Just an hour away from the unmarked line between Austria and Switzerland is village painted at the hollow of a ring of slopes in the Alpstein massif. Its streets are a continuous reel of innocent folk art in a dozen vibrant hues. From bus stations to pharmacies, any building one can spot in this quilt of paint carries the touch of a different artist, no wall or façade unardorned. Down the narrow streets of Hauptgasse hang elaborate Tafeens, embellished with details telling of the shop’s wares. Gabled roofs and picturesque chalets spring to life with the blossoms peeking out from wooden flowerboxes by the sills. Even Landsgmeindeplatz, the village square for easier reference, is constantly a string of snapshots capturing the animated actions of the space. At points a political nerve center where parliamentary votes are taken, at others a bustling market square, one can never expect what transformation the area will take on. The village of Appenzell might be the heart of Switzerland’s smallest cantons but it is undeniably one of the strongest pulses of the land.