)

*From the Abbey Library in St. Gallen via Ebenalp, Säntis and the Toggenburg down to Lake Walen and on to Rapperswil, the town of roses: around 200 kilometres on which you will spend more time in cable cars and hiking boots than behind the wheel.*

## The spirit of the route

Eastern Switzerland is a land of short distances and big differences in altitude. Beyond St. Gallen the country turns hilly and green, scattered farmsteads with shingled façades dot the meadows, and on the horizon the Alpstein massif with the Säntis stands like a grey wall. In the morning you hear cowbells and the hiss of the cable car through the sliding door; in the evening the air smells of hay, cowsheds and tangy cheese. Between Wildhaus and Unterwasser the seven Churfirsten peaks frame the valley, and on the other side those very walls drop almost vertically into Lake Walen, on whose northern shore lies Quinten – a wine village without a road, reachable only by boat or on foot. The route thrives on contrast: baroque hall and mountain inn, rock cave and lakeshore, herdsmen’s costume and rose garden. Drive slowly, stay two nights, and plan your overnight stops.

## Stage-by-stage plan

### Stage 1: St. Gallen to Appenzell (approx. 22 km)

- **The drive:** From St. Gallen via Teufen or via Stein and Hundwil into the Appenzell region – winding, well-built cantonal roads through hills with scattered settlements, some climbs, no narrow sections for normal motorhomes. In the city of St. Gallen itself, parking with large vehicles is difficult; the old town is largely pedestrianised. Pure driving time just under an hour.
- **Highlights & must-sees:**
  - Abbey precinct of St. Gallen (UNESCO World Heritage) with the Abbey Library: baroque hall with wood inlays and medieval manuscripts, visited in felt slippers; next door the baroque cathedral.
  - Drei Weieren above the old town, reachable by the Mühleggbahn – bathing ponds with views over the city roofs as far as Lake Constance.
  - Appenzeller Schaukäserei in Stein AR, if you take the route via Stein: cheese dairy with a view into production and an exhibition on Appenzeller cheese.
- **Official campsite or RV park:** Near St. Gallen, the Campingplatz St. Gallen-Wittenbach lies at the Leebrücke on the Sitter, around 5 km north of the city centre, with electric hook-ups and sanitary facilities; by bus and train you reach the centre without hunting for parking. In Appenzell itself, the Landgasthof Eischen on Kaustrasse, with camping and motorhome pitches, is one of the two campsites in the canton of Appenzell Innerrhoden. Check season, facilities and prices with the operators in advance.
- **Free camping or nature tip (where legal):** Wild camping is not an option in St. Gallen or in the car parks around Appenzell. Appenzell Innerrhoden has announced that in future motorhomes should only stay overnight at the two campsites and on designated areas that must be booked, and that overnight stays in public and private car parks are to be banned; the legal basis for this is being drawn up. Expect no-overnight signs already today and plan fixed pitches.
- **Insider tip for campers:** In St. Gallen it is best to leave the motorhome at the campsite and use public transport; multi-storey car parks in the city centre have height restrictions. If you need groceries in Appenzell, shop before you reach the village – in the centre with Hauptgasse and Landsgemeindeplatz, lanes and parking spaces are tight.

### Stage 2: Appenzell to Jakobsbad (via Wasserauen) (approx. 22 km)

- **The drive:** Up the valley along the Sitter via Weissbad to Wasserauen, where the road ends – a narrow but unproblematic valley road of around 8 km. Back to Appenzell and west via Gonten to Jakobsbad at the foot of the Kronberg. Short driving times, lots of time on foot.
- **Highlights & must-sees:**
  - Wasserauen–Ebenalp cable car, then the descent on foot through the Wildkirchli caves, where Palaeolithic finds and cave bear bones were made, to the Berggasthaus Äscher beneath the overhanging rock face.
  - Seealpsee: from the Äscher down on hiking trails to the dark-green lake beneath the Alpstein and on back to Wasserauen (descent around 2.5–3 hours in total, steep and slippery when wet).
  - Appenzell village with painted house façades on Hauptgasse and the Landsgemeindeplatz, where the canton’s voters gather in the open air once a year in spring and vote by show of hands.
- **Official campsite or RV park:** Campingplatz Jakobsbad at the valley station of the Kronbergbahn in the municipality of Gonten, the second campsite in Appenzell Innerrhoden: electricity, sanitary facilities, fresh water and waste disposal according to the directory; ask about the season and free pitches in advance. Alternatively, a second night at the Landgasthof Eischen in Appenzell.
- **Free camping or nature tip (where legal):** In Wasserauen, besides the large car park of the Ebenalpbahn, there is a small area for a few motorhomes by the inn at the flying school, listed in pitch guides, with a toilet but without electricity and without water or waste disposal; up-to-date confirmations are rare. Whether it will remain so under the new Innerrhoden rules is open – ask at the inn or at Appenzellerland Tourismus in advance. Overnight stays in the cable car car park itself are not intended.
- **Insider tip for campers:** The pay car park in Wasserauen fills up early in summer in fine weather. Come early or take the Appenzeller Bahn from Appenzell, which terminates in Wasserauen. The Ebenalpbahn has maintenance breaks, and the Äscher is only open in the warm season – check the timetable and opening hours in advance.

### Stage 3: Jakobsbad to Alt St. Johann / Unterwasser (approx. 35 km)

- **The drive:** Via Urnäsch up to the Schwägalp – a well-built mountain road with PostBus traffic; the pass summit lies just under 1,300 m, the valley station of the Säntis cable car at a good 1,350 m. From the Schwägalp the road winds in hairpins down to Neu St. Johann in the upper Toggenburg and up the valley to Alt St. Johann and Unterwasser. Without the Säntis trip, around an hour of pure driving time.
- **Highlights & must-sees:**
  - Appenzeller Brauchtumsmuseum in Urnäsch: costumes, herdsmen’s culture and the Silvesterchläuse, who go from farm to farm here at the turn of the year with bells and huge headdresses.
  - Säntis cable car from the Schwägalp up the Säntis (2,502 m) with a panoramic view over six countries, Lake Constance and the Alps; at the top a weather station and viewing terraces.
  - Short circular walks on the Schwägalp with views into the Säntis north face, often with ibex on the rocks above the cable car.
- **Official campsite or RV park:** In the upper Toggenburg you can choose between the Campingplatz Thur in Alt St. Johann (by the valley station of the Sellamattbahn, with electricity) and the Wohnmobilstellplatz Unterwasser by the Postplatz with electricity and water connections. Check facilities, season and fees with the operators in advance.
- **Free camping or nature tip (where legal):** The Schwägalp is a day-trip destination with a large cable car car park; pitch directories list a few paid spaces for motorhomes there. Whether and on what conditions you may stay overnight is decided by the landowner – ask the Säntis cable car company in advance or at the ticket office on site rather than simply staying put. In the Toggenburg, alpine tracks and farm tracks are usually private land; overnight stays only at pitches or with the farmer’s consent.
- **Insider tip for campers:** If you want to experience the Säntis in the morning with clear visibility, check the webcam and the weather forecast the evening before – the summit is often in fog, and the cable car does not run in storms. The mountain road over the Schwägalp is narrower than the valley roads: PostBuses have priority in the hairpins, and their three-tone horn announces them.

### Stage 4: Unterwasser to Wildhaus (approx. 10 km)

- **The drive:** A day without long drives: from Unterwasser on main road 16 the few kilometres up to Wildhaus at a good 1,000 m, plus short detours to the valley stations of the mountain railways. Wide, well-built road with views of the Churfirsten and Alpstein.
- **Highlights & must-sees:**
  - Klangweg Toggenburg between Alp Sellamatt and Iltios or Oberdorf: an easy high-level walk with hands-on sound installations and the Churfirsten panorama above you.
  - Chäserrugg: funicular from Unterwasser to Iltios, then cable car to the summit with the timber building by Herzog & de Meuron and the plunging view over the Churfirsten south faces to Lake Walen.
  - Wildhaus: birthplace of the reformer Ulrich Zwingli in the hamlet of Lisighaus, plus the Schwendiseen lakes for a quiet evening stroll.
- **Official campsite or RV park:** Camping Schafbergblick near Wildhaus with views of the Schafberg and the Säntis group; check facilities and season in advance. If you don’t want to move, stay a second night at the Stellplatz Unterwasser or the Campingplatz Thur.
- **Free camping or nature tip (where legal):** The canton of St. Gallen has no uniform wild camping law – the municipalities and landowners decide. Mountain railway car parks in Wildhaus and Unterwasser are day car parks; camping behaviour is not allowed there. Some farms in the Toggenburg rent out individual pitches – ask in advance, for example via pitch apps.
- **Insider tip for campers:** A hiking combination lets you link mountain railway and hike: up with the Sellamattbahn, along the Klangweg to Iltios, down with the funicular to Unterwasser – the motorhome stays on its pitch, and buses connect the villages. The railways close for a few weeks between the summer and winter seasons; check operating times in advance.

### Stage 5: Wildhaus to Murg (Lake Walen) (approx. 55 km)

- **The drive:** From Wildhaus down in hairpins to Gams in the Rhine Valley, via Haag onto the A13 south to Sargans and on the A3 west to Walenstadt and along the southern shore of Lake Walen to Murg. The motorway runs here in galleries and tunnels between rock and lake – vignette required. Around an hour of driving time.
- **Highlights & must-sees:**
  - Descent from Wildhaus to Gams with views over the Rhine Valley to the mountains of Liechtenstein.
  - Walenstadt at the eastern end of Lake Walen: lakeside promenade beneath the steeply rising Churfirsten south faces.
  - Boat from Murg to Quinten: the wine village on the northern shore has no road, a mild climate with figs and vines, and can only be reached by boat or on foot. The ferry from Murg runs all year round – check the timetable.
- **Official campsite or RV park:** Camping Murg right on Lake Walen, with electric hook-ups, sanitary facilities, fresh water and waste disposal; a short walk to the boat landing for Quinten. Alternatives: See-Camping in Walenstadt at the eastern end of the lake and Camping Terza in Unterterzen. Book early during the summer holidays.
- **Free camping or nature tip (where legal):** The southern shore of Lake Walen is narrow, the railway and motorway run right along the water, and the few lakeside car parks are day car parks. Stay overnight at the campsites – not least because the lakeside municipalities carry out checks in season.
- **Insider tip for campers:** If you drive via the Rhine Valley, you can shop and refuel more cheaply in Gams or Haag before the motorway than in the lakeside villages. If you want to continue towards Graubünden, turn off at Sargans – Graubünden is covered by the CampingSpirit guide “Stone pine scent, glacier streams and pass hairpins – by camper through Graubünden and the Engadine to the Valtellina border”.

### Stage 6: Murg to Weesen (approx. 26 km)

- **The drive:** On the A3 along the southern shore, or from Mühlehorn over the Kerenzerberg road via Filzbach with views over the lake down into the Linth plain, and on to Weesen at the western end. From Weesen a winding mountain road with PostBus traffic climbs to Amden on the sun terrace above the lake – drive slowly with large motorhomes and use passing places.
- **Highlights & must-sees:**
  - Seerenbach Falls near Betlis: three-tiered waterfall whose middle tier is among the highest in Switzerland, next to it the Rinquelle, a karst spring from a cave system; on foot from Weesen along the lakeside path to Betlis.
  - Weesen–Betlis–Quinten hiking trail on the northern shore, around 3 to 4 hours, return by boat from Quinten.
  - Amden: viewpoint village above Lake Walen with views of the Glarus Alps and the Linth plain.
- **Official campsite or RV park:** Camping Gäsi at the mouth of the Linth at the western end of Lake Walen, on Glarus territory near Weesen: simple site on the shore and beach; check facilities, season and access for large vehicles in advance. Alternatively, back to Murg.
- **Free camping or nature tip (where legal):** The Gäsi area is a local recreation area and partly a nature reserve; outside the campsite, overnight stays there are not allowed. The road to Betlis is single-track, can only be driven in fixed time slots in each direction and is restricted to vehicles up to 2 m wide and 2 m high – you won’t get in there with a motorhome.
- **Insider tip for campers:** The Seerenbach Falls carry the most water after the snowmelt and after rain. For the return from Quinten: in season (roughly April to October) scheduled boats run towards Weesen, and all year round the ferry runs to Murg, from where train and bus take you back to Weesen. Check connections before setting off.

### Stage 7: Weesen to Rapperswil (approx. 30 km)

- **The drive:** Across the flat Linth plain via Schänis and Uznach to Schmerikon on the Obersee and along the northern shore to Rapperswil-Jona. Wide country roads, heavy traffic around Rapperswil at rush hour. Around 40 minutes of driving time.
- **Highlights & must-sees:**
  - Rapperswil, the “town of roses”: old town with a castle on the hill and several rose gardens, at their most lavish in early summer.
  - Rapperswil–Hurden wooden footbridge: 841 m long pedestrian bridge across the lake on an old pilgrim route, at its most beautiful in the evening light.
  - Linth Canal and Linth plain: cycle paths along the channelled river and views back to the Glarus mountains.
- **Official campsite or RV park:** Campingplatz Stampf on the Obersee in Jona, run by the town of Rapperswil-Jona: lake access, sanitary facilities; clarify electric hook-ups and motorhome pitches in advance. From here the old town and station can be reached by bike or bus.
- **Free camping or nature tip (where legal):** In Rapperswil-Jona the lakeside car parks are often closed to motorhomes at night or only allowed for short stays; the shores of the Obersee are nature and recreation zones. Stay overnight at the campsite.
- **Insider tip for campers:** From Rapperswil the A53 leads into the Zurich Oberland – via Rüti and the Bachtel or into the Tösstal you reach quiet hills and forests with more campsites. If you want to head north instead of west: Lake Constance is covered by the CampingSpirit guide “Lakeshores, cheese cellars and Walser mountains – by camper through Lake Constance, the Bregenz Forest and the Allgäu”.

## Camping practice & local rules

### Wild camping & overnight parking

- In Switzerland, wild camping is a matter for the cantons and municipalities. Parking is allowed wherever it is not prohibited; camping behaviour with table, chairs, awning or lowered levelling jacks is not allowed in car parks, and mountain railway, alpine and farm tracks are mostly private land. In nature reserves, wildlife rest areas and federal game reserves, overnight stays outside pitches are off limits.
- Appenzell Innerrhoden is reorganising camping tourism: according to the cantonal government (Standeskommission), motorhomes should in future only stay, apart from the two campsites (Eischen in Appenzell, Jakobsbad), on designated areas bookable via a digital platform, and overnight stays in public and private car parks are to be banned; bivouacking is to be banned in principle and possible only under conditions with the consent of the landowners (on alpine pastures also of the herdsmen). No date was given, and the legal basis still had to be drawn up – check with the canton or Appenzellerland Tourismus before travelling whether the rules now apply.
- In the canton of St. Gallen (Toggenburg, Lake Walen, Rapperswil) and in Appenzell Ausserrhoden there is no uniform cantonal wild camping law; municipalities prohibit overnight stays at many car parks and lakeside spots by signage. Glarus (Gäsi, Kerenzerberg) likewise regulates via municipalities and landowners. Fines are set by the cantons and municipalities.
- Legal alternatives: campsites (directories from camping.ch and TCS), municipal motorhome pitches and farm pitches. Useful apps: park4night, Campercontact; the information there is user-generated and partly outdated.

### Waste disposal & supplies

- You will find fresh water and waste disposal at the campsites and at individual pitches such as Unterwasser; many stations are for guests only or charge a fee. Empty cassettes and grey water only at disposal points, never into streams, drains or meadows.
- Tap water in Switzerland is drinking water; fountains along alpine tracks often bear the sign “Kein Trinkwasser” (not drinking water) – watch out for it.
- Gas: foreign exchange cylinders are generally not exchanged in Switzerland; Campingaz cylinders are available from specialist shops and at some petrol stations. LPG filling stations are rare – fill refillable cylinders before entering the country and carry an adapter.
- Payment: parking meters and small pitches often take coins in Swiss francs, cards or the Swiss app Twint; some cash in CHF saves trouble.

### Vehicle size & traffic rules

- Motorway vignette for vehicles up to 3.5 t: 40 CHF, valid from 1 December of the previous year to 31 January of the following year, as an e-vignette (linked to the number plate) or sticker; trailers and caravans need their own. It applies on motorways and expressways; without a vignette you face a fine of 200 CHF. On this route this mainly concerns the A1 near St. Gallen, the A13 in the Rhine Valley, the A3 along Lake Walen and the A53 into the Zurich Oberland.
- Motorhomes and caravans over 3.5 t pay the flat-rate heavy vehicle charge (PSVA) instead of the vignette, calculated by total weight and duration (days, months or year) via the FOCBS Via app; it applies on all roads, not just motorways. The performance-related LSVA applies to commercial goods vehicles. Check the amounts with the FOCBS before entering the country.
- Speed limits: motorhome up to 3.5 t motorway 120 km/h, expressway 100, outside built-up areas 80, in built-up areas 50; over 3.5 t motorway and expressway 100, outside built-up areas 80. Vehicle-trailer combinations drive at 80 km/h; on motorways and expressways 100 km/h if the trailer weighs no more than 3.5 t, is approved for it and has suitable tyres. Dipped headlights or daytime running lights are compulsory during the day too, 0.5 per mille blood alcohol limit, mobile phone only with hands-free kit.
- Dimensions: maximum 4.00 m height, 2.55 m width, 12 m length per vehicle, combination up to 18.75 m; signage on mountain roads (Amden, Betlis, alpine tracks) takes precedence. On mountain roads PostBuses have priority.
- Winter: no general winter tyre requirement, but anyone who obstructs traffic in snow with unsuitable tyres is liable and will be fined; Schwägalp and Wildhaus lie at around 1,000 to 1,350 m, so carry chains from late autumn to spring. Dogs: suckler cows graze in Appenzell and the Toggenburg – keep dogs on a lead and avoid pastures with calves.

## CampingSpirit packing & preparation checklist

- Hiking boots with grippy soles – the descent from the Äscher to the Seealpsee and the lakeside path to Quinten are steep and slippery when wet.
- Head torch for the Wildkirchli caves and for the way home after late mountain railway trips.
- Binoculars for ibex on the Säntis and the Churfirsten and for the boats on Lake Walen.
- Swiss francs in coins and a credit card: for parking meters at the mountain railways, the ferry and small pitches.
- Levelling ramps – several pitches in the Appenzell region and the Toggenburg are uneven, but only put out ramps at campsites.
- Swimwear and water shoes: Lake Walen is chilly even in high summer, and the shores at Murg and Gäsi are stony.

_As of 2026-10. Closures, fees and booking rules change: check official sources before you go._

## Sources

- [Kanton Appenzell I.Rh., Standeskommission – Medienmitteilung: Kanton Appenzell I.Rh. stellt Weichen im Campingtourismus (18.06.2025)](https://ai.ch/politik/standeskommission/mitteilungen/medienmitteilungen-2025/mitteilungen-2025/mm-kanton-appenzell-i-rh-stellt-weichen-im-campingtourismus.pdf)
- [Kanton Appenzell I.Rh. – Umsetzung Tourismuspolitik, Bericht B4 (Juni 2025)](https://ai.ch/themen/wirtschaft-und-arbeit/tourismus/tourismuspolitik/umsetzung-tourismuspolitik/copy13_of_massnahme-t1/download-t1/202506_bericht_b4.pdf/download)
- [Amden-Weesen Tourismus – Seerenbachfälle & Rinquelle](https://www.amden-weesen.ch/en/poi/detail/seerenbach-falls-rinquelle-the-waterfalls-at-lake-walensee-0b5a0a87ae)
- [Glarnerland Tourismus – Seerenbachfälle und Rinquelle, Betlis](https://glarnerland.ch/en/map/detail-poi/seerenbachfalle-und-rinquelle-betlis--id--plc_s9t_vghaguav-eaui-eahv-rgvf-ibdihtuhfutv.html)
- [Wikipedia – Schiffsbetrieb Walensee](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schiffsbetrieb_Walensee)
- [Wikipedia – Quinten](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quinten,_Switzerland)
- [promobil – Stellplatz an der Flugschule Appenzell, Wasserauen](https://www.promobil.de/stellplatz/stellplatz-an-der-flugschule-appenzell-603c9f9791344d060008461b.html)

## Which stops are on the route from St. Gallen to Rapperswil?

1. **St. Gallen** (Switzerland)
2. **Appenzell** (Switzerland)
3. **Wasserauen** (Switzerland)
4. **Jakobsbad** (Switzerland)
5. **Urnäsch** (Switzerland)
6. **Schwägalp** (Switzerland)
7. **Unterwasser** (Switzerland)
8. **Wildhaus** (Switzerland)
9. **Walenstadt** (Switzerland)
10. **Murg** (Switzerland)
11. **Quinten** (Switzerland)
12. **Weesen** (Switzerland)
13. **Rapperswil** (Switzerland)

## When is the best time for the route from St. Gallen to Rapperswil?

The most pleasant months are usually June–September. Still fine, with some compromises, in May. Cold, short days in December–March. July and August are the busiest months: book campsites early. (Estimate from long-term temperature averages, terrain and pass seasons)

## What should you know before driving the route from St. Gallen to Rapperswil?

Tolls and vignettes for a car: about €40 (Switzerland, Vignette).

- **Switzerland: Vignette needed for motorways.** Vehicles over 3.5 t pay the heavy vehicle charge instead of the vignette. Motorway limit for cars: 120 km/h.

## FAQs

**How long is Abbey books, cowbells and the Churfirsten – by camper through the Appenzell region, Toggenburg and to Lake Walen?**
7-day road trip of about 120 km (75 mi) with 13 stops, from St. Gallen to Rapperswil. About 1 h 40 min of driving in total.

**How many days do you need for Abbey books, cowbells and the Churfirsten – by camper through the Appenzell region, Toggenburg and to Lake Walen?**
We suggest 7 days: about 1 h 40 min of driving, which leaves time for the stops.

**Where does Abbey books, cowbells and the Churfirsten – by camper through the Appenzell region, Toggenburg and to Lake Walen start and end?**
It starts in St. Gallen and ends in Rapperswil.

**Which countries does Abbey books, cowbells and the Churfirsten – by camper through the Appenzell region, Toggenburg and to Lake Walen pass through?**
Switzerland.

**Where can you camp along Abbey books, cowbells and the Churfirsten – by camper through the Appenzell region, Toggenburg and to Lake Walen?**
OpenStreetMap lists 76 campsites and motorhome stopovers within 20 km of the stops on this route. For example: Manser, Campingplatz Jakobsbad and Camping Werdenberg.

**How much are the tolls on the route from St. Gallen to Rapperswil?**
Tolls and vignettes for a car: about €40 (Switzerland, Vignette). Estimate with typical rates; motorhomes pay more, and vehicles over 3.5 t often pay by distance.