Appenzell?

Three nights may be a perfect time frame to visit Appenzell. What time does your flight arrive in Zürich?

You could take the train directly from Zürich airport to Appenzell (time 1H:37M, 1 change). By the time you get to Appenzell and check into your hotel, it could be mid-afternoon. You likely won't get much touring done on the first day due to jet lag. You'll have days 2 & 3 for touring, and you could take one day to travel up to Ebenalp for some hiking and a fine meal.

OK thanks
We do arrive in morning and plan to stay 3 nights. I am hoping to hear some traditional music since I play the hackbrett(hammered dulcimer) and apparently it is a traditional instrument of Appenzell.

Daria,

Thanks for the additional information. As I recall, a folk music performance is held in the city hall one night per week. I can't remember which night it's held, but that should be listed in the guidebook. This group was playing during my trip to Appenzell - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25HYanwipVs .

You may find this interesting - https://www.artfulpassport.com/appenzell-traditions/ .

We stayed in Appenzell for 3 nights in 2018 and loved it. One thing to know is that some of the accommodations will give you a pass for many of the museums, lifts, etc but you have to stay a minimum of 3 nights. It also covers local trains and buses. We used it to ride 3 lifts (including the one to Ebenalp), visit a museum, take of tour of the cheese factory, ride the trains and buses to locations, and even got a free day on e-bikes. It really made the stay economical as lifts can be quite pricey. We had no trouble filling the time and would love to go back. We also visited a hotel to hear traditional music and toured the brewery that makes Alpenbiter, a local Alpenzeller specialty. They were both free as well. If you are interested in the brewery, you should visit the first day and ask if they have any English speaking tours while you are there. We ended up on a tour with a large group from Stockholm that were there on business. Switzerland has a well deserved reputation for being expensive, so the "magic passes (my name for them) made it much more affordable. I should add that we also spent time in St Moritz and Luzern,, but Appenzell was our favorite out of the 3. (Lauterbrunnen valley is my "happy place' and in a league of its own).

Definitely go to Ebenalp for a day trip. 3 nights isn't too much in Appenzell or the surrounding area.