One of our very favorite Swiss trails is the spectacular ridge trail at Stoos near Lucerne. They are famous for their fancy funicular train, the steepest in the world, that takes you the quite alpine village.
To reach the trail, you can ride a chair lift to the ridge, then hike about 2 hours to the cliff viewpoint at Fronalpstock. Then a chair lift back to the village. If you want more fitness, you can skip the chair lifts on either side of the trail.
It is a well built trail, but it could be dangerous since it often has very steep slopes on the side of the trail without railings. This trail is suitable for sensible hikers with steady footing.
If possible, we definitely recommend spending the night so you can get an early start on the trail and enjoy the sunset. See our recommendations below.
Keep reading for all the info you need to do this hike.
Contents
If you need an easier hike, ride up to the Fronalpstock viewpoint and do the short panorama loop along the cliffs.
Quick info
| Region | Lake Lucerne region |
| Address: | Stoos funicular train – Grundstrasse 232, 6430 Schwyz |
| By car: | Metered parking next to funicular station From Zurich or Lucerne 45 mins |
| By public transport: | Bus stop: Schwyz, Stoosbahn From Lucerne 1h10 / From Zürich 1hr20 |
| Trail: | 4.4 km one way • ⬇️ trail map |
| Duration: | about 2 hours |
| Difficulty: | moderate • 260m up • 280m down |
| Condition: | dirt footpath, uneven terrain, lots of stairs, steep slopes to one side |
| Highest point: | 1900 m |
| Open: | June to October • |
| Cost 2025: | Adult CHF 56, Child 6-15 CHF 20 (online price) |
| Discounts: | Small discount with Swiss Travel Pass, Swiss Half Fare Card or GA |
| Services: | restaurant and playground at end of trail |
| More info: | • weather |
Book a travel consult with Tanya to ask your questions and get a personalized step-by-step itinerary.
Gallery
Trail Overview
Here is the summer hiking map for the Stoos area.
Step-by-step Itinerary
- Drive or bus to Stoos funicular station.
- Ride the funicular to the Stoos village.
- Walk to Klingenstock chair lift (about 15 mins).
- Ride chair lift up to ridge.
- Hike ridge trail, about 2 hours.
- End hike at Fronalpstock viewpoint. Restaurant and playground here.
- Ride Fronalpstock chair lift down to Stoos.
- Walk to funicular station (about 10 mins).
- Ride funicular down to parking & bus stop. Return the way you came.
Option: You can skip the chair lifts on either side of the trail.
Feeling overwhelmed? Book a Travel Consultation with me and I’ll create a personalized itinerary for you.
Stoos Ridge Hiking Map
Here is a detailed trail map. This is a narrow alpine trail, with lots of up and down climbs with stairs and switchbacks. It has many areas with steep drop-offs, which require secure footing. It is suitable for older children with hiking experience.
See trail map on SchweizMobil • Komoot • OutdoorActive
Easier trail
If you need something easier and safer, you can ride the chair lift to Fronalpstock and do the easy panorama trail at the top. See details.
Skip chair lifts
You can skip the chair lifts on either side of the ridge trail.
From Stoos to Klingenstock (start of ridge trail), the trail is 4 km, gaining 640m elevation. It takes about 1.5-2 hours depending on your pace. See trail map on SchweizMobil.
At the end of the ridge trail at Fronalpstock, you can hike down on the Chänzeli trail to Stoos. The full trail down is 4.3km, descending 611m, about 1h15. See trail map.
Or you can hike just to the chair lift middle station at Mettlen and ride the last bit down. In this case, the trail is 2.7k, about 50 mins.
If you do the full loop without chairlifts, the trail is 13k • 5 hours • 1057m up & down. See trail map on SchweizMobil • Komoot. • OutdoorActive
How to get to Stoos
Stoos is an alpine village near Lucerne (see on Google maps).
To reach the trail, you must ride the steepest funicular train in the world, then a chair lift. The valley station for the Stoos funicular is easily accessibly by car or bus.
By public transport
Take a train to Schwyz, Bahnhof. Then bus #1 to Schwyz, Stoosbahn, which drops off directly at the funicular station.
Travel time from Lucerne 1h12, from Zürich 1h20.
By car
Drive to the Stoosbahn parking at Grundstrasse 232, 6430 Schwyz. There is a parking garage next to the funicular and open-air parking across the street.
Take a parking ticket as you enter. You can pay by card or cash at the end of your day. If this parking lot is full, keep driving down the valley to the overflow parking, where they provide a shuttle back to the funicular train.
Planning your day
Ticket prices
For this hike, you’ll need the “Stoos Peak Experience Ticket” (in German, they call it Gipfel Erlebnisticket or Tageskarte). This includes the funicular to the Stoos village and the two chair lifts necessary for the hike.
In summer 2025, this ticket costs CHF 58/adult, CHF 20/children 6-15, under age 6 free.
Discounts
You can get a slight discount if you purchase tickets online. But you don’t have to purchase them in advance, they don’t sell out. You can always purchase them onsite for the ticket desk or automated ticket machine.
Free with Tell Pass. Slight discount with Swiss Travel Pass, Swiss Half Fare Card or GA.
Kids with SBB Junior card or Swiss Family Card ride free with parent.
Opening hours
Summer hiking season at Stoos is usually early June through October. In good weather, the lifts often open for weekends and holidays starting mid-May. Check the website for opening current times.
The Stoos funicular train runs daily, year round. It runs every 30 mins on the xx:10 and xx:40.
The Fronalpstock chair lifts start summer season in early May and usually runs through end of October. These lifts run daily from 9:00 – 16:00. On Saturdays, they run later into the evening so people can visit the restaurant.
The Klingenstock lift is usually open from the second weekend of June through third weekend of October. It may stay open on weekends through early November, if there is a good weather.
⚠️Closed for maintenance: Stoos closes some of the mountain transport during spring (late March to early May) and autumn (November) for routine maintenance. See planned closure times.
Where to stay near Stoos
Our first choice would be the Stoos Lodge – Lifestyle & Design Hotel – right next to the funicular station.
It’s super convenient, spacious rooms, good restaurant, and great views. It has a sleek modern style and everything is clean and fresh.
Stoos Lodge also has nice extras for families like family suites, indoor fun park, non-breakable dishes at the restaurant. They also offer childcare (discount for hotel guests), great if you want to do the ridge trail without your small children.
Stoos Lodge has a nice restaurant with an outdoor terrace overlooking the mountains. It’s a perfect place to watch the sunset. Their breakfast buffet is an optional add-on. It has a nice selection of local alp cheese, in addition to the traditional continental breakfast options.
The nicest part of staying overnight was the sunset at the Fronalpstock viewpoint. On summer Saturdays, the chairlifts to Fronalpstock run until 10pm (usually close at 17:30).
In mid July, we rode up around 8:30pm and these pics were taken at about 9:15pm. The funicular also runs late, but less frequently. But it was much nicer to go straight to the hotel instead face a long drive home in the dark.
If you want a traditional rustic mountain guesthouse, then perhaps Stoos Hütta. It’s a 10 min walk uphill, so not great if you have rolling luggage. But it’s a bit closer to the Klingenstock chair lift.
If you are doing this hike in the afternoon, you could stay at the Fronalpstock mountain hotel where you end your hike. This area is very busy during the day, but quiets down after the chair lift closes at 17:30.
Photo story of trail
1. Riding the funicular up to Stoos village
The funicular station is next to the parking garage and across the street from the bus stop. There is a small convenience store here and toilets. There are luggage lockers at the valley and mountain station.
The train has multiple bubbles. The best view is from the front bubble facing the valley. But it’s still nice from the other bubbles.
Here’s the top of the funicular track where it drops you off in Stoos.
Here is the village of Stoos, very quiet, full of holiday apartments, restaurants and hotels. There is a small grocery in the funicular station if you need some supplies.
2. Ride up Klingenstock chair lift
Once you arrive in Stoos, you need to hike over to the Klingenstock chair lift, which takes you up to the trail. Follow the brown sign to Sesselbahn Klingenstock, Talstation as shown below. It takes about 10-15 mins.
Here is the bottom of the Klingenstock lift. Use your hiking ticket to get on.
The chairs seat six and have bubbles if you’re cold. It’s a slow lift, about 15 mins, so settle in.
View from the top of the lift. Want to hike by those big peaks across the valley? Check this post.
Top of the Klingenstock chair lift.
More pretty views from the top!
3. Start the ridge trail
Now follow signs to Fronalpstock.
Watch your step!
The trail is well built and not too narrow.
Steep slopes to the side, but not dangerous if you stick to the path.
A little rocky in parts so it helps to have sticks and hiking shoes with good tread.
Just follow the ridge.
Lots of stairs which make the path more stable.
Near the cliffs, but not too close.
Wildflowers blanketing the slopes in July.
When the path is close to the edge, there are sometimes fences for safety, but not always.
Now lots of stairs down to the saddle.
Trail descends on well built stairs.
4. Crossroads
After lots of switchbacks down, you dip to this fork in the trail. Continue back up the mountain to Fronalpstock, joining the easy Panorama loop at the top. Alternatively, you can take the fork to the right and hike back down to the Stoos village.
Hiking up and looking down to the Stoos village.
It’s some work to hike up but not too long.
Looking back at the ridge we just hiked.
5. Joining the Panorama Trail
After a steep climb, the trail joins the easy panorama loop trail at the top. The path is a wider gravel path, much farther from the edge.
The path is more mild here and you’ll start seeing more people that are just wandering this section near the Fronalpstock lift.
Fantastic views of the Vierwaldstättersee lake, looking north towards Luzern.
6. Arriving at Fronalpstock
The hike ends at the Fronalpstock chair lift, where you’ll find an observation deck, playground, and restaurant.
Here’s the new playground at Fronalpstock.
Restaurant with a view.
The restaurant can get quite busy on weekends. So we usually bring a picnic and find a quiet spot along the cliffs instead.
7. Back to Stoos via chair lift
We usually ride the Fronalpstock chair lift back down to Stoos. Then a short walk through the village to the funicular.
If you want to cool off after the hike, walk over the “Stoos Seeli” lake and have a little swim. There is shallow section near the picnic area for little kids to splash around. No changing rooms, but there are toilet so you can change in there.
8. Option: Hike down to Stoos
The ridge trail is a bit short. So if you want to keep hiking, you have a couple options.
Chänzeli Trail
For the nicest views, follow the Chänzeli trail down towards Stoos. You keep following the cliffs as they wrap around the mountain. Then you descend through alpine meadows and make friends with some cows. It takes about 1 hour to reach the chair lift middle station. Or you can hike all the way to the Stoos village.
Fronalp Marble Run
If you are with with kids, add-on the Fronalpweg Marble Run trail. After taking a break at Fronalpstock with the restaurant and playground, buy a wooden marble from the vending machine near the restaurant. Then follow signs to the Fronalpweg.
Trail: easy • 2 h • 4.5 km • 579m descent. See trail map on Komoot • OutdoorActive
I would do the shorter version that ends at the chair lift middle station. Then ride the rest of the way to Stoos.
More for the weekend
If you are staying overnight in Stoos, then you add on a few more activities.
Alpine Cheese Trail
Since we had a second day in Stoos, we also hiked the Alpine Cheese Trail, which hikes past a a few alpine dairies where you can pick up cheese from their cute honesty shops.
The views were gorgeous and we only saw a few people the whole morning, more like a typical Swiss hike that we do most weekends.
10 Insider Tips
Here are our top tips for the most your visit to Stoos:
1. Best spot on the Funicular
To reach the Stoos alpine village, you ride the steepest funicular railway in the world. It’s fun no matter where you sit. But for the best pics and videos, make sure to stand in the first bubble so you can see the track.
The funicular leaves every 20 mins, so arrive a bit early so you can grab a spot at the window.
2. Stay overnight in Stoos
You’ll have a much more relaxed experience if you stay one, or better two nights in Stoos. This way you get the mornings and evenings in this area without the daytrippers, plus the beautiful sunrise and sunset in the mountains.
Recently, we stayed at the Stoos Lodge hotel, conveniently located just steps from the top of the funicular. It has a cool modern style but still feels like it belongs among the traditional chalets. Loved the mountain view from our family room with separate bedrooms that can sleep up to 6.
3. Get an early start
If you stay overnight in the village, you can start before the funicular brings daytrippers up to the village and have the ridge mostly to yourself.
If you’re not an early riser, it’s still so nice to wake up to a mountain view and have a leisurely breakfast all before the lifts open at 9am.
4. Book childcare for little ones
If you have kids too young for the trail, you can book childcare at the Stoos Lodge (discount for hotel guests). Since the hike only takes a couple hours, you can spend the rest of the afternoon with the kids at the playgrounds or fun activity trails like the marble run.
5. Bring a picnic
The trail ends at the cliff viewpoint with a restaurant and playground. Non-hikers can access directly with a chair lift, so it can be pretty busy here. We prefer to bring a picnic and enjoy it along the cliffs. We like this spot where the paragliders launch just below the restaurant.
6. Hike down
If you have time and energy, we really recommend skipping the chair lift back to Stoos and hiking down instead on the Chänzeli trail. It’s much quieter than the ridge and so beautiful, the contrasting vibe is tangible.
If you have kids with you, do the Fronalp Trail, which has a few marble runs along the way.
7. Bring a swimsuit
In the late afternoon, we stopped by this little reservoir for a refreshing swim, which I always appreciate after a summer hike in the sun. For little kids, they have a shallow splash area, plus water play and a barefoot path in the mud.
8. Dinner with a view
It was a treat to enjoy dinner with thisa view at the hotel’s restaurant, while we watched the daytrippers head home, leaving the village quiet except for the cowbells. Loved this grilled camembert as a starter and the rib eye was the best steak I’ve had in a very long time.
9. Stay for sunset
On Saturdays evening, the lifts stay open until 10pm, so you can enjoy the sunset from the cliffs at Fronalpstock, overlooking Lake Lucerne – an unforgettable experience.
When we rode down in the dark, we were so happy to walk right to our comfy beds at the hotel, instead of having to travel a long way home so late at night.
10. Visit an alpine dairy
Since we had a second day in Stoos, we also hiked the alpine cheese trail, walking by a few alpine dairies and picking up cheese from their cute honesty shops. The views were gorgeous and we only saw a few people the whole morning, more like a typical Swiss hike that we do most weekends.
FAQ
Is it safe to hike with children on this trail?
I cannot tell you if this trail is safe for your child. You must inform yourself about the trail and make that decision for yourself, based on your experience with your specific child. For my children, who had a lot of experience hiking at a young age, I would have felt comfortable taking them on this trail around age 10.
This trail does have many steep slopes on the sides of the trail without safety railings. If you fell off the trail on these sections, you would definitely get seriously injured and likely die. However, the path is mostly a wide dirt path so you don’t have to walk near the edge. Most experienced hikers would probably not consider this trail particularly dangerous.
With small children, you may feel more comfortable on the panorama loop at Fronalpstock, which is not close to any cliff edges.
Can I bring a dog on the trail?
Yes. Dogs must be on a leash on the trail. Your dog will need to ride the chair lift to reach the trail, so make sure you and your dog feel comfortable doing that.
Can I hike the Stoos ridge trail in May?
Usually no. The Stoos ridge trail usually has some snow until early to mid June. Of course it depends on the weather conditions. Check the status of the trail.
Also, the Klingenstock lift that accesses the start of the trail doesn’t usually open until mid-June (11 June 2022, check current schedule). It’s possible that it opens on weekends and holidays earlier than that but I wouldn’t count on that. See below for alternatives if that lift is closed.
Can I still hike the Stoos ridge trail if the Klingenstock lift is closed?
Maybe. First, check the status of the trail and weather. You shouldn’t hike this trail in dangerous conditions, like rain, wind or excessive mud or snow.
The Klingenstock lift accesses the start of the ridge trail. In 2022, it runs daily between 11 June and 16 October, only in good weather. It often closes in rainy or windy weather. It’s possible that it opens on weekends and holidays earlier than that but I wouldn’t count on that.
If the Klingenstock lift is closed, you have a few options.
1. Ride up to Fronalpstock for the view and do the short loop at the top of the cliffs.
2. Ride up to Fronalpstock, hike along the cliffs then along the ridge trail in the direction of Klingenstock (walking the trail backwards) as long as there isn’t snow. If you encounter snow, hike back to the Füreggli saddle and follow the trail down to the Stoos village from there, as shown on this trail map. I’ve done that trail down from the saddle at least twice, maybe more. One time I did this trail, there was a little snow on the trail from Furggeli and it was really muddy. But it wasn’t dangerous.
3. Hike up to Klingenstock and do the trail to Fronalpstock. We did this once in October when the lift was already closed for the season. See this trail map. This trail map includes hiking down from Fronalpstock but you can ride the chair lift down instead.
In any case, use your own judgement and don’t do anything dangerous. Don’t cross large snow fields and don’t walk on snow patches where no one has walked before. It’s common to have a little snow on the trail during May. But usually lots of other hikers have carved a path through the snow, so you can see where to walk.
Video of trail
Here is a short video of our hike on the Stoos ridge in June 2018.
62 responses
Hello! I just wanted to say a big THANK YOU for the incredibly detailed and informative yet highly concise instructions from getting there to ticket purchase and esp the photo story of the trail. Because of inclement weather, I wanted to squeeze both the Stoos ridge hike and the Mt Rigi Cliff walk in the same day and managed to in large part thanks to your posts on these 2 locations which enabled me to plan. Looking forward to more pearls of wisdom from your website in my future travels. THANK YOU!
So great that you were able to manage both mountains in the same day! Glad my website was helpful in figuring out the logistics. Wishing you many more happy mountain adventures.
Thank you so much for this beautiful article! Everything is so clear! Thank you for your time !
Thank you so much for this wonderful resource! I was wondering if it’s common to pack a picnic lunch to enjoy during this hike, or if it’s better to eat at the restaurant?
Thanks in advance!
I much prefer to bring a picnic on this hike. The self-service restaurant at Fronalpstock isn’t anything special. But getting a cold drink there is nice.
Hello!
Me, my husband and our little daughter(11 months) are planning to do this in the next week. We bought a hiking baby carrier for our daughter. Do yo think is possible to do it all together? We can’t find any info if is she allowed or not.
Thank you for your time!
Hi Delia, No one will stop you from doing the Stoos hike with your child. But you should feel very comfortable carrying her on such a trail, with lots of stairs. I would highly recommend bringing hiking sticks for stability. Only you can know your own hiking ability and comfort level. If you feel hesitant, you may do better trying an easier trail first and seeing how it goes. If it goes well, then you will have a better idea of how Stoos may feel.
Definitely doable with small (5 and 3 year) kids as long as they have experience and have PROPER hiking shoes. You can hold their hands in the steeper bits. But only you know your child of course.
Did the hike today 24.08.2024 and the lifts are open until 10pm for sunset. Really amazing!
Glad you had a nice experience with your young children!
However, I would recommend that most families should not bring children under 7 on this trail because of the dangerous steep slopes to the side of the trail. I’ve had reports of other families with young children feeling overwhelmed on this trail. It’s very important to understand your children’s hiking ability and your comfort level as a parent on trails such as these. If you have any hesitation, better to simply visit the Fronalpstock viewpoint or choose a trail more suited to your current abilities.
The Fronalpstock lift is occasionally open late on weekends. But make sure to check the schedule carefully so you don’t get stuck on the mountain and have to hike down.
How long would you expect this entire thing to take from parking all the way back? Assuming we do the chairlift up and down and are experienced hikers
I would plan for at least 4 hours. For fast hiking, the trail can be completed in 90 mins or less, but I usually take 2 hours with picture taking time. For transport from the valley, it would take at least 30-40 mins on either side, depending on how long you have to wait for the funicular.
Hi! I was wondering if I hike from Klingenstock to Fronalpstock, do I take the Fronalpstock to Stoos chairlift down? When is the last chairlift in operation on a Sunday in September? It said “may 18 – november 3, 2024 daily 9 am – 4 pm (until 5.30 pm when chairlift Klingenstock in operation)” for CHAIRLIFTS STOOS – FRONALPSTOCK, but the timing doesn’t make sense meaning I would have to finish hiking by 4pm to make the last cable car ride down to Stoos?
We suggest hiking the ridge trail direction Klingenstock to Fronalpstock. You should estimate a minimum of 2hours, longer if you are a slow hiker. At the end of the hike at Fronalpstock, you can ride that chairlift back down to Stoos. During summer season (this year 18 May to 3 Nov 2024) the Fronalpstock is usually open until 17:30 every day. It would only close at 16:00 if the Klingenstock lift was closed that day due to poor weather (wind, rain, etc) or some other reason. In that case, they know that people are not doing the ridge trail from Klingenstock, so there’s no reason for them to stay open late. I hope that makes sense.
In any case, I would get an earlier start on the ridge trail so you do not have to hurry or worry about missing the lift down. If you do miss the lift closing time you can hike down to Stoos, which would take 90-120 mins. I’ve done that a few times and it’s nice, if a bit long.
Hello, may I ask, does the longer route without the lifts still require the purchase of full “Stoos Peak Experience Ticket” or can I just purchase the ticket for the funicular ride up to the Stoos village? If anyone’s got an answer, please let me know!
If you are not using the chair lifts on either side of the ridge, you only need a return ticket for the Stoos funicular, which is less expensive than the “Peak Experience” ticket. When purchasing your ticket, just tell the ticket agent what you plan to do and they will sell you the correct ticket.
Your posts are excellent- thank you.
We are flying in on a red-eye from the US arriving in Zurich 8 AM, mid-August. We have about 36 hours before we need to meet a group in Murren. We will not have a car.
*Should we take Train to Lucerne/store bags & then go to Stoos…return to Lucerne for the night, see Lucerne next day and then train to Murren? OR
*Do you have a better route plan? Stoos Ridge is a priority, so I thought maybe this gives us TWO possible weather days-?
Is Interlaken closer/easier than Lucerne?
We are VERY open to your suggestions.
Hi. I would stay in Lucerne and do the Stoos hike on whichever day has the best weather. If you do the Stoos hike on day 2, you can easily be done with the hike by early afternoon (hike is only about 2 hours) and be back in Lucerne by maybe 4pm. Before the hike, leave your luggage at the hotel or Lucerne train station luggage lockers. From Lucerne, it’s about 3 hours total travel time to Mürren, relaxing on the train with nice views. Have fun!
Hello,
Thank you for this lovely post which very helpful to plan our little hike. However we have a baby and was wondering if you think the trail is safe enough to carry a baby carrier?
Thanks a lot
That’s only something you can decide. Each person has a different level of comfort with a baby carrier. If you, I would definitely bring hiking sticks to help with your balance. There are no places where you need to scramble up rocks or climb a ladder. It’s just a regular trail with stairs.
We love taking visitors on this hike! It’s the perfect mix of Mountain panorama, lake views, and some adrenaline when going over the ridge. Gives them the feeling of “proper mountain hiking” without being too strenuous.
Note on age of children: we did this in the summer with our 4.5 year old and it was not problem. He’s very experienced on the mountains (if this is something you can say for 4-year olds ;-)) and has a high sense of risk-aversion/safety (i.e. I can trust he doesn’t run off or go too close to edges), so we’ve done many hikes with him before that children that age would normally not do. My verdict here: it all went well but a lot of the time we held him tightly by his hand; a harness would have even been better. He is 6 now and curiously, I would probably not do this hike with him at the moment as he has become more “adventurous” now and might well run off. So the bottom line: it depends on the child 🙂
Hi Anna. Thanks for sharing your experience with your child on the Stoos trail. I have also seen small children on the trail. It really depends your child’s experience and behavior, so each parent will need to make an individual decision.
Best blog about Switzerland. I will be in Grindelwald region next week, and thanks for this blog I manage to plan all the hikes so quickly. Thanks for the time you put into this, all the details, photos from the trails etc.
Thanks for the kind words! Glad you’ve found the website helpful in planning your hikes.
Thank you *so much* for the time and effort you’ve put into not just writing this blog but also keeping it updated with current links and opening times. Last week, I felt confident enough to go out and do my first Swiss hike alone, and I had such a wonderful experience. I felt very safe, as I knew how to check the weather, the train times, the webcams, I had a map, etc. all thanks to you. It would have been much more difficult without your post guiding me. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!
Hi Rachel. So glad you had a happy hike at Stoos and found my guide helpful. Yay! Mission accomplished for both of us.
Hi it’s me again!
We’ve moved this trip for July. Do you think this is doable with a 3 year old just on our backs with the hiking carrier? Or will it be too unstable? Thank you!
I would do it, but you have to judge your own comfort. Definitely bring hiking sticks to help with your balance and stability.
I have been looking forward to this hike since pre COVID!
We are planning to go in March. Will the funiculars be open by then? I’m assuming no huh?😅
The funicular will be open in March, but for skiing not hiking. The trail won’t be open until the earliest late May, more likely mid June.
Hi Tanya, great post. A quick question. We will be driving to Stoos. I see the hikes starts and ends at different place. What’s the best way to get back from Fronalpstock to Klingenstock so we can get back to Stoosbahn. Thx.
Normally, you take the Stoosbach up to the village, then walk over to the Klingenstock lift, ride that chair lift up, do the ridge hike to Fronalpstock, ride the chair lift back down to Stoos and walk over to the Stoosbahn. Both chair lifts are within a short walking distance of the top of the SToosbahn. Hope that helps.
Hi Tanya,
Me and my fiancé just moved from Finland to Frauenfeld, Switzerland a few weeks ago, and we are both huge hiking fans. We are so happy we found your blog and we really enjoy reading your posts and watching your videos on YouTube. Will definitely use the great information you’re sharing for our future hikes.
Today we checked from the AccuWeather app and the forecasts were looking sunny for the entire day. So we decided to do this hike, we drove to Stoos, went up to Klingenstock to start the hike, just to find out that it was extremely foggy and we couldn’t see anything. For more, it was really windy, and it started to rain. Unfortunately we had to return to Stoos and wander around the village. Something we didn’t quite enjoy. Our questions, how do you prepare yourself for such situations? Is there any website with webcams of places you want to go to that you check beforehand? How do we prepare ourselves better to avoid situations like today’s?
Thank you in advance and we wish you and your lovely family all the best!
Linda & Ilir
So sorry you had this negative experience. I always check the webcams on the website of the destination we plan to visit. Stoos has a webcam icon on their home page. https://stoos-muotatal.ch/webcams/ It’s good to check it before you buy your tickets just to make sure. I also usually look at the rain and cloud forecast animations to see where the clearest weather might be. https://meteo.search.ch/prognosis It’s not always completely accurate but it can help. We’ve had plenty of days stuck in the fog and clouds, so I know your disappointment well. If we know the mountains will be all in the clouds, then we usually just pick something lower elevation where the charms are more close up, like walking around a lake or along a river. Better luck next time.
I’m so excited we found your blog. We are headed there this weekend. Did you happen to see any pups on the trial? Or in the cable car. We have a small dachshund with us!
I don’t think I’ve seen dogs on the ridge trail but I think it’s allowed. Good luck!
Thank you very much for all these info. I did this hike yesterday with my son who is 15. It was terribly windy and there was snow but it didn’t stop us and I’m glad, it was the most amazing really breathtaking hike I’ve done until now. The scenery is unbelievable from beginning till the end. And Stoos is a beautiful little village. We will definitely do it again.
So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for coming back to let us know how it went. Wishing you many more happy hikes.
Thanks so much! your instruction is so helpful! My girlfriend and have about a day and a half to hike in Switzerland on a layover and we were wondering if this hike as well as the Pizol lake hike will still be open next week (oct 5)? We are flying in and out of Zurich so really we would be open to any suggestions of hikes to do close enough to Zurich- Thanks so much! your website is wonderful!
Yes, most mountain transport will be open through 20.Oct. The hikes will be open depending on the weather. Looks like rain the next few days and even snow at very high elevations (will probably melt after a couple days, but might make the trails dangerous). So check the webcams and resort websites before you go to make sure the mountain transport is running that day (sometimes they close chair lifts if there is rain or wind). You might look at my Easy Hikes by Train from Zurich post: https://swissfamilyfun.com/hikes-easy-by-train/ Rigi is a great choice because it’s one of the shortest train rides. Good luck!
What an amazing hike. While in Zurich for business, I had one day available for ‘tourism’ activities and chose this one. Thanks for the excellent instructions and observations. It was quite easy to get to Stoos from Zurich. Everything worked with Swiss precision. The day was perfect – there was not a cloud in the sky. The only ‘downside’ to the day was that the Ridgeline trail was quite crowded. However, people were very friendly. The hike reminded me of the White Mountains/Presidential Peaks ridge trail in New Hampshire, USA.
Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful day!
Glad you had a great day! Yes, that trail is very popular now, but well deserved.
Thank you for this!! Your pictures look amazing and the blog was so informative. Will definitely try to go here when visiting Zurich. Do you know if the hiking ticket you mentioned can be purchased on the day?
Yes, you can buy this ticket at Stoos on the day, no problem. Actually, I think they have changed their ticket names so now you buy the “day pass”, which covers all the mountain transport in the area.
Wow! Thanks so much for this lovely blog! Going to recommend it to all my friends!!!
Question: If I buy a “Gemeinde Tageskarte”, basically just a normal GA day pass ticket. Is this valid for all trips from my zurich home and back?
Yes, a Gemeinde Tageskarte is simply a discounted GA day pass. The gemeinde (community or village or town) buys them in bulk so they can sell them for a discount to their residents. It has the same validity as a GA day pass, so all public transport all over Switzerland (bus, tram, train, boat) and any mountain transport that accepts a GA pass (sometimes free or 50% for mountain transport). Hope that helps.
Hi! I will be in Switzerland at the end of May, and was really hoping to do this beautiful hike! Is it still possible to hike the ridge trail at this time, even though the peak season isn’t until mid-June? Are the trails closed off before then or just not at their best? Thank you!
The problem is snow, which is unpredictable. So if we get late snow, the trails might not be passable. Peak hiking season starts in July. I’ve been on trails end of June that still have lots of snow on them, even at lower elevations. Just look at the webcams before you go and see if the trails are clear. You can also ask at the ticket desk and they can let you know if the trail is ready for hiking.
MOM TOTS, THANK YOU!! We only had 25 hours on the ground in Zurich and because of this blog post we had the hiking experience of a lifetime! I’ll never forget peering down from lofty mountain views and hearing the cowbells in the valley below. This hike is AMAZING! If you’re reading these comments and thinking about going, DO IT! It is so worth it. Best $44 USD I’ve ever spent!
We had one in our party of 6 that has vertigo and fear of heights. If you go slowly in good weather, you shouldn’t have any problems with this trail. All 3 chairlifts had “bubbles” to pull down which helped with the vertigo.
Note that we hiked on Oct 5, 2018, and the lady at the information booth said that the trail was icy and snowy earlier in the week.
James
Nashville, TN, USA
Wow, what a great trip report! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment. So happy I could help with the planning. I agree that Stoos is a great choice if you can only visit one mountain from Zürich. Thanks for the helpful info about dealing with vertigo and possible icy conditions in fall. Wishing you many more fun outdoor adventures.
Your website has been life changer to me and my family .It has transformed our visits to switzerland from good to superb with memories to savour for life. Just one question , is this ridge doable in early november , klingenstock is closed .I was thinking of hiking from fronalpstock to midtrail and back .Doable ?
Thanks for the kind comment! I checked the 2018 schedule and looks like Klingenstock closes 28.Oct but Fronalpstock will still be open on the weekends through November until it opens again daily for ski season. Hiking in November all depends on the weather. We’ve had super warm Novembers where we could hike at that elevation until the second week of November. But we’ve also had snow mid-October and people were already skiing in mid-November. So you’ll just have to check the webcams and weather reports. You should be able to wander around the top of Fronalpstock even if there’s snow, just bring good shoes. Good luck!
I love your website! Thank you for all the excellent information. Is this hike about 4 hours in it’s entirety?
Thank you!
Hi. The 4.4 km hike along the ridge took us about 2 hours. If you wanted to add hiking up or down the mountain instead of riding one of the lifts, it would take longer of course.
Great website; thanks for sharing.
We have a member of our party who doesn’t ride chairlifts due to fear of heights. Is there any way to do this trail without a chair lift?
You could hike up and down the mountain instead. I’ve seen lots of people doing that. It’s just a lot more work but worth it.
Hello – thank you so much for this post! We are wondering if there is any disadvantage in doing this trail in the other direction (Fronalpstock to Klingenstock)?
Furthermore, for adults who experience vertigo/fear of heights, will this trail be very difficult? Thank you.
Hi. I think the view is beautiful in either direction. However, I do prefer having the lake in view as you walk toward Fronalpstock. If you walk the other, make sure the Klingenstock lift is running that day so you don’t get stuck walking down the mountain unexpectedly. It doesn’t run every day, just check the website before you go.
Re: vertigo. There are definitely some steep drop-offs on the sides of the trail, though the trail itself is well built and relatively safe. But if you have extreme vertigo, it could be a problem. The first time I did part of this hike several years ago, I was with a friend, not my kids, and we both agreed that my kids were too little for this hike, it would have made us feel too nervous to have them walking on this trail. But the second time I did the trail, it didn’t seem as scary and I saw a few families with younger kids on the trail. My perspective has changed as I have hiked more with my kids and they have grown older. All that said, if you can handle riding a chair lift, you’ll probably be fine on the trail. Good luck!
Hello,
Lovely post.
I have a small question, if you care to answer it. Is the Panorama Trail part of the Klingenstock to Fronalpstock ridge hike? I thought it was a separate loop by itself. I’m a little confused.
Thanks in advance.
Yes, it can be confusing. The panorama loop starts and ends at the top of the Fronalpstock lift. The part of the trail along the cliff edge is also the trail that leads to Klingenstock. When the panorama trail loops back to Fronalpstock, the ridge trail continues straight, going down some switchbacks then climbing back up to the ridge, going all the way to the top of the Klingenstock lift. Does this answer your question?
Thank you!! This is just what I was looking for. I hope it works out that we get to do this in a couple of weeks. I was having a hard time finding all the right info and it was a bit confusing to me. This is perfect.
Yay! Hope you have a great time!