No wonder Klewenalp call themselves “The excursion paradise in the heart of Central Switzerland”
We can only agree. Not only is it pretty easy to get to Klewenalp, there are also many family friendly activities on offer.
Therefore, if you are seeking an authentic Swiss mountain destination where there is something for the whole family to enjoy, then look no further and plan a stay or visit at Klewenalp above Lake Lucerne.
List of Contents
How to get to Klewenalp – Stockhütte
You have two possibilities to reach the Klewenalp – Stockhütte area above Lake Lucerne.
Maybe you ask yourself which access point is better, Beckenried or Emmetten? It really depends on your plans. Are you visiting to do a family hike at Klewenalp? Or maybe a bike route from Emmeten? Or do you plan a great day climbing in the Lake Lucerne region?
Hopefully, after reading this blog post, you will have a better understanding of the Klewenalp – Stockhütte area and how best to access it.
Klewenalp From Beckenried
The Klewenalp Bergbahn (Gondola) at the Kirchweg in 6375 Beckenried, will take you up the mountain to 1600 metres.
- By Car: Enter the Klewenalp Bergbahn station in your GPS and off you go. There is a large payable car park at the gondola station.
- By Public transport: There are no trains running to Beckenried but it is serviced by the bus. The journey from Lucerne to Beckenried will take you 35 minutes with train and bus.
- By Boat: The great thing about travelling around the Lake Lucerne region is that you have the opportunity to travel by boat. And what better place to enjoy the stunning scenery than from a boat.
The boat cruise from Lucerne to Beckenried will last for 1h 14.
Klewenalp From Emmetten
A bubble gondola will take you from Emmetten to the Stockhütte.
- By car: Make your way to Emmetten and the Klewenalp – Stockhütte gondola which is located at the Hinterhostattstrasse 4 in 6376 Emmetten. Parking is directly at the cable car station for CHF 5.-/day.
- By Public Transport: By SBB train to Lucerne, change and take the Zentralbahn to Stans from where the journey will continue by bus to Emmetten (passing Beckenried).
- By boat: I would not suggest to arrive by boat as it will take you from Lucerne to Flüelen 2h 45 minutes. You then still need to get to Emmetten.
Please do check the time table again for boat or public transport arrivals to Beckenried or Emmetten.
Klewenalp Activity Map
On the google map of the Klewenalp area I have marked points of interest such as BBQ stations, playgrounds, bike routes and where best to hike at Klewenalp.
Click on the map to get full access.
How to Use This Map: Once you are on the map site do the following. By clicking the icons on the map you get more information about each point of interest. Click the star next to the title of the map to add this map to your Google Maps account so you will always have it with you when visiting Klewenalp above Lake Lucerne.
To view it later on, on your phone or computer, simply open Google Maps, click the menu button, go to “Your Places,” click Maps, and you will see this map on your list.
Hiking at Klewenalp – Lake Lucerne
You could easily plan a multi-day Swiss hiking holiday at Klewenalp and not do it all.
Whether you are a seasoned hiking enthusiast or more a casual family hiking group, your hiking heart will beat faster when hiking at Klewenalp in the Lake Lucerne region.
The choice of hike ranges from the fun family hike to the more strenuous loop hike where trail runners are often seen.
Here are some suggestions of the most beautiful and popular hikes at Klewenalp.
Family Hike Klewenalp – Stockhütte (Pushchair friendly)
A nice, easy and pretty flat family hike at Klewenalp is the popular hike from Klewenalp to Stockhütte or vice versa.
The trail leads from Klewenalp on a wide natural gravel road passing the Klewenalp Chapel.
If you want to do the easy pushchair friendly route you must take the road heading to the right after the restaurant Alpstübli.
This path will eventually meet up again with the forest path and lead you to the Stockhütte.
Hiking Klewenalp – Stockhütte via Ergglen
Similar to the above hiking trail (pushchair version) is another family hiking trail from Klewenalp to Stockhütte but this time the trail will lead through the forest and IS NOT pushchair friendly.
This option is perfect on a hot summer day where the shade of the trees will help keep you cool.
At Klewenalp you will take the path heading left up the hill sign posted Stockhütte and Ergglen Klettergarten (rock climbing wall)
Follow this sign all the way until you reach the forest from where you will now be taking the righthand narrow path down the forest trail.
Click on the map below to get full access to the information of the trail layout. The hiking will take you about 2 hours including time for taking some photos on the way.
Klewanalp Fox Trail – Detective Theme Trail
Should your hiking group need a bit of motivation then maybe the Fox Trail, a detective theme hike will help.
16 exciting tricky tasks have to be solved all the way to Stockhütte.
The aim is to track down the scent of the clever animal – the fox.
Puzzle pieces need to be put together, understanding mirror writing and even the Swiss Alpine flower edelweiss can be found. At the end at Stockhütte a surprise awaits.
Good to know
- You need to book this trail online and it is NOT FREE! A family ticket for 2 adults and 2 children will set you back Chf 79.-.
- The clues need to be downloaded and printed at home and it only exists in the German language.
- The recommended age to participate is 8 years old. For more information check out the Fox Trail Website
We have not done this hike but I am curious to know what the prize is at the end?
The ticket is valid for ONE return journey on the Beckenried-Klewenalp aerial cableway.
How to end all of the above hikes
All the trails from Klewenalp to Stockhütte can be finished by a descent with the cable car to Emmetten and a bus ride (number 311) back to Beckenried from where you started this adventure. To time it right the bus runs on a hourly basis always at xx:33.
If you have arrived by public transport from Lucerne, then the bus will take you all the way back to Stans from where you can board your train back home.
Alternative Bike Board decent
Enjoy a fun descent from Stockhütte to Emmetten on the great Bike Boards, a kind of mountain scooter/trottinette.
The great thing is the large kickboard, allowing for a child and a parent to ride together. And even better they have three very thick tires, which gives you more stability.
The whole trip down will take about 45 minutes to one hour. This takes into consideration that you want to stop for photos and admire the breathtaking views over lake Lucerne region and the surrounding mountains.
Hiking from Emmetten
This is a more strenuous hike than the already mentioned family hikes at Klewenalp. The circular loop from Emmetten via Stockhütte is 15.4 km long and involves a 995m altitude change.
This route will take about 6.5 to 7 hours. From Emmetten the trail leads through the beautiful alpine meadows and forests up to Klewenalp. From here choose one of the routes back to Stockhütte mentioned above and back down to Emmetten.
Find more information and the map of the Emmetten – Klewenalp Stockhütte trail.
More Klewenalp hiking options; a flower trail and a wild animal observation hike can also be found in the area.
Have a look at the Klewenalp hiking brochure for more information.
The Klewenalp Goldi Family Safari
Take the family out for the day and experience this beautiful mountain safari at Klewenalp.
The trip starts at Klewenalp with one of the hikes mentioned above. As long as you get to Stockhütte you are on the Goldi Safari.
After a play on the super cool Stockhütte playground and barefoot path, this place is also perfect for lunch. The facilities for a great grill feast are all on site, or alternatively, take a seat at the self-service restaurant with a panorama view down to Lake Lucerne and over to the Mythen range and Mount Rigi.
Before enjoying a boat cruise on Lake Lucerne, you have the joy of riding the fun Bike Boards down to Emmetten, followed by a bus and a funicular ride.
Read More about the Klewenalp Goldi Family Safari.
VIDEO – Goldi Safari Klewenalp, Enjoy! ( click on the photograph)
Rock Climbing at Klewenalp
If you are a rock-climbing family then you will absolutely love the Klewenalp Rock Climbing Garden. Children can play whilst they are not climbing and you as a parent have a good overview.
The difficulty of the routes range from 3a to 7c and are well bolted.
A great grill station with tables and provided firewood, makes this simply the perfect place to spend a family climbing day at Klewenalp.
You will also find a Via Ferrata around the rocks.
Read More about Rock Climbing at Klewenalp
Bike trail at Klewenalp
Wherever we can, we bring our E-bikes. It allows us to cover much more ground in a shorter time, especially with the kids.
Klewenalp is perfect for biking and you can easily bring the bike up with the Klewenalp Bergbahn from Beckenried. Even from Emmetten in the gondola is it possible to transport your bike.
A bike transport for a single ride cost CHF 5.-, whereas a day pass is Chf 9.-
We enjoyed the ride down from Klewenalp to Beckenried at the end of our day climbing at the Ergglen rocks. The team agreed to take our small luggage and climbing bag down with the cabin so we could cycle down. This was very much appreciated.
The route down to Beckenried is a great mixture of natural roads to forest trails and a tarred farm road at the end.
NOTE: on the last third when you are on the nice tar farm road, you get to a point where suddenly a bike sign points down into the forest along a narrow trail with rocks and roots. If this is too much for you and the family, just stay on the road which snakes down the mountain to Beckenried. The other trail is a mountain bike shortcut for more experienced bikers. Both will eventually end up at the same point again.
Check out some more Bike routes at Klewenalp
Bike Park in Emmetten
If you would like to improve your bike technique and skills, you will find a great park at Emmetten. A 3km long forest trail with signs posts explaining techniques and how to ride a specific object will teach you to become a better biker. After you can practice on the wood trail if you dare.
Get more information directly from Bikearena Emmetten.
Other things to do in Lake Lucerne Region
Here are some other activities which may interest you when at Klewenalp and the region of Lake Lucerne.
- Paragliding over Lake Lucerne from Klewenalp. At the BBQ station at Klewenalp is the official take off for the paragliders.
- Visit Mount Rigi Across the lake from Klewenalp is Mount Rigi. Easily accessible from Beckenried by boat to Vitznau and up with the Rigi Bahn to Rigi Kulm. You can get the Rigi Kulm Train tickets online.
- Enjoy a Luxury Boat Cruise on Lake Lucerne. Probably one of the best activities to enjoy the beauty of the Lake Lucerne region.
- Head up to Stanserhorn and hike the Panorama Trail. From Beckenried you can take the bus to Stans and change to the cogwheel train. Change again to the Cabrio Cable Car to reach the Stanserhorn.
Best places to stay at Klewenalp & around
If you are looking to spend several days at Klewenalp and the Lake Lucerne Region then here are some great suggestions for accommodation.
Accommodation at Klewenalp
Staying up a mountain when all the day tourists have departed is always a great feeling. Often you find yourself alone and can enjoy the beauty and peaceful atmosphere to the fullest. Also can you experience a beautiful sunset from Klewenalp which is well worth the stay.
The accommodation at Klewenalp is simple and I would not book with half board. At the paraglider take off point is a beautiful BBQ station where wood is provided. This places gives you a magnificent view over lake Lucerne and the sunset is magnificent.
The Klewenalp Stube 1600 right next to the cable car has very simple family rooms with private bathroom. Alternatively they have multi-bed rooms with shared bathroom.
The Hotel Klewenstock Restaurant & Hotel is closer to the rock climbing wall and maybe a good alternative to the Klewenstube 1600.
Staying at Beckenried – Lake Lucerne
A wider choice of accommodation is available by Lake Lucerne. Here are a few options in Beckenried.
Superior Hotel Nidwaldnerhof
Located right on the shore of Lake Lucerne, Superior Hotel Nidwaldnerhof features a lake-view terrace. A plus point is the free garage parking.
Seerausch Swiss Quality Hotel
Right on the shore of Lake Lucerne, Hotel Seerausch in Beckenried offers panoramic lake and mountain views.
Camping at Seelisberger Seeli
When we went with the bus from Emmetten to Seelisberg we came across Seeslisberger Seeli. From the bus we saw a few tents around the lake which made me want to ckeck this place out.
The Nature-Camp-Ground and bathing area at the Seelisberg See (Lake) was completely renovated and yet left in its natural state.
There are no camps squares and numbers, but a large grass area where you can pitch your tent. No electricity is available but facilities such as a snack bar, toilets with shower facilities, bbq stations and changing rooms can be found.
Rowing boat rental, children’s playground, beach volleyball, water playground and a cool diving board will make days last forever.
For children, there is a special pool with swings. Find more information on the Seelisberg See Camp Site
Your guide to the Lucerne Region
- Day trips from Lucerne
- Visit Mount Pilatus on the Golden Round Trip from Lucerne
- Lucerne – Self-Guided City Tour (ideal for families)
- Lucerne in Winter – 3 Day getaway Itinerary city to peak
- Glamping in Willisau -Lucerne ( and bike ride)
- Visit the Hammetschwand Lift from Lucerne
If I have missed anything out on this post, or if you have some more questions when planning your Trip to Klewenalp above Lake Lucerne then leave a comment below. It is always nice for others to see some real people conversations.
Note: This visit was in collaboration with Lucerne Tourism & Klewenalp Bergbahnen – Thank you again. As always, you can be sure that we will express OUR views and enthusiasm here. The purpose of such collaborations is to introduce to you great new family destinations and activities and give you tips and suggestions 1st hand.
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Thank you, Never forget to explore!
