Fortress Fürigen, St. Gallen, Appenzell

  (A multi-part recap of my recent September trip to Switzerland.)

On the second full day of my Rick Steves Switzerland tour, Kim and I packed our bags and bid the beautiful city of Lucerne a fond farewell.  After spending three days exploring this enchanting area, we were both a bit sorry to leave.  However, more Swiss adventures were beckoning and I was excited to see where our tour would take us next.

Foggy day at Lake Lucerne

 After a short walk to a main road, our group met driver Eric waiting with his bus.  For the first time, we all loaded up our luggage in preparation for today's trip.  Gloomy skies predicted a repeat of the prior day's weather - thick, foggy clouds with an occasional rain shower.

Road walk to the fortress

Our bus headed due south of Lucerne for a short drive to the town of Stansstad.  First on the day's agenda was a visit to Fortress Fürigen, a secret Swiss military bunker.  

Selfie with our buddies Tad and Sayumi

Situated on the shores of Lake Lucerne Stansstad appeared to be a resort-y community, judging by all the fancy hotels and large sailboats anchored nearby.  Since there wasn't any parking by the fortress itself, Eric parked the bus as close as possible, and our group ended up hoofing it the last half mile.  However, it proved to be a pleasant walk along the lakeshore, via a sidewalk that transitioned into a narrow roadway.

Tony introduces our guides

As Kim and I walked along the road, we enjoyed excellent lake views, despite the opposite shore being obscured by fog.  As we progressed further, a steep cliff began to rise vertically from the shore.  The one-lane road we followed became shoehorned between the rock face and water.  Since this road was still open to vehicular traffic, we all had to be on guard for the occasional passing car, flattening ourselves against the guardrail when one happened by.

Fortress Fürigen entrance

Our tour leader Tony led us to a small wooden shed nestled into the rocky cliff.  This was the secret bunker's entrance.  After a short wait, Tony emerged with our guides for the morning, two men who had worked in the fortress, and a lady interpreter.  Due to the tight conditions inside, Tony split our group into two, with staggered starts.  Each group was assigned one of the male guides and our group was also given the woman interpreter.  Ours had the good fortune of going inside the bunker first.

Inside was a maze of tunnels

Our group's guide had worked in the fortress as a maintenance man during the 1980's.  Although he apologized in advance for his poor English, I was able to understand nearly everything he talked about.  And let me tell you, this man was a wealth of information!

I liked this picture

With the onset of World War II, Switzerland found itself sandwiched between two of the aggressor nations, Germany to the north and Italy to the south.  Although the Swiss remained neutral throughout this conflict, their country's location made them ripe for a Nazi invasion.  To defend themselves, a series of military bunkers were built into the foreboding mountains that ran through the center of Switzerland.  The Swiss sited defense bunkers around all the mountain passes, their gunsights trained on protecting important road and rail routes.  In the event of a front line collapse, these mountain fortifications would serve as safe refuges for the retreating armies.

Firearm display

After World War II, the Swiss renovated their fortresses to defend against a new threat - the Soviet Union and nuclear war.  When the Cold War finally ended in 1990, the government decommissioned all the secret bunkers, and Fortress Fürigen was turned into a museum.

Machine gun on display

Our tour began walking through a series of dimly-lit tunnels.  Several pipes ran along the ceilings, holding air circulation ducts and various other communication lines.  Despite this ventilation system, the environment was damp, cool and musty.  Our first stop was a room with chairs where we watched a short film about the history of the bunker.  Then our guide showed us a few displays, exhibiting some of the weapons used by the Swiss soldiers who were stationed here.

Our group listening raptly

Trying to conserve space, shelves lined the walls of many of the rooms.  One area held replicas of the ammunition that had been stored during wartime.

Underground kitchen

We learned 100 men had been stationed inside this bunker at a time.  Our guide led us into the dining hall, past several rows of sturdy wooden tables and let us peer behind a glassed-in full kitchen.  He then took us into the sleeping quarters - a very compact area with 50 beds and small cubbies for storing personal items.  Half the men would sleep, and the other half would be on duty, so each person shared a bed with another solider.  The mattresses were so close together!  There was no privacy whatsoever, and I'm sure it was hard to sleep with that many men snoring and making other nighttime noises.

Bunk room - very close quarters!

The place even had it's own medical clinic.  Part of the tour led us through a small infirmary, with a few beds where ill soldiers could rest and recover.  There was an exam table and cabinets that stored various drugs and dressings.  Although our guide told us minor medical procedures had been performed here, anything too complicated required transportation to a proper hospital.

The place even had a hospital

Winding through the dark corridors again led our group to the communications room and another large room full of generators that supplied energy to power all the bunker functions.  This place was designed to be totally self-supported.  Our guide pointed out that many of the tunnels had airlock doors.  In case of fire or gas contamination, the bunker was designed to isolate any areas of incident, providing protection to the other soldiers inside.  (Those ingenious Swiss thought of everything!)

Display showing how the big guns were operated

Our guide then took us by the most interesting part of this bunker - the weapons!  A large fortification gun was set up, manned by three mannequins in uniform, complete with gas masks.  (Apparently when this gun discharged it made the air extremely toxic.)

Airlock door

There was another decommissioned gun set up and this one allowed visitors to look through its sights and handle the controls.  Each gun in this bunker was specifically aimed at an important strategic target - either a tunnel, road, railway, or mountain pass.  The men assigned to each gun monitored their objectives 24/7 constantly scanning for signs of the enemy.

People could look through this large weapon

Kim is calling on the hot line

I couldn't imagine spending days down here!

But how had the Swiss disguised their gun portals to the outside world?  For the grand finale, our guide led us back outside.  Walking along the cliff, he pointed out a recessed area in the rock.  One had to look closely to recognize the gun barrel exit point, cleverly disguised to look like part of the stone face.  

Outer gun portal

Not only the gun portals, our guide showed us a "fake" rock panel cast into the cliff that was used as a hidden door to the underground fortress.  The panel blended perfectly with the surrounding rock - it was an amazing match!

These were cleverly disguised 

This military fortress was hidden so well that the nearby village and swanky resort had no idea that a large fortification was housed in the neighboring mountain, practically next door.  During the height of World War II 20,000 of these bunkers, anti-tank obstacles, and other fortresses were concealed in the mountain walls of the Alps.

Our guide pointing out that some of this cliff is fake rock

I'm not a huge military history buff, so when I first saw this tour on the agenda, I wasn't super thrilled.  But after walking through Fortress Fürigen, seeing its amazing construction, and hearing first-hand details from someone who had worked here, I was in awe of the industrious Swiss and the measures they took to defend their country.  This tour was unexpectantly enjoyable and interesting.

Local police investigating a diesel leak in our bus 

Upon completion of our fortress tour, it was time to travel to the next destination.  But there was a problem.  While everyone was in the bunker, driver Eric discovered our bus had a diesel leak.  When we returned, Eric was talking to a maintenance person and two policeman.  I learned that the Swiss take environmental issues seriously, so much so that there are special law enforcement teams assigned to investigate potential contamination incidents.

After a half hour of sitting on the bus watching discussions between the police and bus company, it was decided we would need to swap buses.  A replacement was being sent to our location.  Tony asked us all to hang tight for a bit longer.  (And to keep everyone in good spirits, he handed out chocolate bars!)

Late lunch in St. Gallen

This little bus incident set our schedule back over an hour.  By the time our replacement bus arrived, and everyone unloaded and reloaded their luggage, it was well past 11 o'clock.  The day's planned lunch stop was in the town of St. Gallen, which turned out to be a nearly three hour drive from Stansstad.  By the time we finally arrived, everyone was starving and many of us (me included) desperately had to use the facilities.

Tad and Sayumi enjoying their salads

After a quick walk through the town, Kim and I, along with our buddies Tad and Sayumi, bolted towards the first restaurant we saw.  After ordering, I made a beeline for the restroom.  The place advertised traditional Swiss food, so I ordered a sausage/spaetzle plate.  Tad and Sayumi, trying to be healthy, ordered salads.  Their salads were gigantic, laden with ham, eggs, and all sorts of stuff usually not considered to be salad material.  (I guess the Swiss have a different definition of salad.)

Beautiful wooden cathedral door

The first day Kim and I were in Switzerland, I developed a large pimple on my left jawline, just below the ear.  At the time, I didn't think much about it.  That evening it started bothering me a bit, so I tried to squeeze the offending zit, hoping to make it go away quicker.  Now three days later, it had grown in size and become so red and inflamed, that I was afraid the zit was now infected.  On the bus ride to St. Gallen it started to really bother me, and I realized I should get it checked out.  After my brush with a brain abscess three years ago, the last thing I wanted was another bad infection, especially in a foreign country.  So upon reaching St. Gallen, I asked Tony if there was someplace I could go for medical advice.  Tony suggested finding a pharmacy.  Pharmacies were plentiful in most Swiss towns, and he thought they'd be able to help.

 

The St. Gallen cathedral was stunning!

So after finishing my lunch, I left Kim at the restaurant and went in search of a pharmacy.  They were easy to find, thanks to Google maps.  A quick walk brought me to the closest one.  I had hopes the pharmacist would just give me something to heal my infection and I'd be on my way.  However, when the woman at the counter examined my angry pimple, she recommended seeing a doctor.  The lady phoned ahead to an urgent care, and wrote down their address for me. 

Very ornate altar area

Although the urgent care was only a 10-minute walk away, I didn't think I had enough time to for an appointment.  My group was due to meet up in 20 minutes and board the bus for our final destination, the town of Appenzell.  There was no way I could get to the urgent care and be seen in that amount of time.  What to do?  I texted Tony with my dilemma.  He asked me to meet him in 20 minutes to discuss.  

Ceiling view

With a bit of time to kill, I decided to catch up with Kim, who was checking out the nearby St. Gallen Cathedral.  The town's most famous landmark and UNESCO World Heritage site, Tony told us that it was one of the most beautiful cathedrals in Switzerland.  I met my friend at its ornate wooden door.  Having already looked around, Kim raved about the interior and enthusiastically led me inside.  Oh, this cathedral definitely lived up to the hype!  The ceilings were painted in exquisite detail.  An altar area was decked out in gold accents surrounded by lavish furnishings and sculptures.  A magnificent pipe organ anchored the back wall.

The cathedral had a lovely clock tower

After a whirlwind tour of the St. Gallen cathedral, and another photo-taking session of its exterior, Kim and I headed back to our tour group's designated meet up place.  Arriving a few minutes early gave me time to capture a few more pictures of this pleasant town.  The downtown core streets were pedestrian-only which made for enjoyable strolling and window-shopping.  Kim noticed there were quite a few watch stores.  After admiring their wares in the display windows, she contemplated buying one as a Swiss souvenir - that is, until she looked at the prices!  

More exterior details

Finally our group gathered and Tony returned.  He'd called ahead to Appenzell, and unfortunately the village was so small, there wasn't a doctor on duty.  If I needed medical care, it would have to happen in St. Gallen.  Since the group was on a schedule, and couldn't wait around for me, Tony suggested I go ahead and visit the urgent care clinic, and catch a train to Appenzell when I was finished.  My head started to spin - catching a train by myself in an unfamiliar place seemed overwhelming right now.  Our assistant tour guide Lisa, seeing the dazed expression on my face, offered to accompany me.  I can't tell you how grateful I was!

Statue outside the cathedral

So we all walked back to the bus, since it was on the way to the urgent care clinic.  Lisa told me instead of taking a train, she was going to ask our bus driver if he was willing to come back and pick us up.  Not only did Eric agree to return when my appointment was over, on the way out of town, he dropped Lisa and I a block from the clinic.

St. Gallen was a lovely town

So I got to experience Swiss healthcare.  Not exactly what I expected I'd be doing here in Switzerland!  Upon checking in with the clinic's reception desk, I discovered that the Swiss don't understand American slang words like "zit." (I ended up pulling off my band-aid and showing them the problem.)  After a short wait, I was ushered in to see a doctor.  The young male doc didn't take my temperature or any vitals, and after looking at my ugly blemish, declared he wanted to do an ultrasound to check for an abscess.  Thankfully the ultrasound didn't indicate any deep infections, so the guy sent me on my way with a tube of external antibiotics.  I was relieved that the infection didn't appear to be serious, and happy to avoid taking oral antibiotics.  Since I had to pay out of pocket, I was also pleased the visit only cost about 150 Swiss Francs (about $185 US).

Sticker shock!

Once I was done with my appointment, Lisa called Eric to come and get us.  Appenzell was about 30 miles from St. Gallen, and I was so grateful to Eric for his willingness to do this extra driving.  I offered to buy him a beer at dinner that night (I probably should've bought him several beers for such a big favor!)  I also appreciated Lisa volunteering to stay with me during my doctor visit.  Her presence was a comfort, since seeking medical care in a foreign country had been a bit stressful.

I finally made it Appenzell

It was after 5 pm by the time Lisa, Eric, and I arrived in Appenzell.  Since the downtown core streets were pedestrian-only, Eric dropped us off several blocks from the hotel.  I was grateful to Kim who had shlepped my suitcase, along with hers, this entire distance to our hotel room.  After a quick stop at the hotel, Lisa and I went to meet up with the rest of our tour-mates, who happened to be in the middle of a yodeling lesson.

Just in time for a yodeling lesson

Yes, a yodeling lesson!  It doesn't get much more Swiss than that!  Lisa and I found our group gathered in the basement of the local chamber of commerce building where two of the locals were instructing everyone in the fine art of singing loudly across mountaintops.  

The main instructor was a man named Martin, who was dressed in traditional clothing.  Martin didn't speak English, so he had a woman assistant who acted as translator.  Martin was a character.  You could tell the guy loved teaching groups to yodel.  He had enough enthusiasm for everyone - which was a good thing, because most of us were less than thrilled.  The room was extremely hot and stuffy, it was the end of a long day, and we all just wanted to go to dinner.

Martin divided my tour-mates into groups, men and women.  Each group had a different part.  When we all yodeled together it was supposed to be harmonious.  But....we sounded truly awful.  After a lot of separate practices, Martin deemed us ready for the big final performance.  He had three volunteers hold ceramic bowls with spinning coins inside.  Another local tradition inspired by bored shepherds, this sound was supposed to be part of the "music."  I thought it just made a horrible racket (to accompany our dismal yodeling).  If you dare, take a listen to the above video and you'll hear how bad we really were.

Selfie with Martin, our yodel-master

After it was all over, Kim and I agreed we'd actually had fun, despite our less-than-stellar performance.  Martin was such an entertaining (and patient!) teacher, before departing I asked him for a selfie.  I'm laughing in the above picture because Kim was jumping up and down in the background, trying to photobomb us.

I found my hiking boots!

Our yodeling lesson finally over, everyone walked the short distance through Appenzell's cute, colorful storefronts to the hotel.  Hiking was apparently a popular pastime here, as I spotted a ton of outdoor gear stores along the main drag.  I even found one that carried the same brand of hiking boots I wear!  

Local brew

We ended the day with a nice group dinner in the hotel dining room.  True to my word, I made sure to buy Eric a beer, and also ordered a bottle of the local lager for myself.  It had been a long, exhausting day, and I hoped a good night's sleep might begin healing my facial blemish.

Tomorrow we were heading to the mountains......