Herisau combines cultural and historical themes with specific places and trails: the permanent exhibition at the Herisau Museum covers everyday life, politics and culture, as well as Robert Walser and domestic and musical culture in Appenzell Ausserrhoden. Outdoors, a circular route leads to places of remembrance, walks take you to viewpoints, and hiking trails lead to the municipality’s bridges. If you are considering Herisau as a travel destination, you can focus on local history, literature or outdoor activities—or combine these different aspects.
Museum and Robert Walser sites
The Herisau Museum, the cultural history museum for the canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden, is housed in the Old Town Hall on the square, directly opposite the Reformed church. An additional site is located in the hamlet of Schwänberg. The permanent exhibition covers, among other things, knights and castles, mobility and transport, mills in Appenzellerland, medicine and spa culture, and the history of schooling. It also explores the life and work of the writer Robert Walser (1878–1956) and domestic and musical culture in Appenzell Ausserrhoden. These themes offer different ways to explore the canton’s history and culture.
Robert Walser connects the exhibition themes with a dedicated memorial trail in Herisau. Open year-round, the Robert Walser Path leads to several places where the writer lived and other sites of remembrance. These include the Walser Fountain, the clinic grounds at Krombach, the place where he died at Rosenberg and his grave. This allows you to explore his literary legacy not only as a theme, but also through several places across the municipality.
Another cultural destination is the Herisau Puppet Theatre Museum, housed in a historic building in the town centre. The townscape itself also offers points of interest: throughout Herisau, walnut doors, Baroque façades, romantic arcades and secluded gardens bear witness to the past. There is a set visiting time for the Old Town Hall in Schwänberg: the building and its exhibition are open to visitors free of charge on the first Sunday of every month from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. Check the date in advance if you are planning a visit.
Townscape, railway and bridges
The town’s development can also be traced through specific dates. After 1835, intensive building activity dramatically changed the townscape. By 1910, Poststrasse, Kasernenstrasse and Bahnhofstrasse, which lead away from the centre, had been built; industrial settlements developed along the Sägebach and Glatt streams and in the Nordhalde area. The railway’s history includes the station, opened in the centre in 1875, and the striking viaduct over the Glatt Valley. It was built between 1907 and 1910 for the current through station.
At the edge of the municipality are covered wooden bridges in Kubel, Hundwilertobel and Wissenbachtobel. Their ridge beams are decorated with sayings. These three locations make the bridges separate places to visit, rather than a single structure in the town centre. Anyone interested in this type of structure will find, alongside museums and local history, another subject that draws attention to Herisau and its surroundings.
Walks and hiking trails
The Herisau Cultural Trail was established in 2005 under the direction of the municipality as a circular walk for residents and tourists. Another way to combine trails and structures is the “Bridges in Appenzellerland” hike: it starts at Herisau railway station, climbs to the Protestant church and then follows the signposts for Route 22, “Kulturspur Appenzellerland,” to Egg. The return journey from the Riethüsli stop is towards St. Gallen or Appenzell.
For a walk with a view, head to the hilltop between Poststrasse and the Egg bus stop. From there, you can enjoy views of the rolling Appenzell landscape and the Säntis. You can extend the walk with a detour to the Lutzenland viewpoint and triangulation point. This gives you the choice of a shorter walk or a hike with named waypoints; the specific destinations provide different reference points for planning your day.
Another destination for an outing
The indoor playground at Appenzeller Park covers 2,300 m². From Herisau railway station, take bus route 175 towards Ramsen to the Cilander stop. From there, the park is about 200 metres away on foot via the viaduct and Hölzlistrasse. Check current connections and route information before setting out. This outing can be planned around a bus journey, while museums, local history and walking trails offer other ways to spend your time.
Discover more destinations: Hundwil, Stein, Waldstatt, Urnäsch, Schönengrund, Schwellbrunn.
Back to the regional travel overview: Hinterland.
