Stoos Ski Resort Switzerland
Stoos ski resort near the town of Schwyz, is perched high above Lake Lucerne & includes a car-free village accessed by an extraordinary funicular, that aside from its unique rotating carriages, is billed as the ‘steepest funicular in the world’. The skiing is on cold-north aspect slopes that begin on top of one the more picturesque ridges in the world. Why haven't we been here? We don't know. But given that it is just off the main train line between Zurich & Andermatt we have no excuses.
Skiing & Snowboarding, Lifts & terrain
The skiing at Stoos is on 35km of pistes, with a 635m vertical and highest lifted point of 1,935m on Klingenstock. Ski lifts are centred on three high-speed chairs (1 x 6-seater, 2 x quads), all with canopies. A few T-bars and surface conveyors connect them the beautifully sited village. The ski terrain is mostly cold, north-aspect, with pistes rated 70% for intermediates.
Check out the Stoos Ski Trail Map below.
Lift Passes
Lift passes at Stoos comes in the usual formats (from 4hr to multi-day), and those purchased online as usually a couple of Swiss francs cheaper than those at the 'ticket window'. Good to know is that a 4hr pass starts from the first turnstile passage, BUT the downhill ride with the funicular to Schwyz or cable car to Morschach is possible any time after these 4 hours on the same day. Similarly, with a single day lift pass, one can use the pass the day before from 4pm to get up the mountain AND can descend with the funicular to Schwyz or cable car to Morschach anytime the following day after skiing if required.
Where is Stoos, Switzerland?
Stoos is located in the canton Schwyz, near the town of Schwyz (!), around 60km (45min) by road (to the bottom of the funicular) south of central Zurich. Stoos (funicular base) is only 40km (40min) by road to the east of lovely Lucerne. The train runs through Schwyz and public transport is an easy option to access the ski resort, in combination with the local route 501 bus.
Access up to the village is via either the funicular or a cable car from near the village of Morschach. Regardless of which way you go up, note that they work on a timetable. The funicular goes every half hour during the day starting from 7.10am. After 8pm from Sun-Thu it runs once every hour until 11.40pm. On a Friday or Saturday night it runs twice an hour until 9pm, then 9.40, 10.40, 11.10 and finally 11.40pm. The cable car from Morschach is similar, but runs only once an hour after 7pm up until 10.40 or 1140pm depending on the day of the week.
Stoos Accommodation
The car-free resort village of Stoos is at 1,300m altitude and has several exceptional accommodation options. High up on the 1,922m summit of Fronalpstock, the Fronalpstock Hotel is perched beautifully overlooking Lake Lucerne right next to the top chairlift station. In the village near the top funicular station, and with rooms for all budgets, is the nearly developed Stoos Lodge. Nearby is the adults only Caschu Alp Boutique Design Hotel and the affordable Gästehaus by Stoos Hotels. The ski-in, ski-out, simple, clean & affordable Stoos Hüttä is at the top of the village. At the other end of the village, is the 4-star, pool & spa laden (and a tad overpriced), Wellness Hotel Stoos.
Search & book a place to stay via the Stoos Ski Accommodation Listings
If you cannot get accommodations in Stoos, the next best option is lakeside on Lake Lucerne in the town of Brunnen near the ferry wharf, where numerous hotels line the shore.
Search & book a place to stay on the lakeside via the Brunnen Accommodation Listings
Activities
Naturally, as with all good Swiss ski resorts, there are a host of other winter activities too, including a 2.5km sledding trail and numerous winter walking trails. on...and staring at the views is an activity in and of itself.
Review & More Info
The Powderhounds will review Stoos this coming season, and whilst we don't expect it to be the greatest powder ski resort in the world, we do expect fabulous views, a calming environment and a classic small resort ski experience. More information about this European ski resort will come after our visit. Stay tuned for our sparkling repartee, new photos & insights.
See how the rest of the Swiss ski resorts on the Switzerland ski resort ratings page, or compare to the rest of Europe on the European ski resort ratings page.
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If you have a question about skiing & snowboarding at Stoos or elsewhere in Europe, CONTACT US.