The best traffic-free bike rides around Voralpsee

not far from here is the Laui hiking parking lot, next to which there is also a kiosk offering drinks and snacks on weekends. The operation is run by members of the local ski school and the profit goes to the youth training of the local ski school Wildhaus.

is a small cave, but it has nothing special to see. Even on hot and dry days it is cool inside and the path is "slippery". I haven't seen any standing water, however.

Gondola lift Gamplüt with wind and solar power The Gamplüt gondola lift runs on solar power. The hot water used in the Gamplüt mountain restaurant comes from the solar collectors and the hot air fireplace in the large hall. When the sun isn't shining, the wind blows. That's why a wind turbine also produces electricity. It goes without saying for us to invest in sustainable energy; the place and nature are close to our hearts. World's first wind and solar cable car in Toggenburg The world's only fully solar-powered gondola lift (as of 2012) is located in Obertoggenburg. It connects Wildhaus with the Gamplüt alpine pasture. The maximum speed of the lift is 19.8 km/h. The photovoltaic systems on the roof of the mountain restaurant and the machine hall supply roughly the same amount of electricity as the lift consumes. Text / Source: Gondola lift Gamplüt https://www.xn--gamplt-7ya.ch/gondelbahn/die-gondelbahn-gampluet-faehrt-mit-solarstrom/

Bergrestaurant Gamplüt / Gondola lift Welcome to the sunny mountain restaurant Gamplüt, at 1357 m.a.s.l. above Wildhaus, in Obertoggenburg. Our hall for up to 100 people is the ideal place for your Sunday brunch, a birthday party, a wedding or whatever you wish. You can reach the Gamplüt mountain restaurant with our solar-powered gondola lift or on foot. We are here for our guests every day of the year and have a lot to offer for young and old alike. For special occasions, we also serve raclette, fondue or a themed buffet for up to 250 people in front of the open fire, upon prior reservation. Text / Source: Gondola lift and mountain restaurant, Schönenbodenstrasse, Wildhaus https://www.xn--gamplt-7ya.ch/bergrestaurant-gampluet/

In summer there's a coffee machine, in winter only Nescafé. But still.

Do this tour during the week and often you will be alone

A Little Paradise: At the monastery in Alt St. Johann, modernity meets the Middle Ages. The monks already cultivated the garden of the monastery of St. Johann in the Thur Valley in the Middle Ages. Today, 200 different herbs and medicinal plants grow there. Many Medicinal Plants in the Garden Gardens have been part of a monastery since the Middle Ages. The monks and nuns grew vegetables there so they could live independently of the outside world. A large part of the garden was always reserved for medicinal plants. In many monasteries, the monks were able to write and copied ancient texts describing medicinal plants and their effects. In this way, the monks acquired knowledge that they continued to cultivate and pass on. A trade in southern European and oriental herbs also developed through monasteries. For example, exotic plants such as lovage and fennel came here. The connection between useful and medicinal plants is still cultivated in the publicly accessible display garden in Alt St. Johann. Near the entrance, herbs dominate, which are used and sold in the herbal shop. 200 different plants can be found in the garden. At the rear, useful plants also grow in beds. The area is complemented by a water feature and a seating area where visitors can let their thoughts wander. The garden can also be used for various events. Incidentally, like many monastery gardens, the one in Alt St. Johann has a geometric layout with a planted circular area at its center. Text / Source: tagblatt.ch/ostschweiz/toggenburg https://www.tagblatt.ch/ostschweiz/toggenburg/wo-moderne-auf-mittelalter-trifft-ld.1038188

Berghotel Alp Sellamatt, Alt St. Johann For more than 60 years, the Lötscher family has run the renowned mountain hotel on Alp Sellamatt. Three generations live and work under one roof. Grandparents Hanni and Valentin Lötscher handed over the reins to their daughter Christiana and her husband Heinz on November 1, 2015. Christiana has followed in her father's footsteps. She trained as a chef and, by attending hotel management school, acquired the necessary skills to continue running the business. She cares passionately for the culinary well-being of hotel guests and day-trippers. She is also the mother of Severin and Michelle. Both attend school in Alt St. Johann and are growing up in the family business. Heinz works at the buffet and reception and is responsible for all technical matters, while Magdalena, Christiana's sister, comes to the Alp from Unterwasser two days a week to manage the accounting and various administrative tasks. Long-serving employees support the family in all areas. The mountain inn was built in the 1940s during the construction of the mountain railway. It was then called the Churfirsten Mountain Inn, and various innkeepers ran the inn before the "Lötscher dynasty" began, until Christiana and Magdalena's grandmother, Margaretha Lötscher-Jöhl, was able to buy the business in 1953 and, from then on, ran it with her son Valentin. Life on Alp Sellamatt was strenuous and time-consuming. At that time, a mountain inn had to be run without electricity or water. There was also no access road. Materials had to be transported from the valley to Alp Sellamatt by train or on foot. The effort paid off! Gradually, investments were made that made daily work easier. Text / Source: Berghotel Sellamatt https://www.sellamatt.ch/