Säntis
Fly here
Lookout of eastern Switzerland, with a view over six countries.
From the basket
In the north-east of the country, above Appenzell, the Säntis stands like the captain of the Alpstein, a small limestone massif with sheer cliffs. It peaks at 2,502 metres. From the balloon it looks much taller than it is, because nothing casts a shadow over it: it rises alone above the green hills.
Its shape is made of regular limestone folds, overturned towards the north-east, which erosion has carved into a series of steep walls. Geologists see in it a sort of islet of rock that came from far away, set on softer ground and cut off from its roots.
Three cantons meet at its summit: the two Appenzells and St Gallen. In clear weather the view reaches Lake Constance, the Alps and a good part of eastern Switzerland. But the weather up there is harsh: the summit weather station is the wettest in the country, and in April 1999 it recorded more than eight metres of snow, a record for Switzerland.
An inn has welcomed visitors at the summit since 1846, and a weather station has operated there since 1882. Keep an eye on the clouds as you fly over the crest, then let yourself glide down towards the Appenzell farms.
Sources: Wikipedia, “Säntis”.
All around
- St. Gallen, 20 km to the north
- Lake Constance, 28 km to the north
- Lake Zurich, 30 km to the west