Expedition to the realm of the stars Groups - The home for groups
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Intro
There are few places in Switzerland where it gets as dark as on the Gantrisch: above the Stockhütte, it sometimes seems to be almost raining shooting stars.
Pro Gantrisch Foundation member
Elisabeth Krayenbühl stands at the parlour window of the Stockhütte and watches the young people disappear into the darkness toward the edge of the forest. “Like it was yesterday,” she sighs and chuckles.
Hopefully, the shooting stars will bring them as much luck as they did me back then.
Stockhütte in the Gantrisch Nature Park
Back then, that was in 1978, shortly before her 18th birthday. One of the people in her father’s hiking group had suggested Stockhütte as a destination. She immediately liked the building, which was built in 1810 as a branch of the Grandhotel Gurnigelbad. She spontaneously signed up as a helper and was called up for the lumber day just a few weeks later. Elisabeth took the postal bus up the Gantrisch and when she stood in front of the hut, she knew: this could turn into a long love affair.
Watching shooting stars
Elisabeth has been able to observe countless shooting stars in the meantime: the Gantrisch Nature Park is considered one of the darkest areas in Switzerland and a hotspot for stargazers. “Several wishes even came true,” laughs the Thun native, who now looks after “her” hut for the Pro Gantrisch Foundation, a matter close to her heart, as she says. She can’t get enough of the Stockhütte. Because here, at 1,264 metres up, in the midst of imposing nature, you dive into your very own universe.
- 39 The Stockhütte has 39 beds in eight different rooms.
- 1,264m a.s.l. The Stockhütte is located 1,264 metres above sea level.
- 20 mins The Stockhütte is a 20-minute drive from Bern.
Galactic excursion
“The location was always special,” says Elisabeth. “But then it became even more special: Because a few young people didn’t want to go to sleep, the leaders took them on a night march. What was meant to be a punishment turned into a highlight: today, it’s impossible to imagine the Stockhütte without the star tour.”