Step back in time to a delightful Swiss secret

The hills are alive in Switzerland!

Switzerland is a country with scenery that will have your camera clicking digit worn out in a week.

As well as its fabulous terrain I love the fact that everywhere is within a few hours’ travel (preferably on their superb rail network, which I just adore and puts ScotRail to shame).

Once there you can experience a new culture, one with a different language, different traditions, different cuisine and a totally different atmosphere.

Recently I travelled to an international travel media conference which was held in Appenzell Innerrhoden, in the country’s smallest Canton (or district), Appenzellerland.

It’s about 90 minutes on the train from Zurich, very close to the borders of Austria, Germany and Leichtenstein.

I hadn’t been there before but within minutes of alighting at its tiny train station I just knew this was somewhere very special.

Appenzell is a small town of 16,000 people and in its immediate environs are 15,500 cows. Why? Because this is real Heidi country farming is still the main industry and the lush Alpine meadows are perfect grazing areas for dairy cattle. It makes this a delightfully rural area.

Of the small number of tourists who come here each year 85% are Swiss.

The rest of the world just passes it by and that was why the Swiss National Tourist Office invited 140 journalists from 40 countries to come and experience it for themselves.

The fact they invited us all together made for some interesting times as every hotel or guest house, restaurant and bar in the area was packed with media of all shapes, sizes and nationalities, with press from India to Brazil, New Zealand to Russia, Peru to Qatar and everything in between (oh, and yours truly was the only Scot!).

The locals had never seen anything like it. They hung out of their windows and lined the streets to watch us as we explored their native land in groups of 15 at a time!

What the Tourist Board managed to show us in a few short days was one of the most charming and culturally alive places in Europe.

This is a destination where genuinely nothing is commercialised or put on just for foreigners (because there aren’t any!) and here you can learn and experience real, genuine Appenzeller traditions and culture.

You can even take a yodelling lesson and put up a pretty good show after an hour (a few schnapps helped!).

In many ways it’s like stepping back 50 years there are no supermarkets, it’s all individual shops. The kids still play in the streets and wear traditional costumes with pride, the locals make their own music at night rather than gawp at TVs.

The church, which seats 1,000, is full every Sunday, and the family unit is still very strong. All of that is just marvellous but, on the downside, I learned that women only got the vote here in 1991!

We were lucky enough to be there when there was an alpine cattle drive as the cattle came down from their summer pasture.

A small boy in herdsman’s costume led the procession with a herd of white Appenzell goats, then followed a young barefoot girl and behind them walked the leading herdsman in the men’s traditional costume and yellow leather trousers.

Over his left shoulder he carried an elaborately carved milking pail, and following him were the three lead cows carrying harmonically coordinated bells on decorated belts (all made in Appenzell itself).

Behind them, four herdsmen, and at the back of the procession came the owner of the animals, accompanied by his Appenzell cattle dog.

There are so many delightful traditions and customs that if you enjoy a delve into the past, you will just love a visit here.

The local delicacies are another treat in store, with Appenzeller cheese and Appenzeller Alpenbitter (medicinal spirit made from 42 herbs visit the distillery).

Appenzeller biber (gingerbread) is another popular delicacy, as is the Appenzeller white sausage which consists mainly of beef and is traditionally served with macaroni cheese.

The colourful traditional painted houses and churches in the village are chocolate-box stuff and if you want to hike, the Appenzellerland is home to the Alpstein massif, which contains three mountain lakes.

You have countless hiking trails to choose from, ranging from easy strolls to strenuous alpine hikes.

Guests who stay in the area for three nights or more at the same establishment in Appenzell are entitled to the Appenzell Card, which has 20 free offers for visitors, including free rail trips in 12 zones of the Appenzell Bahnen network, free trips with cableways (Kronberg, HoherKasten and Ebenalp) as well as admission to museums, swimming pools and other leisure facilities.

Further info: appenzell.info/en/