As the name promises, the Alpine Panorama Trail offers many views of Alpine peaks as well as of the Mittelland and Jura. The trail leads from Rorschach on the Bodensee through the Appenzell region, Toggenburg, Central Switzerland, Emmental, the Schwarzenburg and Gruyère regions to the Lac Léman Riviera, ending in the metropolis of Genève.

For most of the way, the route passes through farmland in the Alpine foothills, where dairy farming has long been tradition. Cattle grazing in pastures and cheese dishes served in mountain taverns are two constant companions on the Alpine Panorama Trail. Wine growing first begins to dominate the scene at Lac Léman (Lavaux, La Côte).

Also typical of the Alpine foothills are the scattered settlements dating back to individual occupation of land by the Alemanni in the early Middle Ages. The widely-scattered homesteads in the Appenzell region and the individual farmsteads on the crests and in the crannies of the Napf region are perfect examples of the traditional agricultural landscape of Swiss Alpine foothills.