Winter Waterfall Hike In Appenzell Switzerland

Are you looking for a beautiful winter waterfall hike in Appenzell, Switzerland?
The Alpstein in Appenzell is one of the most popular regions in Switzerland for hiking and other activities. Famous for its Appenzeller cheese and Quöllfrisch beer, but also for Instagram hotspots like the Äscher Inn and the Seealpsee. Today we want to introduce you to a beautiful waterfall in this region.
We visited the Leuenfall in summer and winter and we find it more amazing in the winter wonderland of Switzerland. I saw a photo of the Leuenfall in an icy landscape on Instagram. It immediately gave me “Disney’s Frozen” vibes and I knew we had to see it!

Leuenfall Hiking Details & Facts

Distance: 13.19 km
Hiking time: 4 h
Difficulty level: easy, but in the snow it can quickly become more strenuous to hike
Altitude difference: ⇑ 563 m ⇓ 563 m
Waypoints: Weissbad – Ahorn – Leuenfall – Lehmen – Weissbad

Leuenfall Hiking Description

The hike to the waterfall starts at the train station in Weissbad (Canton Appenzell). The village is the starting point for many hikes in the Alpstein and is therefore a popular destination in Switzerland.
Heading southwest, the trail first climbs steeply over steps to a large meadow. From here, the path to Ahorn is always well marked. The Leuenbach itself is not signposted until quite late, so always look out for the name “Ahorn”.
By the way, there is a small asphalt section at the beginning. This didn’t bother us too much as there was no traffic – and that was on a Saturday.
We trudged through snow most of the way. For some, the hike might be considered “moderately difficult” rather than “easy,” as it is a bit uphill and this, combined with the snow, can be strenuous at times.
The trail goes through a variety of forests, open meadows and over bridges that look beautiful. The Alpstein mountains are always in view on the left. The trail is no less beautiful in the summer!
By the way, the Chapel of the Seven Sorrows of Mary (Sonnenhalbchappeli) is on the way. You can also visit it on the way back. We visited it on our way there.

Short Break At Ahornkappel

The first short break is at the Maple Chapel (Ahornkappel). The trail to it was closed due to logging, but if you follow the regular road, you can take another, safer trail under the hill.
The chapel looks much more impressive with the mountain range in the background, and we are glad we found the other turnoff. Otherwise we would have gone straight to the waterfall. Next to the chapel is the Ahorn Inn. It was closed when we visited it, but we had some food with us and after eating our pretzels we walked downhill towards the Leuenfall.
The waterfall is also signposted from Ahornkappel, so there should be no problem finding it.

Finally Arrived At The Leuenfall Waterfall

The trail leads downhill through the forest towards Leuenfall.
The waterfall is not directly on the trail, but at a short junction. You only have to walk about two minutes to get to the waterfall.
It looks really impressive that everything is frozen, but some water still finds its way down. At the bottom there is a thick layer of snow and ice with a bluish shimmer.
No wonder it reminds me of a Disney movie, as magical as it looks.
This is truly a winter wonderland waterfall hike in Switzerland!
We stop to take pictures and pause for a moment. There is another couple, followed by an older couple. They are the first people we have met on the trail so far.
However, this is because there is a parking lot at the Waldgasthaus Lehmen nearby and most people drive there by car and just look at the waterfall.
After we were well cooled, but also very satisfied, we made our way back.

The way back is very easy and comfortable as it is either flat or downhill.
If you want to stay on the right trail, you have to turn left at the Eugst farm, about 500 meters after the Lehmen forest inn. This path will take you back to the original route and you can take a look at the chapel in Sonnenhalb if you didn’t take it on the way there.
You have now completed the loop and return to Weissbad on the same route.
It is also possible to continue on the paved road and not turn left at the farm. This will also take you to Weissbad. However, this road is very busy and not so easy to walk on, but you will save a short climb on the trail.

Leuenfall Waterfall Without Hiking By Car

As mentioned above, it is also possible to walk to the Leuenfall from Lehmen. There is plenty of parking and it is only a 5-10 minute drive from Weissbad. The walk to the waterfall is about 10 minutes. If you include the Ahornkapelle chapel, you will walk a total of about 5 kilometers.

We hope you liked this introduction of this winter waterfall hike in Appenzell, Switzerland!