This might literally be one of the most popular hikes in Switzerland, and today we’re going to show you why!
The Stoos Ridge Hike is a great day trip from Lucerne or Zurich. The 4.4km, 2-hour trail follows a stunning ridge with endless views of the Swiss Alps, the deep blue Lake Lucerne plus 9 other sparkly lakes, and lush green valleys below. And if you’re not up for the full hike, don’t worry. We have a miniature 30-minute alternative just for you that offers amazing views too! And we’ll end today by showing you a list of activities to pair with your visit to Stoos.
But before you lace up your hiking boots and join us on this hike, let’s chat about how to get up here.
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How to reach the Stoos Ridge Hike
First, travel to the town of Schwyz, which is a 45-minute train from Lucerne or a 1-hour train from Zurich. Once you’re in Schwyz, a 15-minute ride on bus 501 delivers you to the really cool-looking Stoosbahn. And if you’re coming by car, you’ll also need to park near the Stoosbahn in either the outdoor spaces or parking garage since Stoos is a car-free village. Parking costs 1 CHF for up to two hours, and then it’s just 1 CHF per hour after that.
The Stoosbahn is the steepest funicular in the world with a 110% gradient! But thanks to the self-leveling cabins, you’ll hardly even notice. It climbs 2440 feet (744 meters) in just 7 minutes. Obviously this engineering marvel works hard to transport thousands of passengers per hour, so the Swiss have smartly figured out how to use the heat created from the engine to heat 3 different buildings in Stoos.
Once you arrive in Stoos, there are a handful of things to do. But we’re going to show you those on our way down because we want to start our hike this morning while the weather is clear and before the trail gets too busy. But it’s important to note that the funicular to Stoos runs earlier than the chairlift to Klingenstock. We’re here in July and it runs from 9-4.
Follow the signs to walk 15 minutes to the Klingenstock chair lift, then ride another 15 minutes up to Klingenstock.
A Complete Stoos Itinerary
Learn how to fit the Stoos Ridge Hike into your Swiss itinerary with our Lucerne Day Trips Guide! It includes ticket information, navigation instructions, restaurant recommendations, and a minute-by-minute itinerary.
Tickets for Stoos
Thankfully, it’s pretty simple to buy tickets for this ridge hike. The best option is the Peak Experience Day Ticket, which covers unlimited rides up and down each of the chairlifts, the funicular, and the cable car between Stoos and Morschach, and it’s discounted if you have the Half Fare Card or Swiss Travel Pass.
It’s best to book in advance directly from the Stoos website, which will save you a couple bucks and snag you the prices we’ve listed below. But if you have the Tell-Pass, which we recommend for Lucerne and Central Switzerland, then your journey is completely free!
- Adult = 56 CHF online (58 CHF in ticket office)
- Half Fare Card = 44 CHF online (46 in ticket office)
- Swiss Travel Pass = 34 CHF online (35 in ticket office)
- Tell-Pass = free
- Kids 6-15 = 18 CHF online (20 CHF in ticket office)
- Kids with Junior travelcard or Children’s Co-travelcard = free
- Note: Prices may be higher if you buy at the station
The Stoos Ridge Hike
Welcome to Klingenstock (1935m / 6348ft), the starting point of the Stoos Ridge Hike! Technically you could also start in Fronalpstock, but we recommend starting here for better views along the way. Plus, there’s not really anything here except for the station, bathrooms, and some picnic tables, and we like ending our hike somewhere with more to offer.
And by the way, there are no toilets along the trail, but there are bathrooms at the stations on either end. So it’s probably wise to take a potty break before we get started.
Okay, like we mentioned, this trail is 4.4 km long and takes around 2 hours. And you literally get great views from step number one, starting with Lake Lucerne on our left and the Muota Valley on our right.
As you can tell, there are a lot of stairs. So we definitely recommend sturdy shoes, and even hiking poles if you find them helpful.
You might also be wondering how safe this trail is because, after all, it is a ridge hike. This is a really well-groomed, well-maintained, and well-traveled trail. And the path is wider than you think! Thankfully, there are handrails around the path which you can use for balance, and they make you feel more secure. Unless you’re really afraid of heights, we think active adults and even active kids or teens will have no problem with this hike.
But while Stoos itself is open throughout the year except for a few weeks of maintenance closures every Spring and Fall, the ridge hike is only open and secured with chains from approximately the beginning of June until the beginning of November, depending on the weather.
We have reached the first “peak” and picnic spot called Rot Turm. So far, we’ve been gradually going downhill. In fact, here’s the elevation profile of this hike, which is gently downhill for the first two-thirds of the trail.
There are 3 picnic spots along the trail to take a break, but the only restaurant will be at the end of your hike. So pack your backpack with the water and snacks you’ll need for these 2 hours — or more if you plan to stop along the way to gaze at the views, like we’re doing!
It’s helpful to know that there are also no trees along the way, so prepare to be in the sun the entire time. For me, that looks like reapplying sunscreen. 😉
When you reach the second “peak,” the Huser Stock, you’re about halfway! And if we’re honest, we don’t really want this hike to end because the views are nonstop. It’s actually a bit challenging to watch all of the stairs and take in the landscapes at the same time! I read online that you can see 10 different lakes from here, so we’ve tried to play eye spy and spot them all!
The end is in sight! Like we said, the final bit of the Stoos Ridge Hike is uphill. It’s not terrible, and it’s still worth the few minutes of ascent! Truthfully, it’s better than going in the opposite direction, where two-thirds of the trail would have been just climbing up steps.
Things to do at Fronalpstock
We’ve arrived in Fronalpstock, the end of the Stoos Ridge Hike! (1922m) Those 2 hours honestly flew by, although my legs are a bit shaky from all of those stairs! As you can tell, there are still 360° views here, which you can take in from this great viewing platform.
Next door is the Fronalpstock Hotel and Restaurant, which happens to be the highest restaurant in the canton of Schwyz. And during the summer months, they even offer special evening rides up to Fronalpstock so you can dine here with a sunset view, which does sound pretty magical!
And you won’t be able to miss the goat petting zoo! These friendly little dwarf goats are up here from mid-June to mid-September and they love being petted by kids and adults alike! It’s free to see them and hang out with them too.
If you’ve seen our Gornergrat video or have our 3-Day Guide to Zermatt, then you’ll remember that we hiked to see the blacknose sheep. And honestly, that was a highlight of my trip. And I’m pretty sure these guys are gonna be a highlight of our time near Lucerne too!
Next door to the goat pen is the goat playground, which kids will also love. I’m not exactly sure why it’s called a goat playground because it’s a pretty standard playground…maybe they just wanted to continue the goat theme??
And of course, just like all of the other peaks in the Swiss Alps, you can go paragliding from Fronalpstock.
Fronalpstock Hikes
From here, you have a few different hiking options.
- If you’re not up for the entire Stoos Ride Hike, consider riding from Stoos straight up here to enjoy the 30-minute Fronalpstock Panorama Trail. It’s a stroller-friendly, easily-walkable trail right from Fronalpstock.
- You can also follow the 2-hour Fronalp Trail for a taste of traditional Swiss farm life with wooden ball games along the way.
- Or take the 1.6 kilometer Moor Trail to explore, well, the moors! (If you’re like Brett and don’t know what a moor is, Merriam Webster defines it as “an expanse of open rolling infertile land,” often “dominated by grasses.”)
- Last is the Alp Cheese Trail, which is exactly what it sounds like! For 16 CHF, you can taste authentic alpine cheese from 3 of the 6 different farm stations along the trail.
We’ve already finished the Stoos Ridge Hike and explored Fronalpstock, but there are still more adventures awaiting us down the mountain!
So from Fronalpstock, enjoy a 10-minute chairlift ride back down to Stoos.
Things to do in Stoos, Switzerland
This might look familiar since we came through this village earlier today to reach the Stoos Ridge Trail. Most people just pass through here to start and end their hike, but we think it’s worthing hanging around for a bit, and here are 8 reasons why:
1 | Little Stoos Lake is exactly what it sounds like, a little man-made lake near Stoos! Besides being beautiful, it has a few unique features. One being this footbridge to the middle of the lake where you can dip your feet in the refreshing water. And after climbing all of those stairs on the Stoos Ridge Hike, this feels really nice. It’s also used as a water reservoir to make snow in the winter and as flood protection for the village of Stoos.
2 | Next up is Stoos Chapel, which is formally called the Maria Hilf Chapel. It was built in 1932 and has been used ever since. Apparently a lot of people get married here, and I cannot imagine a more beautiful backdrop for a wedding!
3 | And if you’ve seen our other blogs, then it’s no surprise that there are multiple playgrounds here in Stoos since Switzerland is so kid-friendly!
4 | The 2.8km Stooshorn Round walk is perfect for families because it’s all-terrain stroller accessible and includes games along the way. This is a great option if some of your travel group wants to do the ridge hike and the rest are interested in an easier option.
5 | Next is a free mini museum in the Stoos-Schwyz funicular station about the history of Stoos village as well as the construction of the steepest funicular in the world! I’m a nerd for fun facts and I love learning, so it was worth poking around for a few minutes here!
6 | At this point in the day, you’re probably getting hungry! Good thing there are a handful of good restaurants in Stoos! Restaurant Balmberg/Mosi-Bar has good prices for basic hearty food. Skihaus Ibach is just outside of town and serves up incredible Italian food with great views. And Stoos Hütta offers classic Swiss dishes in a quieter location too.
7 | You could also enjoy a different route down the mountain by taking a 17-minute cable car from Stoos down to Morschach. This route is a bit longer than descending down to Schwyz on the steepest funicular in the world, but it is always fun to explore new places!
8 | Last but not least, you’re probably wondering how to fit the Stoos Ridge Hike into your Swiss itinerary, and we have you covered! Shop our Swiss Travel Guides for a done-for-you itinerary. And we’ll see you in Switzerland!
