The Rock restaurant :)

We call it Klipperestauranten, the Cliff Restaurant, but actually, the name is Aescher Gasthaus Am Berg, Aescher Mountain Guesthouse, near Appenzell in Switzerland. We have been visiting Aescher many times. Of course, because of the location and the views, but also to enjoy a meal and a drink. This time we arrived at Wasserauen, from where the cable car runs to Ebenalp, in our camper. The parking fee is only 5 Swiss Francs for 24 hours, so we can also stay for the night(s) here. The cable car takes just 6 minutes to get us 723 meters higher up, to the mountain station. Here there is a short, but fairly steep, hike down to Aescher. On the way, the path goes through a cave where bears, Neanderthals and hermits once lived! Lightboards tell a bit of ancient history. We also pass the Wild Chapel and a wooden hut telling a bit of the history of the caves. All the way down there are fabulous views of the other mountains and the valley. But, the most fantastic view is when arriving to Aescher. Seeing the old guesthouse from 1860 (actually one of the oldest of its kind in Switzerland) is a spectacular experience. After enjoying a very delicious late breakfast, and a drink, we continued our hike, first to Füessler and then to the top of Ebenalp at 1.640 meters a.s.l. On this short hike, we met a lot of free-running goats but also the typical and beautiful Swiss brown cattle, Braunvieh. From Ebenalp there are views of the mountains Hoher Kasten, Schäfler, Säntis and even all the way to Lake Constance (Bodensee).