Stanserhorn

What makes it special

The ride up comes in two stages. A funicular, running since 1893, climbs from Stans to Kälti. Above Kälti the CabriO takes over.

The CabriO is a double-decker. Its lower deck is an ordinary glazed cabin, and the upper deck has no roof and no windows: up to 60 passengers ride standing in the open air above the slope.

At the summit, the Rondorama restaurant sits on a floor that slowly turns, so the view out of its windows changes across a meal. The specialty of the kitchen is Älplermagronen, served in an edelweiss pot.

Between the mountain station and the summit, an enclosure holds the Stanserhorn marmots. The whole mountain is a plant protection area, so do not pick the alpine flowers beside the paths.

Visiting

Until Kälti the ride is a funicular, leaving the valley station in Stans on the hour and the half hour. At Kälti, change to the CabriO and take the spiral stairs to the open roof if you want it.

On the roof you ride standing in the wind, so hold on to hats and anything loose. The glazed cabin below suits anyone who would rather stay out of the wind, and it takes wheelchairs, as do the funicular and the restaurant.

At the summit, walk the circular trail first, about 30 minutes on the level, passing the marmots on the way. Between 10am and 4pm a volunteer ranger is posted between the revolving restaurant and the summit, ready to answer questions about the view and the mountain.

Finish with a meal in the restaurant, after checking the timetable posted at the summit station. The last ride down leaves at 5.15pm, or at 11pm on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings during the season. Allow half a day from Lucerne for the ride, the loop and a meal.

Guided or on your own

You do not need a guide on your own: the duty ranger on the summit will talk you through the view and the mountain. Groups of ten to 50 people can ask the Stanserhorn railway ahead of time to book a ranger for a guided tour.

Tips

Pack a jacket even in July: the summit runs 10 to 15 degrees Celsius cooler than Lucerne. Check the summit webcam before you set off, and go when the top is clear even if the valley is not.

If you want to walk part of the way, the path from Stans up to Kälti takes 45 minutes to an hour. Higher mountain paths are steep, narrow and sometimes exposed, so stay on the summit loop unless you are an experienced walker.

Photograph the marmots, but do not whistle: they warn each other of danger with loud whistles, so yours sounds like an alarm. Dogs may ride the funicular and the lower deck of the CabriO, but not the open roof.