I was fortunate enough to catch one by chance towards the end of my trip, while strolling through the town of Appenzell, whose picturesque, colourful buildings look straight out of a children's storybook. burden to him until his death - a profoundly Swiss attitude. The Dolder Grand is a city resort that beautifully merges past and future. Click here for instructions on how to enable JavaScript in your browser. -- PHOTO: YIP WAI YEE, The region is served by a local train system (above) with the journey from Zurich to Appenzell taking 11/2 hours. The breed is not currently recognised by The Kennel Club or the other major kennel clubs in the English-speaking world, although it is also registered by small clubs and internet-based breed registries, and is promoted in North America by the Appenzeller Mountain Dog Club of America as a rare breed for puppy buyers seeking a unique pet. The gift link for this subscriber-only article has expired. hospital always to be available for a poor citizen of the region and Switzerland has a moderate climate and four distinct seasons, making it an attractive year-round travel destination. Mighty rock formations tower loftily to over 2500 metres in height – seemingly from nowhere. Of course, both of them have their own governmental web sites and their own touristic web sites:AR: www.ar.ch and www.appenzellerland.chAI: www.ai.ch and www.appenzell.info. This alpine descent, known as the Désalpes in French, or Alpabzug in Swiss-German, has been going on since 3,000 BC and is steeped in tradition. It was also used as a draft dog and general farm dog. The first valid Breed Standard was prepared in 1914 with its original breeding territory being the Appenzell region. When the cows go on holiday the alps As summer approaches, the dairy herdsmen drive their cattle up to the alpine pastures in an orderly and colourful procession. Visitors can try their hand at making their own leather keyrings, complete with a choice of different intricate brass fitting designs to decorate a unique piece to take home. in AR). The other theory states that the Appenzell Mountain Dog was brought into Switzerland by the Romans. Most striking is the hotel’s art collection with more than 100 artworks including pieces by Andy Warhol, Henry Moore and Salvador Dalí. The name Sennenhund refers to people called Senn, herders in the Appenzell region of Switzerland. They're all very happy here," he replied. Pop into local brewery Brauerei Locher AG (Brauereiplatz 1, 9050 Appenzell, www.appenzellerbier.ch, tel: +41-71-788-01-40) - a traditional brewery which has been run by the Locher family since 1886 - to see how the prized Appenzeller beer is made using pure Swiss alpine spring water. The Appenzeller Sennenhund was only recognised internationally as a separate breed in 1989.[2]. Finish off with a gourmet dinner at the hotel's award-winning restaurant led by chef Kathi Fassler, who was named Chef of the Year by influential French restaurant guide Gault Millau. There is also a stereo, Nespresso machine, minibar, multimedia TV, Wi-Fi and telephone. The Ebenalp is also a paragliding paradise and starting point for the hike up onto the Säntis summit. Or register their Facebook account.E.g., in 2013 there was an Alpabfahrt by the farmer Faessler on 30 August 2013 to Appenzell (town).AR: Find information and dates here, or register their newsletter (to be found at the bottom of each page).In 2012 one highlight Alpabfahrt to Urnäsch of two farmer families happened on 14 September 2012. The village of Appenzell and the Canton of Appenzell Innerrhoden are situated in a singularly beautiful landscape of rolling hills. He is accompanied by the three most beautiful cows, which sway six- to nine-kilogram cow bells from side to side on ornamental straps, making a deafening noise. The spa comprises eighteen treatment rooms, separate areas for ladies and gentlemen, an aqua zone with views of the natural surroundings and a medical wellness center. relieving his debt; his inability to fully erase his debts was a major Guests can enjoy breakfast as well as the meals and drinks at the two on-site restaurants. Whether Swiss classic or French-inspired haute cuisine with an Asian touch, you are sure to enjoy a variety of well prepared dishes. For foodies, that means having a taste of the famously pungent Appenzeller cheese. Sensory night lights point the way from sleep to bathroom in the dark. As there are no fixed schedules, visitors need a bit of luck to experience an alpine cattle drive live. The buildings date back to the 16th century, all beautifully hand-painted and decorated with pretty flower-dressed windows. The breed also was known for its affinity to both herd and guard with such devotion that they would give their lives to protect their charges. But already a few decades later, 1597, as a result of the Reformation, they were ready to fight against each others in a war. -- PHOTO: YIP WAI YEE, The town of Appenzell has picturesque buildings dating back to the 16th century, decorated with flower-dressedwindows. I think, some reminiscence of this 420 years old controversy had to survive, in the end, and finally encourages a healthy competition. A cableway operates between Wasserauen and the Ebenalp (1644 m) – the gateway to the hiking region of the Alpstein – and the “Wildkirchli” cave chapel, which appears to claw dramatically to the rock, can be reached on foot in only 15 minutes by walking through an initially gentle landscape and two caverns.