A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT
Alpine Rhine seen from Hoher Kasten Source: Alexander Schnurer A long time ago, in June 1990, when I worked at the EFTA Secretariat in Geneva, I had just completed a thorough investigation into the capital movement practices of EFTA countries. Therefore, I thought I had earned a short leave. Done and dusted! I purchased a hiking package from Raifa (the Swiss Raiffeisenkasse) and set off on a four-day walk in the Canton of Appenzell Innerrhoden. The final day of the hike involved taking a lift to the summit of Hoher Kasten and then slowly descending along the sharp ridge of this mountain before making my way down to Brülisau. Back then, I had only rather vague ideas about the geography and history of the border region between Switzerland and Austria. However, the excursion made me acutely aware of the wonders of this land. After about a two-hour hike along the mountain ridge, I came across a rather abrupt abyss (the Saxer Lücke) with a towering mountain directly in front of ...