Lake Lucerne & with the funicular to Stanserhorn

05.09.22

Are there experiences that one has, but cannot describe because they are so great that one searches in vain for suitable words? Probably, because today was a day not with one, but with a series of such experiences. But let's start from the beginning... We meet Ekkehard at Pier 1 at 11 o'clock and 'board' the historic 'City of Lucerne'. The ship, built in 1928, was completely renovated for over 13 million Swiss francs over three years and now sails daily across Lake Lucerne looking spruced up. The special thing about this ship and its trips is that it is part of the public transport network, so we can simply board here with our Swiss Travel Pass because it sails on regular routes across the lake. As it should be, this venerable old ship has a 1st class and a 2nd class.

The 1st class is located on the upper deck. There are restaurants on both decks, and in the Queens Salon we even have a table for the entire journey and can take a seat here whenever we like. Before we do this, we sit outside and watch in amazement as the scenery unfolds before us and the weather gets better and better.

The Lake Lucerne is at an altitude of over 400m above sea level and is over 210m deep and currently 23 degrees warm. It originated in the last Ice Age. The color of the lake is almost unreal in the sun today and is a deep green-blue. Apart from small towns with beautiful Belle Epoque buildings and real architectural sins, the magic is the surrounding mountain world of the four cantons that border it.

One moment you feel reminded of Norway and on the next section, you feel like you are in the fjords of the South Island of New Zealand. It is impossible to adequately describe the beauty, the majestic nature, and the many perspectives.

Aside from the stories and background information that we learn and that round off the experience. So look at pictures - and just come here and experience it yourself. Our table in the restaurant is waiting for us shortly after we have passed the Rütli Meadow.

During our journey, which ends in Beckenried at 3:30 pm, we see many mountains such as Mt. Pilatus, the local mountain of Lucerne, Fronalpstock, Mount Rigi, and Mount Bürgenstock, the mountain with a vertical cable car that can be seen well. We are completely blown away as we finally leave the ship after just over 4 hours to experience another highlight of the day...

From Stans train station, it is a short walk to the valley station of the funicular to Stanserhorn. With this, you cover almost one-third of the entire route, which has an incline of only 17%-25% on this segment.

Then you transfer from this historic railway to a technical marvel of modern times: the open-top cable car. From an altitude of 710m above sea level to 1850m above sea level, counter-rotating aerial cableways operate with a double-decker car that can carry 60 people, including up to 30 on the roof in the open air. The whole ride at about 8m/s unfortunately lasts only a little over 6 minutes.

At a middle station, even hikers can get on board. Every minute, every meter, the view becomes more breathtaking. Several lakes lie beneath us, and we gaze far beyond mountains, see glaciers, and look at several cantons. The Stanserhorn itself is located in the canton of Nidwalden on the border with the canton of Obwalden.

We reach the highest point at nearly 1900m shortly before five o'clock and now have 20 minutes to admire the view, as the last cable car down to the valley departs at 5:15 pm. We knew that beforehand and now look in awe at the scenery.

On a clear day like today, you can see about 100 km of the Alps and 10 Swiss lakes. While Ekkehard gets us three brimmed hats, the camera is working overtime.

You can even see the Jungfrau Massif from here, as well as the pointed peaks of the Uri canton. We see countless mountains, alpine meadows, lakes, alpine meadows, hear cowbells - and the sun shines above it all for us.

Life - it is so beautiful when you can experience something like this! With our brimmed hats, we are of course the coolest ones 😀.

We take the train to Lucerne at 6 pm, and while Ekkehard takes the train home for another four hours, Jutta and I sit in the Rooftop Bar of Hotel Monopol at the main station, still overwhelmed by the day. Then we take a stroll through the dimming Lucerne and have a little snack.

And so this incomparable day passes with a wealth of highlights. But only in the calendar. In our minds and hearts ❤️, days like this stay forever. Unbelievable, indescribable!