Heiden
The landscape around Heiden is a rolling patchwork of pasture and settled slopes above Lake Constance, which has shaped both the built environment and local life. In Appenzell Ausserrhoden, the village spreads along a ridge on the Swiss side of the lake, with farms and houses sharing the open hillside. Lake Constance forms the region’s northern horizon and links Switzerland with Germany and Austria. Heiden developed as a health resort in the 19th century, and its compact centre reflects that period. The International Red Cross co-founder Henry Dunant spent his final years here and died in Heiden in 1910; the Henry Dunant Museum documents that connection. It is a place of working pastureland as well as a residential and visitor centre for the surrounding Appenzell hills.
Generated by AI
Heiden occupies a high terrace above Lake Constance in the canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden. The village developed as a spa resort in the 19th century, and its orderly centre still reflects the rebuilding that followed a major fire in 1838. Heiden is closely associated with Henry Dunant, founder of the Red Cross, who spent his final years here and died in the village in 1910; the Henry Dunant Museum preserves this connection. Walking routes lead out towards the rolling Appenzell hills, while the lake and the distant Alpine rim place the settlement within a wider cross-border region. Continue with other live views from Appenzell Ausserrhoden to see how this part of northeastern Switzerland connects regionally.
2 webcams
Among Switzerland’s cantons, Appenzell Ausserrhoden stands out for rolling pre-Alpine hills and a long textile tradition. In the northeast of the country, it stretches from upland pastures towards the Lake Constance basin, with the Alpstein range rising close to its southern edge. Herisau, the cantonal seat, developed as a centre of textile production; embroidery and weaving helped shape the area’s economy in the 19th century. The canton emerged in 1597 when the historic Appenzell territory divided along confessional lines, leaving Ausserrhoden predominantly Reformed. Farmhouses, grazing land and compact towns still define much of its settled countryside. Continue through nearby webcams to explore different parts of Appenzell Ausserrhoden.
14 webcams
Switzerland stretches from the Jura Mountains in the northwest to the Alps in the south, encompassing a central plateau of cities, farms and lakes. The Rhine rises in the Swiss Alps, while Lake Geneva forms part of the country’s southwestern border. Zürich, Geneva and Basel are major urban centres, yet mountain railways and passes remain central to how many regions are experienced. Four national languages—German, French, Italian and Romansh—reflect Switzerland’s distinct cantonal identities. The Matterhorn above Zermatt is among Europe’s most recognisable peaks, and the 1291 Federal Charter is closely associated with the country’s founding tradition. Continue through nearby webcams to explore different parts of Switzerland.
1.5K webcams