Gais Travel Guide

Tourist Guide
Gais
Discover some of Switzerland’s finest Alpine scenery and majestic views of the Rhine Valley when staying at this attractive rural village.

Gais is a laid-back village nestled within the Alpine foothills of the Appenzell Outer Rhodes canton. Escape the crowds and enjoy the tranquility of gently rolling hills, sweeping mountain valleys and verdant woodland. Hike to hilltop lookouts, ride cable cars to imposing massifs and ski at welcoming resorts. Gais is an agricultural center that became known in the mid 1700s for its medicinal whey cures.

Admire baroque-inspired buildings, gable-roofed and half-timbered houses lining quiet streets. The village won the prestigious Wakker Prize in 1977 for its architectural preservation. Highlights include an 18th-century church and the large Hotel zur Krone. The Stoss Monument memorializes a 1405 battle when local residents threw stones and branches at invading Austrians. Browse a collection of works by Johann Ulrich Fitzi at the Village Square Museum.

Follow hiking trails departing from the village and travel deep into pristine Alpine countryside. Breathe in fresh air as you cross sprawling meadows around the 4,104-foot (1,251-meter) tall Gäbris peak. Marvel at sweeping views over the Appenzell Alps, Lake Constance and Austria’s Vorarlberg mountains. Go cross-country skiing and snowshoeing at Starkenmühle and tobogganing at Altstätten.

South of Gais the jagged peaks of the Alpstein region reach toward blue skies. Find excellent hiking trails at Ebenalp, Kronberg and Hoher Kasten. Take the scenic cable car to 8,209-foot (2,502-meter) tall Säntis, the tallest Alpstein massif. Ski and snowboard at Ebenalp-Schwende Ski Area and Kronberg Ski Area.

Be sure to visit the nearby villages. Appenzell is famous for its fresco-decorated buildings such as Hampi Fässler House. Learn about beer making on a tour of the Appenzeller Brewery. Schwende and Trogen afford superb panoramas of forest-covered hills.

Reach Gais easily via train services from St. Gallen and Zurich, among other major Swiss cities. You can also get here by train from Bregenz, Austria and Konstanz, Germany. Relax after a day of outdoor activities in the comfort of a traditional alpine lodge. Gais is German-speaking, although as the town is a tourist destination English is quite common.

Grand Hotel Bregenz MGallery
Grand Hotel Bregenz MGallery
4 out of 5
Platz Der Wiener Symphoniker 2, Bregenz, Vorarlberg
The price is ₹10,971 per night from 2 Jun to 3 Jun
₹10,971
per night
2 Jun - 3 Jun
Stay at this 4-star spa hotel in Bregenz. Enjoy free WiFi, a full-service spa and breakfast. Popular attractions Casino Bregenz and Seebühne Bregenz are located ...
8.2/10 Very Good! (572 reviews)
Rude bar manager.
"Lovely hotel, room, setting. Clean and spacious room. Although bad part was booking a table for a meal. After speaking to what looked like the bar manager he says 7pm so we had a drink at the bar to wait. He suggested nibbles which we had and got charged over the top for them 7pm came and went and ..."

Reviewed on 7 May 2024

Grand Hotel Bregenz MGallery
Hotel Walhalla
Hotel Walhalla
4 out of 5
Poststrasse 27, St. Gallen, SG
Fully refundableReserve now, pay when you stay
The price is ₹14,589 per night from 17 May to 18 May
₹14,589
per night
17 May - 18 May
Enjoy free Wi-Fi, breakfast (surcharge) and parking (surcharge). Our guests praise the breakfast and the helpful staff in their reviews.
9.2/10 Wonderful! (473 reviews)
"Staff was very friendly and helpful."

Reviewed on 21 Apr 2024

Hotel Walhalla
SEEhotel Friedrichshafen
SEEhotel Friedrichshafen
Bahnhofplatz 2, Friedrichshafen, BW
The price is ₹13,466 per night from 21 May to 22 May
₹13,466
per night
21 May - 22 May
Enjoy free breakfast, free Wi-Fi and a rooftop terrace. Our guests praise the breakfast and the helpful staff in their reviews.
8.2/10 Very Good! (801 reviews)
Very Nice Hotel in Friedrichshafen
"Comfortable bed, great shower, excellent breakfast. Convenient, next to the train station."

Reviewed on 21 Apr 2024

SEEhotel Friedrichshafen
Lowest nightly price found within the past 24 hours based on a 1 night stay for 2 adults. Prices and availability subject to change. Additional terms may apply.
Chalet Park by Maier Höchst
Chalet Park by Maier Höchst
4 out of 5
Bäumlestraße 24d, Hoechst, Vorarlberg
Enjoy free Wi-Fi, free parking and a garden.
8.8/10 Excellent! (22 reviews)
"Sehr ruhig und schön."

Reviewed on 17 Apr 2024

Chalet Park by Maier Höchst
Village by Maier - kontaktloser Check-in
Village by Maier - kontaktloser Check-in
2 out of 5
Maderspergerstraße 9, Hohenems, Vorarlberg
Enjoy free Wi-Fi, free parking and daily housekeeping.
8.6/10 Excellent! (90 reviews)
"The room and hotel was excellent. It is tucked away in a corner by the highway, so it functions like a motel but the area isn't "nice" per se; it's a corner off the highway not a mountain resort looking out over the valley. Communication was either none or 5 star. Mostly since you don't need it. ..."

Reviewed on 17 Mar 2024

Village by Maier - kontaktloser Check-in
Business Hotel Maier
Business Hotel Maier
3.5 out of 5
Montfortstraße 6, Goetzis, Vorarlberg
Enjoy free Wi-Fi, free parking and a fitness centre.
9.4/10 Exceptional! (44 reviews)
Fantastic
"Fantastic location . Fantastic amenities in the apartment. I’ve booked again and always will when I’m in the location ."

Reviewed on 9 May 2023

Business Hotel Maier
Lowest nightly price found within the past 24 hours based on a 1 night stay for 2 adults. Prices and availability subject to change. Additional terms may apply.

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