Unterwalden-Route
Overview
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Distance 22 km
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Ascent 600 m
Intro
Stans lost in reverie, in the Engelberg valley the 400-year-old Höchhus with its many windows, the railway needs large cogwheels, cyclists rather smaller ones on the way up to Engelberg, once a small, autonomous papal state, now a lively holiday village.
Description
Stans lies nestled between the Stanserhorn, Buochserhorn and Bürgenstock mountains on the fringe of the Nidwalden valley floor. The stage begins at the Winkelried Monument, an impressive memorial to the hero of the Battle of Sempach Arnold von Winkelried. Leaving the old town behind, you come across the Engelberger Aa River, which you will now follow until just before the end of this stage. Wide expanses of green meadows and isolated farmhouses dominate the Engelbergertal valley. Wolfenschiessen is home to what is probably the oldest house in Nidwalden, the 16th-century Hechhuis (meaning «tall building»). With its pointed tower, the high-gabled wooden structure has echoes of the kind of stave church found mainly in Scandinavia.
The route continues through the lower Engelbergertal valley, which contained settlements even in the times of the Celts, Romans and Alemanni. There’s a lot to marvel at here: high-rise buildings and mansions in the Central Swiss style, the mountain landscape that’s so close you could almost reach out and touch it, the Zentralbahn railway chugging away up its ever-steeper tracks, and even the rickety goods lifts that transport all kinds of cargo up into the hard-to-access mountain communities. Clumsy cows, cheeky crows and crafty cats weave their way across unmown meadows. A bumpy and steep stretch of forest follows near Grafenort, where danger signs indicate that activities at the hydroelectric power plant can cause the riverbed to swell suddenly and at any time. This point marks an abrupt change in the stage’s general character. Whereas the route had previously meandered along at a leisurely pace with only a slight climb, from here on in you’ll have to grit your teeth as a bendy and increasingly steep road – almost like a mountain pass – winds its way uphill. The Eugenisee marks the end of your gruelling ascent. The lake can be found right by the entrance to the village near the valley station for the Titlis cable car, where you can enjoy fantastic panoramic views of the snow-covered Titlis mountain.
It’s only a short sprint to Engelberg and thus to the end point for the stage. Located around 1,000 metres above sea level, Engelberg is more like a small town than a village and is best known for its ski resort. Engelberg Abbey, a Benedictine monastery founded in 1120, can be found on the southern edge of the village. The buildings you see now were constructed after a devastating fire in 1729 and form one of the largest Baroque complexes in Central Switzerland. The monastery boasts a main organ that is actually the largest such instrument in Switzerland and still has monks living, working and teaching there.
An enjoyable tour includes the careful planning of the same. Please inform yourself in advance at the local information center about the route and weather conditions. Depending on the season and weather conditions, this route may be blocked or interrupted
| Start location |
Stans
|
|---|---|
| Destination |
Engelberg
|
| Ascent |
600 m
|
| Descent |
60 m
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| Distance |
22 km
|
| Distance on tarred ways |
18 km
|
| Distance on natural surface |
4 km
|
| Physical requirements |
Medium
|
Quick Facts
Route number
