Appenzell is a quaint town of 5,000 in eastern Switzerland, less than two hours from Zürich by train. The town lies amid green hills and had just enough low-altitude alps to remind us that we were in Switzerland.
The city is most famous its incredibly stinky (but good-tasting) cheese, and for its annual Landesgemeinde, an open-air parliament where citizens vote directly on major issues instead of trusting elected officials to make decisions for them. (Only men were allowed to vote until 1991, when the Swiss Supreme Court ruled that excluding women was unconstitutional.)
Appenzellers are proud of their little city and remains one of Switzerland's most active centers for yodeling. They apparently are also known for their art with traditional Swiss costumes and bell-wearing cows.
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