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My sabbatical, which was extended by Corona, and the possibility of being able to move around Switzerland with the necessary security measures, allowed me to enjoy beautiful excursions throughout August by myself in my own country. I did not have to plan a lot because I am very spontaneous anyway. I took the days as they came. The advertisement about Stoos came exactly right on a mild summer evening, so I wanted to be out the next day. As a solo traveller, I don’t only go on trips abroad, no, I also travel alone on day trips in Switzerland. Why Stoos? A mountain with a special funicular within Switzerland? Find out
Spontaneous and alone, wonderful. Going in the morning at my time and without looking at the clock, that is what I like when I am on vacation. The day-to-day work is otherwise very time-controlled, and everything is based on the rhythm of the clock, I can very well do without that during my adventure mode.
Arrival
I had travelled to Stoos in my own car, but it is easy to get there by public transport. There is a bus stop directly opposite the valley station, which takes a direct bus from Schwyz here. Central Switzerland can be reached practically from all sides, so I only had to drive around an hour. There is paid parking at the valley station; the newly built multi-story car park offers enough space for mountain lovers.
From the parking lot I could already see why I had chosen this excursion. I wanted to see the somewhat special construction of this funicular with my own eyes. The steep ascent - the steepest in the world and therefore the world record holder - left me with my mouth open for a moment. Let's go, after all, I wanted to ride it.
Tip: buy your ticket online. With the QR code sent by email, you can purchase your ticket directly from a machine on site, without long queues.
While I waited on the train like an excited little girl for the start, I looked at my fellow passengers. Families, hikers, everything was there. But the hikers made me think. I did not do a lot of research before my trip, so at that very exact moment I really hoped that I would make it to the top of the mountain with my non-existent fitness level. I only saw the picture of the top chairlift station online and thought nothing further. Well, it was too late to think about that, as the funicular left the station.
The area offers all kinds of excursions and tours, said the older man in the train compartment. He must have noticed my questioning look. The tightrope-walk between Klingenstock and Fronalpstock is actually a must and something for beginners. Aha, as a beginner I prefer the comfortable route with the funicular instead.
A mammoth project: the funicular
In all fairness, the 1,740 m journey took less time than putting the facts together for you here. The 47-degree incline is impressive. No other funicular is steeper. Thanks to the automatic levelling of the cabins, I always stood horizontally, which means that the lift is also accessible with a wheelchair. The mountain station is in the middle of the village, but by no means on the mountain. It’s about 10 minutes’ walk through the small, tranquil village, which is a ski area in winter. I continued with a chairlift, which challenged my fear of heights a bit.
AT the top, it's time to eat
What would a trip be without food? Exactly, curves do not come naturally. Once at the top I had admired the great view for a while. A wonderful panorama over Lake Lucerne and the Alps. Then I looked for a shady spot on the terrace. That day, other day trippers seemed to have had the same idea, so I took a seat inside in the restaurant. Self-service and the most expensive lunch in a long time. But it was delicious.
You can imagine that I did not take the hike recommended by the older man on the train and instead went back down the same route. A nice excursion with a lot of views, even for non-hikers.
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