During our stay in Vitznau, we obviously wanted to spend a day in the mountains as well. Only this time, we weren’t in the mood for a heavy hike or hours of walking. We just wanted a relaxed day with views, fresh mountain air and something special along the way. That’s how we ended up in Stoos. By the way, you can also do some great hiking in Stoos, but we personally went for the relaxed option.
And ultimately, the reason why almost everyone talks about this place isn’t just the village itself… but especially the way you get there: the famous Stoosbahn.
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Parking at Stoos: surprisingly affordable for Switzerland
From Vitznau, we drove towards the valley station of the Stoosbahn near Schwyz. It’s a very modern location with a large parking garage directly underneath the station. What stood out to us: the price was actually pretty reasonable.
For around 3 to 4 hours of parking, we paid less than five euros. And in Switzerland, that honestly feels like a small miracle!
From the garage, you can walk almost directly to the entrance of the funicular. Everything is clearly signposted and feels modern and well organised.
We visited on a Sunday at the end of April, towards the end of the morning. Despite it being the weekend, it was surprisingly quiet. You can tell this period is just before the real high season starts. In summer and winter, it’s probably much busier here.
Small tip: you can reserve tickets in advance through the official website. Especially useful during holidays or weekends. Otherwise, you might end up waiting at the ticket desk. You can also book day trips if you’re staying in Lucerne, for example.
The Stoosbahn: the steepest funicular railway in the world
The real attraction actually starts before you even reach the top. The Stoosbahn is known as the steepest funicular railway in the world. At its steepest section, it climbs with a 110% gradient, which equals around a 47-degree incline. And honestly, when you read that, it sounds like you’re about to be launched straight upwards… but in reality, it feels surprisingly comfortable.
The cabins automatically rotate with the slope, allowing you to remain upright while standing or sitting. From the outside, the system looks quite futuristic and it’s honestly incredibly smart. It also worked perfectly with a stroller. The cabins are spacious and modern.
Boarding is level, there’s plenty of space inside and you don’t have to awkwardly manoeuvre anywhere. That made this trip with a baby much more relaxing than some of the other mountain trains we saw in Switzerland.
Make sure you can look down into the valley (so choose your spot wisely when boarding). Within just a few minutes, you climb hundreds of metres towards the car-free mountain village of Stoos, while enjoying beautiful views over the valley from the Stoosbahn.
Stoos itself: peaceful, car-free and typically Swiss
As soon as you arrive at the top, you immediately notice how peaceful it is here. No cars. No traffic. Just a beautiful ski village. Fresh mountain air, wooden chalets and mountain views surrounding the village.
Stoos is located at around 1300 metres altitude and truly feels like a typical Swiss mountain village. At the same time, you instantly notice that this is normally mainly a winter sports destination. Everywhere you look, there are ski lifts, slopes and hotels clearly aimed at winter sports visitors.
But precisely because we visited in spring, the atmosphere felt much calmer. No queues at the lifts. No crowds of tourists. Just people quietly walking around, sitting on terraces or enjoying the views. In summer, it transforms into a hiking destination, because there are some really beautiful walks starting from here. Definitely check AllTrails if you want to go walking or hiking here.
Stoos with a stroller: very doable, but not flat everywhere
We decided to take it easy. No major hike, just a relaxed walk through the village and a little bit into nature.
Using the stroller actually worked surprisingly well overall, although I definitely had to push quite hard at times! You quickly realise that Stoos is still a mountain village after all. So “flat” barely exists here.
Around the centre, there are good paved paths, but some sections go quite steeply uphill or downhill. For the little one, it was a relaxing day because she didn’t have to spend the whole day in the baby carrier. And secretly, that was also very nice for us.
A small lake, the famous social media door and viewpoints make walking around the village fun
What positively surprised us was that you quickly come across beautiful spots without having to do huge walks. And of course, you always have the mountain views in the background.
We first walked further back until we reached a small lake. This was originally created for water collection. Afterwards, we walked towards the small chapel, all via the paved path. And if you continue walking further, you’ll eventually reach viewpoints along the edge of the plateau. That’s also where you’ll find the famous door you can see in the photo below. It performs very well on social media.
Lunch in the sun with mountain views
After our walk, we found a terrace for lunch. Sitting in the sun with mountain views while eating Italian snacks was honestly pretty perfect. There are a few restaurants open, so simply pick whatever you feel like.
It was clearly cooler up there than down in the valley. Probably around five to eight degrees colder. But thanks to the sunshine, it still felt wonderful. Good to know if you happen to visit on a day with slightly less pleasant weather.
What else can you do in Stoos?
This time, we intentionally kept things relaxed, but Stoos is also very popular with hikers. Many people take additional lifts higher into the mountains from the village or start longer hikes from here.
The most famous one is without a doubt Fronalpstock. From there, you get views over Lake Lucerne and a large part of Central Switzerland. Especially on clear days, it’s said to be one of the most beautiful panoramas in the region. Unfortunately, we decided to skip it this time.
Also very popular: the hike between Fronalpstock and Klingenstock. This is a panoramic ridge hike where you almost constantly have views over the surrounding mountains and lakes. Online, it’s often mentioned as one of the most beautiful hikes in Central Switzerland.
Besides that, there are also plenty of shorter walking routes around Stoos for people who don’t want to spend an entire day hiking. In winter, Stoos completely transforms. Then almost everything here revolves around skiing, snowboarding and winter sports.
Staying overnight high in the mountains in Stoos
What many people don’t know is that you can actually stay overnight in Stoos itself. And honestly: that sounds like a really great idea to us. Too bad we didn’t realise this earlier.
Precisely because the village is car-free, the atmosphere feels much calmer than in some of the larger mountain towns in Switzerland. Especially in the evening, it seems like it would be beautiful here once all the day visitors have left.
There are several hotels, chalets and apartments with mountain views. From simple accommodations to full resorts where the spa experience is central, like Wellness Hotel Stoos. A great option is also Stoos Lodge, or if you want even more luxury, you can stay at Caschu Alp Boutique Design Hotel Stoos (Adults only). Want to make it extra special? At an even higher altitude, you’ll find Fronalpstock Hotel & Restaurant. Bringing your suitcase up the mountain is no problem and the parking garage is reasonably priced if you want a unique overnight stay high in the mountains.
Back down in the valley within just a few minutes
After lunch, we took one final walk around Stoos before heading back to the Stoosbahn. And it honestly remains funny how quickly you’re back down in the valley. One moment you’re surrounded by mountains, chalets and peaks… and just a few minutes later, you’re walking back into a parking garage. We were able to board quite easily. Although during high season, it may get busy at the end of the afternoon. But eventually, everyone gets back down.
Afterwards, we drove back to our apartment in Vitznau to end the day in a relaxed way. The next day, we went to Lucerne by boat, which was also really fun!
So, should you visit Stoos too?
As far as we’re concerned: absolutely. Not because Stoos is the most spectacular place in Switzerland, but precisely because it feels so accessible and relaxed.
You don’t need to be an experienced hiker to enjoy beautiful views, experience the mountains and have a great day here. Want more adventure? Then you can easily go hiking from here or head even higher into the mountains.
The ride on the Stoosbahn alone is already worth doing. And combined with a relaxed walk, lunch in the sun and a car-free mountain village, this turned into a wonderful afternoon for us.
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