10 Crazy Cable Cars in Switzerland

I love that Switzerland has so many fun ways to get up a mountain beside hiking. We’ve had a lot of memorable rides in crazy cable cars over the years: super tiny, open air, rotating, etc. Here are ten of our favorites. Did we miss one that you love?

1. Chilcherberge Silenen

Definitely not for those with vertigo or small children that might climb over the edge. This open air Chilcherberge cable car is the wildest of the bunch, built of wooden slats. I rode this once with a friend when hiking to the Seewlisee and another time with my kids hiking to Golzernsee.

2. Oberaxen – Wildheupfad

This might have been the scariest ride we’ve ever had. There’s no attendant at the top, so you call the operator on the provided telephone and they tell you what time it will leave. You get in, close and lock the door and wait. Unlike modern cable cars that keep you level, this cable car tilts forward based on the steepness of the grade. So sometimes you have to really hold onto your seat to avoid slipping onto the floor. When passing a tower, the car pitched so far forward that we all tumbled onto each other. We were all laugh/screaming the whole way down.

I think the views from this trail are worth the scary ride down. 

See my post about the Wild Hay trail that includes this Oberaxen cable car

3. Spilauersee

Just in case you weren’t already completely freaked out by this tiny open air cable car, it has a grate on the bottom so you can see the ground very far away under your feet. Sometimes there’s a staff member to help you on, sometimes you have to call the operator at the mountain station to put it in motion. They thoughtfully have blankets to keep you warm during the ride, which we have always needed.

The reward for being brave enough to ride this is this beautiful lake, a short hike from the cable car.

See my post about our Spilauersee hike

4. Arnisee

This alpine lake has not one but two tiny cable cars from different villages. The one from Intschi fits 8 people and drops you off only 2 mins from the lake. The one from Amsteg is much smaller, fitting only 4 people and you have to put your backpacks outside in the luggage hold.

This lake is a great place for a picnic with a view. They also have a rock climbing park near the lake.

See my post about our visit to Arnisee

5. Musenalp

When I saw this cable car, it looked like toy. The cable was so thin, I couldn’t imagine it would really hold us. It’s self-serve. You get in, lock the door, push a button and hope for the best. We sent the two older kids ahead with strangers. Then my friend and I went up with the 2 younger kids and a dog and hoped that didn’t put us over the weight limit. You pass over some crazy cliffs on the way that made my stomach drop.

The mountain views are enormous up here, love this trail! It ends at a big playground and picnic area. Then you can ride a scooter down the mountain as a fun way to end the day.

See my post about our hike from Musenalp to Stockhütte

6. Stanserhorn

This gondola is two stories, with stairs that take you up to an open-air balcony. It has high sides, so it’s quite safe. But it’s still a thrilling ride. If you want to stand at the railing, make sure to show up a bit earlier to wait in line so you get first pick.

My photos aren’t as pretty as the promo pics on their website, but you get the idea. You can simply wander around the top and have a picnic or eat at the restaurant. Or you can do the tough, steep hike down to Wirzweli where you’ll find a playground and alpine slide.

See my Mt. Stanserhorn post

7. Schönhalden

This gondola has tiny two cars, each fitting 4 people. It normally runs every 30 minutes, but will run on demand if you have at least four people. You pay at the restaurant at the top.

From the top, we did the lovely Guscha ridge trail, which reminded me of Scotland. 

See my post about our Guscha ridge hike

8. Illgau

This cable car made an impression because we were at a loss on how to operate it, despite the printed instructions on the wall. We called on the provided telephone and the guy said that he would ride his bike over to the top station and would be there in about 10 mins. In the meantime, a local came by with her “fast pass” that opens the locked door to the station. We rode up with her and paid for our tickets at the top with the guy on the bike. 

At the top, we did the fun ladybug theme trail that has two playground and picnic areas and a few activities along the trail like these cow bells.

See our post about the Illgau Ladybug trail

9. Mt. Titlis

This super modern cable car rotates slowly as it travels so everyone gets to see everything and there’s no bad spot to stand. Its a popular, expensive tourist destination, but also transporting skiers in the winter to the highest elevation slopes. At the top, there an ice grotto in the glacier, a suspension bridge and other amusements.

See my Mt. Titlis post

10. Trift Glacier

Best to book tickets in advance for this tiny cable car that fits just 8 people and runs every 12 mins. The first time we went, we didn’t have tix and we had to wait 2 hours to go up. From the top, it’s a steep but short 2.5km climb to the suspension bridge and glacier overlook. 

See our post about our Trift Glacier hike

Extra credit: Sassolungo

This is technically the craziest, scariest cable car we’ve ever ridden. But it’s in the Italian Dolomites, so it didn’t make the Swiss list. They don’t stop the cable car. It just spins through the station and you have to run and jump in. Then the attendant locks the door from the outside so you are trapped. It just barely fits two people and it’s such a tight fit, we dubbed it a coffin.

See our post about our Sassolungo hike