Saxer Lücke, the notch in the Alpstein ridge

A small cable car from Frümsen up to the crest, an easy walk along the ridge, and at the end the Alpstein just splits open in front of you. A short hike for one of the most dramatic views in Eastern Switzerland.

Leon Helg
Leon Helg · Published 11 June 2026
A hiker on the grassy ridge at the Saxer Lücke in evening light, with the sheer rock towers of the Alpstein dropping into cloud behind.
Saxer Lücke, Alpstein, 1,746 metres. Photo · Leon Helg.

Getting there

The Saxer Lücke is the place where the Alpstein, the massif behind Appenzell1, just breaks open. A clean gap in the ridge between the Hüser and the towers of the Chrüzberg, right on the border of Appenzell Innerrhoden and St. Gallen, on the Sax-Schwende fault, the most striking fault line in the whole massif2. That fault is why the wall ends in such a clean cut.

My way up is the comfortable one. From Frümsen in the St. Gallen Rhine valley a small cable car runs up to Gasthaus Staubern on the crest3. From the top you follow the ridge trail towards the cleft. It is an easy walk, well maintained, family friendly, nothing technical. You walk with the Rhine valley far below on one side and the inner Alpstein on the other.

The classic view is along the ridge towards the notch, the trail in the grass and the rock towers stacked up behind it. You see it coming the whole way, so do not put the camera away.

The light

Sunset is the hit. The light comes through the notch and the whole Alpstein lights up, ridge by ridge. The towers go from grey to orange while the valleys below are already in shade, so for a few minutes the rock looks like it is floating.

Bring a tripod. Blue hour hangs around for a while up there, and my best frames came after the sun was gone, every single time. Pack a warm layer too, the crest catches wind.

Staying the night

Now the part to get right. Wild camping is forbidden in canton Appenzell Innerrhoden, the same rule that covers the rest of the inner Alpstein. Bivouacking is only possible with the landowner's permission4, and the whole area sits in the Säntisgebiet, a listed landscape in the federal BLN inventory5. So no tent at the notch, not even for one night.

The legal version is easy here anyway.

Berggasthaus Bollenwees

Down at the Fälensee, the lake directly below the notch6. From the Saxer Lücke it is a short descent to the door. Sunset up top, sleep by the lake, walk back up in the morning. Book ahead, the house is well known.

Gasthaus Staubern

The guesthouse at the top of the cable car, where the ridge walk starts. It has rooms too. Sleep there and sunset and the way back are the same thing.

Sources for the rules. SAC information sheet "Camping and bivouacking" on sac-cas.ch, protected areas and the BLN object Säntisgebiet on map.geo.admin.ch. The Saxer Lücke verdict itself comes from my own spot research, current as of June 2026.

This pattern, allowed or forbidden plus the legal alternative, is what I keep up to date in the Swiss Gems Guide for all 141 spots.

When to go

May to October is the window. And the spot is popular, I rate it 4 out of 5 for busyness, the ridge from Staubern is one of the known walks of the Alpstein. Go on a weekday if you can. The usual trick works here too: most people head back down well before evening, stay for sunset and you have the notch almost to yourself.

If the Alpstein grabs you, the Schäfler is the other ridge evening I keep going back to, on the famous side of the massif.

Swiss Gems · 141 spots in Switzerland

Access, best light and a wild camping status per spot. One-off CHF 27, free updates.

Get the Guide

Frequently asked questions

How hard is the hike to the Saxer Lücke?
Easy. The cable car from Frümsen does the climbing, and the ridge walk from Gasthaus Staubern is on a well-maintained trail with nothing technical. Family friendly, no scrambling.
Can you camp at the Saxer Lücke?
No. Canton Appenzell Innerrhoden forbids wild camping and the area sits in the BLN-listed Säntisgebiet landscape. The legal overnight option is Berggasthaus Bollenwees at the Fälensee directly below the notch, book ahead.
What is the best time of day at the Saxer Lücke?
Sunset. The light comes through the notch and the whole Alpstein lights up. Bring a tripod, blue hour hangs around for a while up there and the best frames usually come after the sun is gone.
Where can you sleep near the Saxer Lücke?
Berggasthaus Bollenwees at the Fälensee, a short descent below the notch, book ahead. Gasthaus Staubern at the top of the cable car has rooms too.
Leon Helg

Leon Helg

Swiss filmmaker and software engineer. 26 years in Switzerland, spends his free time exploring the Swiss Alps and maps his favorite spots for Hikebeast. Posts as @leon.helg on Instagram and TikTok.

About Hikebeast Swiss Gems Guide

Sources

  1. Alpstein, subgroup of the Appenzell Alps across the cantons of Appenzell Innerrhoden, Appenzell Ausserrhoden and St. Gallen. Wikipedia. ↩
  2. Saxerlücke, the pass between the Hüser and the Chrüzberg on the border of Appenzell Innerrhoden and St. Gallen, part of the Sax-Schwende fault. Wikipedia. ↩
  3. Staubern cable car from Frümsen and mountain guesthouse on the crest, official site. staubern.ch. ↩
  4. Swiss Alpine Club, information sheet "Camping and bivouacking in the Alps". sac-cas.ch. ↩
  5. Federal geoportal with the layers "wildlife rest zones", "federal hunting ban districts" and the BLN landscape inventory (object Säntisgebiet). map.geo.admin.ch. ↩
  6. Berggasthaus Bollenwees at the Fälensee, official site. bollenwees.ch. ↩