Mountain Playgrounds perfect for some fun and relaxation.

Near our house there are a few great mountain playgrounds with nearby restaurants and scenic hiking paths. All are accessible by public transportation, however if you prefer to take the car you can park at the lifts. A few on this list can even be reached with-out the gondola, just park your car nearby the playground and walk.

Our top 2 favorites are with in about 10-15 minutes from our flat in Ennetburgen.

Stockhutte– -is open from 8:30 to 12:00 / 13.00 – 17.30 clock / descent from Stockhütte 12.50 clock
Weekend-continuous operation.

buy a Gondola ticket:

  • adults are 18 chf- with 1/2 tax 9chf
  • kids are 9 chf -with Junior Card Free

We love stockhutte for many reasons, it’s close to our house, we enjoy renting the trotti-bikes, they have great walking paths, the kids can spend hours on the playground, and they have a large enclosed rabbit pin where you can go inside and play with the bunnies.

playground montage

TIP: If you aren’t from around here you and the kids might love trying some of our favorite Swiss soda’s. Try a Rivella- Blue or Red are the kids favorites (you don’t want to know what its made from), Beckenried’s Orangemost (orange soda made in a nearby village), and Apelshorle is my favorite because it’s made with real apple juice and is not terribly sweet. 

Wirzweli-is open from 7:40 until 6:20 and cable cars run every 20 minutes.

Buy a Gondola ticket:

  • adults are 18 chf- with 1/2 tax 9chf
  • kids are 9 chf -with Junior Card Free

playground

 Wirzweli has a fun playground with a large “tree” house, a pine cone slide contraption, teeter-toters and slides and all the normal trappings of a good playground, I wrote about it here. There are large grilling areas if you prefer to picnic and a restaurant if not.

  TIP: The ice-cream sundae’s at the restaurant are delicious and the kids are probably satisfied playing while you watch them from the deck of the restaurant. Lucky for me, my kids usually prefer a popsicle which is far less expensive. 

*also note -May 23  the lift and Playground open for the season (prior to that you can take a bus up to the restaurant and walking trails) There are usually plenty of parking places near the gondola and if you take the train there is a shuttle from the station to the gondola, or enjoy a short walk.

 

Three more favorites are with in about 15-25 minutes from our flat in Ennetburgen.

Seelisburg– is open from 8:30 until 6:30 during warm weather.

Seelisburg can be reached by car, or bus from the stans train station. It is a senic drive. Lake Seelisberg is between the mountains and is filled with stunning turquoise water. There is a playground, BBQ place, Kiosk, Beach Volleyball and toilets. You can rent deck chairs and rowboats. There is also a Camping site which you can use if you decide to stay:). I think there is a small entrance fee of about 4.50 vhf adults and a few franks for kids, they also have a family deal that with 2 paying adults and kids are free.

335474-svetik

DSC04658

Bruni– is open from 8:00 am until 6:00 pm may 24- Oct. 19, and from Oct 19-Nov 23 8:20am -5:00 pm- cable cars run every 20 minutes. Park in the large lot in Engleburg next to the Gondola, or take the train to Engleburg and walk or bus to gondola.

Buy a Gondola ticket:

  • adults are 18 chf- with 1/2 tax 9chf
  • kids are 9 chf -with Junior Card Free

trampolin at bruni

climbing wall at bruni

There are lots of kid oriented activities at Bruni other than just the playground. I wrote about it here. My family loves the summer time toboggan run that reaches speeds of 40 km per hour and is 660 meters long. Click on the link for pricing and details.

Spielplatz Grotzenwäldli– is open from 7:40 until 6:20 . The snow is usually melted by May and thru October.

Getting there:
Spielplatz Grotzenwäldli
Horbisstrasse
6390 Engelberg
Tel. 041 637 15 58
There is some parking near by, but limited and be prepared to walk.  If you decide to take the senic train ride to Engleburg you can ask their about public transportation options, or enjoy the easy walk up to the park, roads are not usually high traffic and on a nice day the mountain views are stunning.

B5B3FDF8FB13E0D21F9149B9838C1E78-m

coco on bridge

The Park is one of the more unique and delightful in the area, I wrote more about it here. It’s kiddie heaven! Lots of room for playing, with a little lake to navigate rafts on (rafts are provided-just borrow from the dock- no fee), suspension bridges to cross, towers to climb… There are grill pits for those who want to still the hunger they’ve worked up being outdoors. This playground has a lot to offer, and the kids are sure to love it!

Tip : Pack a swimsuit in the summer necessarily (or change clothes ) a , because only about 50 cm deep lake will your kids guaranteed to dropped fountains entice .

* also note: The Robinson playground Grotzenwäldli is privately maintained and exemplary maintained. The necessary expenditure is financed by donations. It is therefore requested to make a small contribution in the respective point for the barbecue wood used .

———————————————-

TIP: Its also worth noting the the senic train that runs between Luzern and Engelburg offers a kids “scavenger hunt” promotion from June- October. You simply have to pick up a form (available at the train station, before boarding the train) and fill in the answers along the way. You only have to have a handful of answers correct to redeem the prize and it applies to trips taken originating in Luzern, Hergiswill, Stans, Dallenwill and other stops along the way. The prize last year was a treasure chest filled with lots of goodies from stickers to chocolates!

Trotti Bikes at Stockhutte

great pose

When we have a few hours for a fun adventure near our house we enjoy renting trotti bikes at Stockhutte. Stockhutte is a gondola that departs from Emmeten in Canton Nidwalden. You can drive there in about 15 minutes from our house and park in the small lot near the lift, or you can take the excellent public transportation from the post stop in Ennetburgen right up to the town of Emmeten. From there you must buy at Gondola ticket:

  • adults are 18 chf- with 1/2 tax 9chf
  • kids are 9 chf -with Junior Card Free

Take the lift up to the top and rent the trotti bikes at the station for 10chf each. I recommend sharing a bike with kids. In the photos below you can see that it’s a big board and there is plenty of room, plus the hand brakes can wear out little fingers and you certainly don’t want them to be with-out breaks! The road down to Emmeten is an easy downhill slope ( about 5 K long?) and you will be using breaks to slow down the whole time, especially to enjoy the amazing views! Axel is 9, he can ride alone (see photos) but he actually prefers to ride with me. I would say kids 12 and up can easily handle a trotti bike-bike board of their own.

axel in action

seivers trotti bikes 2_1

We like to take friends here because it’s a great activity for all ages, it’s not too expensive (by swiss standards) and it can take as little as a few hours (if your in a hurry) or you can pack a picnic (or eat at the restaurant on top of the mountain- its yummy) add in a hike or just let the kids play at the fantastic playground.

me and axel

The first time we did the trotti bikes was mid August and believe it or not- the temperatures were already cooling off. I suggest no matter what time a year, bring a:

  • Coat- with a hood, weather in Nidwalden is famously unpredictable and changes quickly.
  • Sunglasses- even if it’s cloudy, you will want to keep the wind from drying out your eyes and the bugs out too.
  • Gloves- can also be a good idea because your hands get cold- even if it’s warm outside.

 

axel smiling

small trotti bikes edith and ben best

trotti bikes edith and ben

trotti bikesThis is a great spring, summer, fall activity but in the winter the same road is used for the sledding so trotti bikes are unavailable in winter. Also important to note that Klewenalp and Stockhutte lifts close after ski season to prepare for summer. In the early spring it’s not uncommon to still have snow here, even when it seems hot in the valley. We were at Klewenalp last year on fathers day and after the picnic Sparticus and I relaxed in the warm sunshine while the kids played in a patch of snow! Plan for dry clothes and jackets.

  • Klewenalp is closed from March 31-May 28.
  • Stockhutte is close from March 31- May 16.