DAY TRIP: MT. STANSERHORN
Usually when you are in Lucerne, the two mountains most talked about are Mt. Pilatus and Mt. Rigi. I absolutely loved Mt. Pilatus and wrote about this mountain in a separate post. If you only have time to visit one mountain while in Lucerne, I would absolutely say Pilatus. However, if you have the time to journey to a second mountain, my vote would be for Stanserhorn. Both Rigi and Pilatus are very similar, and Stanserhorn brings a different environment and experience to the table.
Most notably, to travel to the top of the mountain, you are brought up by a cable car with panoramic views. In this cable car, you have the option to actually stand outside on the top of the car as you ascend, allowing you to experience the world’s first cable car with a roofless upper deck. The journey from the bottom station to the top station takes approximately 24 minutes.
CJ on top of the cable car
To get to this unique experience, take a 20-minute train ride from Lucerne to Stans. Walk five minutes to the valley station where you will hop in a funicular with open coaches to Kalti. Once there, you will be able to board the open cable car to the Stanserhorn summit. When you get to the top, you will be given a little ticket that says a time you choose for when you want to come down the mountain.
CJ looking out the open coach to Kalti before standing on the upper deck of the cable car
Because the mountain is 1’898m above sea level, a couple hundred meters shorter than Pilatus, the vegetation at the top of Stanserhorn is a bit different than Pilatus. There are plenty of rangers who are happy to assist with identifying flowers and other plants that you may come across. Rangers are also able to be booked in advance for guided group tours, free of charge.
view from one of the trails on Mt. Stanserhorn
Whether guided by a ranger or out on your own, there are a plethora of routes one can take. During your hike, beautiful views of Stans, the valley of Engelberg, or the canton of Obwalden can be witnessed and admired.
one of the paths on Stanserhorn
After hiking along the many paths of Mt. Stanserhorn, enjoy some food outside while looking out at a range of mountains. Stanserhorn opens in April, but I would suggest going in May when it is a little warmer and the summer crowds haven’t formed yet. Happy hiking!
For more information: https://www.stanserhorn.ch/en/
