A Stanserhorn Cabrio® Experience
Many children and not a few adults would give their eyeteeth to have a backyard playground like mine. There is Mount Pilatus, home to the World’s Steepest Cogwheel train and Dragon legends, which dominates the horizon from just about any point in Lucerne and hovers above the Central Post Office like a royal crown. There are forests, meadows, and the stunning, if oddly shaped, Lake Lucerne (Vierwaldstättersee). By train, I am less than an hour from Zürich or Bern. I can hop, skip or jump – nearly, to the Bernese Oberland region and frolic in Interlaken and Lauterbrunnen. The infamous Furka and Grimsel pass require slightly more effort, but not much. I can visit the Top of Europe, the Jungfraujoch, and saunter past the North Face of the Eiger. In a blink of an eye, I am in Engelberg.
Life is good, but as of July 29, 2012, it got a whole lot better! The Worlds First Ever Cabrio® Cable Car debuted on the Stanserhorn!
I am so excited to have a new “toy” at my disposal and another opportunity to marvel at Swiss Ingenuity! The previous cable car needed to be retired, but rather than installing the status quo, a beautifully constructed and entertaining experience was provided instead. Riding the Cabrio® is breathtaking. If you are a bit nervous about heights, it might give you a bit of a pause. However, you’ll be too focused on the stunning views of the Lake Lucerne Region and the breeze on your face to think too much about the height.
My first experience with the Cabrio® was on a warm summer evening with a moody sky, incredible light and a fantastic summer storm which blew through making everything glow and sparkle. The ride to the summit of the Stanserhorn happens in two stages: the first via the restored funicular train (originally built in the late 19th Century) from Stans to Kätli and the second via the Cabrio® from Kätli to the Summit.
During the 6m24s journey, I managed the video while my husband handled the camera. This was a challenge. Each time you pass a pylon you rock and dip more than you’d expect and can easily lose your balance, especially if you are staring through the lens of a camera. You won’t fall out, the barriers are high, but you might create a domino effect and tumble the cabin full of people. So, lean or hold on to something if you are going to wield camera gear.
Arriving at the top is not the end of the Stanserhorn Adventure. There are plenty of hiking trails to explore, the marmots to see, the views themselves and, if you are so inclined, an opportunity to dine in the Rondorama®, the revolving restaurant or simply enjoy a drink on the terrace and soak up the “energy”. Like the Pilatus, the Stanserhorn has a bit of it’s own mystic: world renowned geobiologist Blanche Merz identified it as place of power, a natural energy zone, with a total value of 22,000 Bovis units. This rivals, apparently, that of the Moon Pyramid of Teotihuacan, where men become gods. So, Relax and Enjoy!
Stanserhorn-Bahn
Stansstaderstrasse 19
CH-6370 Stans
Phone: +41.41.618.80.40
Email: info@stanserhorn.ch