The highest terrain points in canton Appenzell Ausserrhoden
National ranking →Hundwil reaches the highest terrain point in canton Appenzell Ausserrhoden: 1'658 m above sea level. Next come Urnäsch (1'518 m) and Gais (1'224 m). This is the highest elevation anywhere inside the municipal area — the summit the territory reaches, not the altitude of the village. Source: swisstopo swissALTIRegio 2025.
Ranking
swisstopo · swissALTIRegio 2025| Rank | Municipality | Highest point | Residents |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hundwil | 1'658 m | 944 |
| 2 | Urnäsch | 1'518 m | 2'346 |
| 3 | Gais | 1'224 m | 3'147 |
| 4 | Trogen | 1'121 m | 1'862 |
| 5 | Schönengrund | 1'097 m | 556 |
| 6 | Bühler | 1'081 m | 1'954 |
| 7 | Schwellbrunn | 1'008 m | 1'557 |
| 8 | Wald | 997 m | 909 |
| 9 | Teufen | 932 m | 6'514 |
| 10 | Speicher | 914 m | 4'453 |
| 11 | Reute | 911 m | 700 |
| 12 | Waldstatt | 908 m | 1'874 |
| 13 | Stein | 888 m | 1'498 |
| 14 | Herisau | 864 m | 15'893 |
| 15 | Heiden | 803 m | 4'316 |
| 16 | Rehetobel | 759 m | 1'773 |
| 17 | Grub | 611 m | 971 |
| 18 | Walzenhausen | 490 m | 2'029 |
| 19 | Wolfhalden | 484 m | 1'867 |
| 20 | Lutzenberg | 398 m | 1'332 |
How we measure this
swisstopoThe highest elevation found anywhere inside the municipal boundary, in metres above sea level, computed from the swisstopo swissALTIRegio digital elevation model (swissALTIRegio 2025). It describes the whole municipal territory, not the settlement: a municipality can reach a 4,000 m summit while its village lies far below — Zermatt's terrain peaks at 4,627 m but its village sits near 1,624 m. For the height of the inhabited settlement see the highest-villages ranking; for how high-lying the whole territory is on average, see the highest-lying-municipalities ranking.
Frequently asked questions
- Which municipality in canton Appenzell Ausserrhoden has the highest terrain point?
- Hundwil, whose territory reaches 1'658 m above sea level (swissALTIRegio 2025) — the highest terrain point of any municipality in canton Appenzell Ausserrhoden.
- Is this the height of the village?
- No. It is the highest point anywhere inside the municipal area, taken from the swisstopo elevation model — usually a summit far above the inhabited settlement. The village elevation is a separate figure.