Why this ride
A 126 km one-way ride from near Sankt Gallen, about 1 h 59 of riding. The stored terrain estimate reaches about 2,250 m; a measured road-elevation profile is not available. A steady touring day rather than a sprint.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Grand Tour of Switzerland: St Gallen to Davos
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 126 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 1 h 59
- Journey
- One way; return travel is separate
Distance and timing basis
Ordered leg totals agree within rounding. Stop distances are approximate sums of rounded legs. Stops, delays, approach and any separate return travel add time. Basis: producer-declared routed record.
Reading history stays on this device. My road watch requires a separate selection; opening it does not subscribe this ride.
Distance and riding time are measured on the routed road. Check local closures and conditions before you ride.
Scenic road chapters
Grand Tour of Switzerland
Expect company on a summer weekend. Early is better than fast. For about 18 km this is Grand Tour of Switzerland, a road with a name of its own and a reason for it.
Chapter facts
- Length
- 18 km
- Named road
- Grand Tour of Switzerland
Waypoint introductions and full write-ups
1. St Gallen
St Gallen grew up around a hermit's cell. In the early seventh century an Irish monk called Gallus settled in a forest valley here, and a monastery grew up that became one of the great centres of learning in medieval Europe. Today the abbey district is a UNESCO site, with a baroque cathedral, an abbey library, and a plan of the cloister, a famous ninth-century drawing that shows what an ideal monastery should look like.
Read the complete St Gallen write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
St Gallen is where the day begins. Next is Appenzell.
2. Appenzell
Every year on the last Sunday in April, the people of Appenzell Innerrhoden gather in the main square, men and women, many with a ceremonial sword or a bayonet at the hip, and vote with raised hands. The Landsgemeinde is one of the last open-air assemblies of its kind in Switzerland, and it takes place in the middle of this small town, which has been the capital of the half-canton for centuries. Women only gained a vote at the cantonal level here in 1990, after a federal court ruling, which tells you something about how conservative the valley is, and also how proud.
Read the complete Appenzell write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Appenzell comes up about 18 km into the recorded legs. Next is Davos.
3. Davos
At about 1,560 metres, Davos is often called the highest town in Europe, and it is certainly one of the most unusual. It lies in a long, broad valley of Graubünden, with ski slopes on both sides, a lake, a main street that looks like a motorway, and a mix of grand old sanatoria, apartment blocks and hotels that tells the story of the town.
Read the complete Davos write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
The route ends here after 126 km.
Leg by leg
St Gallen to Appenzell
St Gallen → Appenzell is 18 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Appenzell to Davos
Appenzell → Davos is 108 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.