Wildhaus is the village where Huldrych Zwingli was born, and that makes it, quietly, one of the cradles of the Swiss Reformation. Zwingli, who became the leader of the Protestant movement in Zürich and died in battle in 1531, was born in 1484 in a farmhouse here, and the small timber building still stands, now a museum. It is a modest place, a wooden house with low ceilings and small windows, and it gives a feel for the mountain farming community from which the reformer came.
The village sits at about 1,090 metres on a broad saddle, the Wildhaus Pass, between the Rhine valley and the Toggenburg, in a landscape of green meadows and wooded slopes. Above it rise the Churfirsten, a line of seven limestone peaks that stand like a wall along the north side of the Walensee, and which are among the most recognisable mountains in eastern Switzerland. From the village, the north face is a tall, sheer escarpment. Further north, the Säntis, the highest peak of the Alpstein, can be seen in the distance.
For a rider, Wildhaus is a lovely stop on the road between Buchs in the Rhine valley and the Toggenburg, with gentle bends, smooth tarmac and moderate gradients. The road is a pleasure at an easy pace, and the scenery is varied, with views of both the Churfirsten and the Alpstein. Traffic is light except in the ski season and on summer weekends. Weather can change quickly, and the pass is occasionally icy in winter, so keep an eye on the forecast.
The village has fuel nearby, small shops and cafes, and a handful of restaurants serving traditional dishes. The Toggenburg region is known for its cheese, its dairy products and a distinctive folk music tradition, the Naturjodel, which uses wordless harmonies, and which you may hear at a festival or in a restaurant on a Sunday. In winter the village is a ski resort, and in summer it is a hiking centre, with lifts that take walkers to the high pastures.
Grabs, about seven kilometres down toward the Rhine, is the nearest sizeable town and has more services. A coffee in the village, with a view of the Churfirsten, is a pleasant way to spend a short stop. Try a slice of Toggenburger Biber, the local gingerbread with almond filling, which is a good snack for the road.