Alp Casa Swiss Home Base Shared Dormitory -read on
Room in Oberägeri, Switzerland
- 1 bedroom ·
- · 1.5 shared bathrooms
Hosted by Washitsu
- 4 years hosting
Listing highlights
Mountain and city views
Soak up the views during your stay.
Shared bathroom
You’ll share the bathroom with others.
Some info has been automatically translated.
SHARED DORM? READ THIS FIRST
This listing is for a mattress under a low, sloping roof in our mixed dormitory shared with strangers, run on our "Self-Service Plus" principle: you clean up & do a little extra. Ideal for independent, budget-conscious travelers. For private rooms, see our other listings. The apartment view is spectacular.
► BEFORE YOU BOOK: Click "Show more >" for key info on the pros, cons & location ☺
Note: Not for young children or people who snore.
The space
Book a short stay first to make sure this is a good category for you.
This is a tatami bed in a SHARED mixed dormitory. A mattress on top of a tatami. Basically a mattress on the floor with a tatami in between. The mattress is under a low sloping roof. There is not much space between the mattresses. The room may or may not be crowded. You are not only expected to clean up after yourself but to take part in the daily and/or weekly chores around the house. It is a 40-60 minutes walk to the nearest public transport. Parking is usually available next to the house, but if not you may have to park at the top of the hill. The room faces a cow barn. Sometimes a double bed is available for a couple, placed between the other tatami mattresses. The apartment is beautiful and the view from the apartment is fantastic.
Other things to note
( ͡❛ ͜ʖ ͡❛) Our goal is to have happy guests only which is the reason why we are sharing so much information.
►►► Be sure to understand what “Self-Service and a bit more” entails. See further down this section.
We are looking for guests who are not just looking for a cheap place to stay but who come to take advantage of our place while fully realizing the limitations. This can not be done without reading this full description. So if you can’t be bothered simply look elsewhere.
The ADVANTAGES of this place is the weather dependent fantastic view directly from the apartment (a view that captures the breathtaking beauty of Switzerland - why settle for anything less!!!?) and the fact it is a modern apartment with all the comforts you might expect. Fully equipped kitchen, comfortable sofas, dining area, bar tables, balcony with gym facilities (rowing machine and dumbbells) and another dining area with a movable half glass cage. Hopefully you care about our contribution to sustainability and bettering the world. For people who would like to work, there are small tables in some rooms or you can use, when not being used for dining, the bar table or the inside and outside dining tables or even sit in one of the sofas with your laptop. There is excellent Wi-Fi, pillow and comforter menus and extra blankets. Depending on what category you are booking, you might also like our high thread count linen, comfortable beds or mattresses, our color coded hygiene system, the sun blocking metal blinds and the bluetooth enabled radios. You might also appreciate having such a great view, overlooking not only the Alps but a lake without mosquitos (we have practically no mosquitos here). You might also enjoy the purer air and our very own spring water - something that you do not find in the cities and lower laying settlements. The view is so unique that if you travel half a km in 3 out of 4 directions it is not there anymore. Perhaps a little bit disappointing is the fact that no matter where you go, the view will probably be better when you come back to our place than whatever place you visited. The view also overlooks the most historically significant place in Switzerland the site of the battle of Morgarten, the reason why Switzerland, a country of very different people with different languages, was formed. There is a hiking post right outside and nearby hiking posts point to our hiking post. This area is ideal for hiking.
Our place is for anyone who wants to relax, hike, do home office, volunteer, work, explore or do business in Switzerland.
It makes sense to stay with us for your perfect Spa trip and for vacations the year round. We have more information about the fantastic Spa opportunities, skiing and hiking options in our neighborhood description here on Airbnb. Why not go for a high altitude sun wellness holiday?
If you are not from german or french speaking regions the nude wellness spas might be a totally new concept for you worth exploring.
If you stay longer in winter you might use the opportunity to sunbathe in winter as the unbelievable microclimate has temperatures reaching more than 20 degrees centigrade. There is, however, also a possibility of snow. You can find out more about the incredible microclimate and other weather phenomena as well as more information about our neighborhood in the neighborhood section of this airbnb listing. Staying above the fog makes sense when you are visiting Switzerland.
Lucerne which is considered by many as the most beautiful city in Switzerland is phasing out airbnb’s. Why not stay at our place which is more beautiful. Not only do we have a simultaneous view of a lake and snow capped mountains, but unlike Lucerne we have not just some mountains but the Alps which tend to have snow in them year round.
The DISADVANTAGES are that this is just an ordinary house. And you might not like that it is Self-Service where you are expected to ►clean up after yourselves ►and a bit more. This might mean that the place might be dirtier than you expected - please do not mark us down for this and that you are nevertheless expected to return the place clean, ready for the next guests. You might not like the cows (fortunately without bells) mooing outside. You might not like that this is not a rustic but a modern place. If you do not have a car you need to be prepared to walk up the hill for 40 to 60 minutes to reach our place and back for essential services, except for some farm products you can get here (esp. eggs and cheese). If you come with a car, keep in mind the road is a narrow mountain road next to a steep slope, especially if you come from the direction of Oberaegeri. The local people who share the road tend to be much friendlier and more understanding than elsewhere in Switzerland. So do not hesitate to give a friendly wave as you pass. If you are booking our SHARED room you might not like the placement of mattresses underneath the low sloping roof or the fact that there might be many people staying in what amounts to a potentially crowded shared room. If you are a couple sharing the double bed in the shared room you might like the sky view and potential star view from the window above the bed. You might not like that there is not much space between the beds and mattresses. And if you are booking group accommodations you might not like the triple beds or the reduced floor space when mattresses are spread out. We generally have free parking, but if you are coming with a group and using more than one car please be prepared to store one of those cars at the top of the hill. Trucks and buses would also need to be parked further away on top of the hill.
At times there might be many people in the house. There is one and a half toilet, so normally there should be one available. Usually people have different time schedules so sharing the kitchen is no problem and can also be fun. The place has security cameras. The apartment is always SHARED, except when we have no other bookings and we are not there ourselves, but generally you should expect other guests to be there and indeed we are not interested in renting the whole place for private use. For some categories, the sleeping area is also SHARED, but we also have private room categories.
Please cancel your request to book immediately if it does not suit you.
◄ Nourishment ►You may only use the kitchen, garbage and recycling facilities IF you follow the instructions carefully and clean up after yourself. Using the kitchen rather than dining out might save on the total cost for your trip. Our prices for accommodation tend to be reasonable and so there is no need to avoid otherwise expensive Switzerland. Some guests invite our helpers for a meal which tends to be fun and well appreciated. Sometimes guests decide to cook together. If you are here as part of our community of helpers please adjust your schedule so that guests can use the kitchen when they prefer. Different guests tend to have different schedules so normally there is no or a short waiting time or people are comfortable with cooking at the same time or even sharing and cooking together an exotic meal and learning about some foreign cuisines.
►►► Be sure to understand which category you are booking and to switch to a different category if it is not what you are looking for.
◄We also have a fantastic place in the beautiful Icelandic countryside on the Snaefellsnes Peninsula overlooking a Mt Fuji lookalike volcano, our Whatshitsu.Casa in Rif, Iceland.►
You can see directly from the house Depending on the weather (longer stays recommended)
◄ Some Bird Life ► Small birds and predator birds. Very often you see the Milan bird of prey hovering right outside the house. In summer the swallows are hunting flies and the White Wagtail comes for an occasional spider. We also have the ducks that belong to the house in the little pond below. They have their own little house to sleep in. The happy chicken from which you can get eggs are sometimes wandering in and around the garden.
◄ The Sunsets ► These may be nice. Although the pure air right here is not conducive to red sunsets, the particle rich air over the city of Zug is, so that you may still get to see very nice red sunsets.
◄The Uri Alps ► Seeing the Alps without being hindered by some smaller mountains in front, gives you a superior view. Seeing the Alpine Lake in front at the same time makes this one of the best views in the world.
◄ The pre alps ► The smaller very hikable mountains next to the Alps. For example hikes to the Wild spitz (there are actually two mountain peaks with this name). Morgarten Berg. Dreilanderecke, the meeting point of the cantons of Zug, Schwyz and Zurich.
Nothing or something
When we first came to this place we were memorized by the view and we liked the nice apartment and how it is built with the view in mind. There are houses close by that have no long windows or do not face the Alps and the lake at the right angle so that you can not truly appreciate the view. And houses a bit further away may not be able to see both the lake and the Alps at the same time because one or both are obscured, for example most of Oberaegeri can not see the Alps as they are obscured by the green mountains in front.
Initially we were of the impression that there was nothing else here that we could boast about for tourists to do. But we have now come to realize that this is exactly what most people desire.
The most important thing is that you get to experience first hand the extreme beauty of Switzerland. The scenery is comparable to that found in Glacier National Park in Montana, USA. The difference though is that in Montana you have vast areas without houses. Just as in Montana you can go on vast hikes along mountain ranges, but without the fear of getting lost in the wilderness. One such mountain range you can access directly from the house is the mountain range above lake Zurich (or rather between us and Lake Zurich) This is a bit like walking in the hills above San Francisco.
Walkable
► Hidden little stream with cascading water and a little bridge to walk over it.
► The Hochmoor of Rotenthurm. The first bog / moor to be protected in Switzerland and a catalyst for other bogs to be protected. A national vote, the first of its kind lead to the protection of the Hochmoor.
► The lake of Aegeri
► Aegeri bath
► Wellness area at Aegeri bath. This area is a bit more exclusive than when you just pay for general entry to Aegeri bath.
► Lido Area Oberaegeri is next to the Aegeri bath. You can choose to use the Aegeri bath facilities and still enter the Lido area or you can go there directly free of charge and swim in the lake.
► Aegeri waterfront. There are also other places you can access the lake at your own risk. For example you can hike down to Eierhals and from there search for a place to enter the lake. Or you can drive down to Oberaegeri in the direction of Landli and park there and enter the lake or walk along the lake.
► Teletubbies landscape. The TV program designed for Infants, Teletubbies with Tinky-Winky, Dipsy, Laa Laa and Po is set in rolling green fields. Coming up the hill from Rothenthurm Moor towards our place this is exactly the type of landscape you see. People are also fascinated by the particular shade of green that the grass has. Especially people who are coming from far away places like Taiwan.
► The viewpoint. Almost directly above our place. You don’t need to go there as you have the view directly from the house.
► St Jost restaurant in the forest and church
► Lots of hike and bike trails - There is a hiking post right outside our place.
Drive, Walk (might be a bit long to walk 40-80 minutes that is)
◄The historical town of Morgarten► The battle of Morgarten was essential for the creation of Switzerland. A land with totally different people united in being independent from other countries.
◄The town of Oberaegeri►
◄Oberaegeri (bus) Station► With a end-to-end bus (number 601) to Zug train Station which has fast connections to Ticino, Italy, Zurich and Lucerne. There are also end-to-end buses to Baar, Raten and Rothenthurm.
◄Aegeribad Wellness / Nude Sauna Area►
◄Aegeribad Swimming Pool, warm tub, changing facilities for the lakel►
◄Tourist information►at Aegeri Bad
◄Restaurant Eierhals► with both fast food and some fine food like fish from the lake and nice facilities to sit outside in the summer
◄Gourmet Restaurant► Buechwäldi Morgarten
◄Other Restaurants► St Jost (sometimes open on weekends), Steinstoss Subli (smokers local - probably no good for non smokers, restaurant Raten and other restaurants in Morgarten, Oberaegeri, Unteraegeri, Rothenthurm
◄Landli hotel with some extra facilities►
◄Grocery Stores►Coop Oberaegeri
◄The town of Rothenthurm►
◄Rothenthurm Train Station►
Drive, Longer Walk, Combined walk and bus
◄ Raten ►
◄ The town of Unteraegeri ►
◄ Bigger grocery store►Coop Oberaegeri, Bigger Coop and Micros Unteraegeri
◄ Small grocery store► Volg Rothenthurm
Short Drives (less than or about 30 minutes)
◄The Big Mythen►If you are relatively healthy we strongly recommend hiking onto this mountain, the view from it is similar to the views from Rigi and Pilatus, but by hiking there yourself you will feel a much greater sense of accomplishment and joy. Other mountains further away are Jungfrau, Säntis and Titlis. Titlis is one of the peaks you can see as a far away peak from our place.
◄The town of Zug►
◄The town of Barr►
◄Swiss Holiday Park►
◄Swiss Holiday Park Nude Sauna Area►
◄Swiss Holiday Park Swimming Pool►
◄Swiss Holiday Park Children's Pool, Go karts, climbing park, etc ►
◄Aqua Park Rapperswill► Alpamare. Lots of slides for the kids and a really warm pool that is exclusively for the adults.
◄Panorama Spa Resort►
◄Rapperswill► town. The most secret tourist friendly town of Switzerland.
◄Various other restaurants►Zug, Barr, along lake Zurich, in Lucerne etc
◄Sattle Skywalk► A nearly 400 meter suspension bridge to walk over if you dare overcome your fear of heights.
Moderate Drives (about an hour)
◄Zurich► City
◄Lucerne► City
◄Lichtenstein► Small country
Moderate Drives (about an hour and half, plus)
◄St Gallen► City
◄Ticino► Italian speaking canton
◄Austria►Country
◄France►Country
◄Germany►Country
◄Italy►Country
◄Why visit and stay at our place in Switzerland?►
Switzerland has a reputation for a beautiful landscape. Even guests from places like Nepal have been awed by our beautiful scenery.
Our place is central so everything that Switzerland has to offer is within reach, and many very nice places close by.
Wildlife can mostly be observed in the neighborhood especially between our place and Rothenthurm moor around dusk and dawn. We frequently see bambis, frogs, foxes, hedgehogs, salamanders (lower down or the Alp salamanders on peaks), Black grouse and foxes and badgers with offsprings. The wildlife is unpredictable but with luck you would see some of these.
►►► Important
House rules
√ This is a self service place. If everyone does just the bare minimum the place will deteriorate so that it will no longer be possible to stay. However if everybody does at least a little bit more it will be a pleasant environment for all. So you must not only clean up after yourself but do a bit more.
√ Leave the bathroom doors open when not in use. This way we can prevent mold and it is much more convenient for guests to see when the toilets are available
√ If you air your room, make sure you only open windows that have a screen so that flies do not get in and while airing out turn off the heating in case it is on. Normally there is enough ambient heating in the house that you never need to turn up the thermostat and you can keep it on minimum at all times.
√ More information about house rules can be found in our Airbnb house manual once you have booked.
During your stay
√ You may NOT use the kitchen unless you follow the instructions posted and recycle correctly.
√ Make sure the bathrooms doors are left open when not in use
√ If you have booked as a helper or as part of our community please help us a lot more. Follow all the little instructions, ask us and take the initiative.
Before you leave
√ Make sure the place is ready and clean for the next guests
√ Backpackers. Put the sheet back on that you should have removed and replaced with a blanket for the duration of your stay.
√ Others. Change the linen you used
√ Make sure the bathrooms doors are left open
√ Make sure that nothing wet has been put into the laundry bins. These things should be hung up first to dry.
√ Make sure all areas are clean including the toilets, kitchen and living areas.
√ Take photos of how you leave the place nice and clean and send them to us, including photos of your room and kitchen. We also welcome any photos you would like to share with us and our potential guests from you and the surrounding areas
◄About recycling► Recycling is not a cure all for the environment but it is an important step. Recycling is different in different areas. When people sort their recyclables incorrectly they are not contributing to recycling but rather make recycling impossible. We therefore ask you to take care when sorting your trash and recyclables at our place. Underneath the kitchen sink is regular trash and at the back organic (bio) trash under the green lids. We also have another trash bin in the bookshelf furthest to the left for non-smelly trash, including all plastics except drinking bottles. Next to this container are containers for plastic PET drinking bottles, paper and cardboard, metal and glass. It is important not to mix these up. It is lousy to expect us to re-sort your waste.
◄Cleaning► Our cleaning methods are different but effective. Here are some things you can do:
We do not use the vacuum cleaner inside the apartment. Instead take some mats out on the balcony and vacuum them there.
We never use a dry method of cleaning. So no dry sweeping. Instead use mops that can be found in the bottom drawer of the brown chest of drawers in the entryway. Wet one thoroughly and put a drop of washing up liquid on it. (Caution when cleaning a floor elsewhere with a normal non solid parquet you should only have mops damp and not wet otherwise you risk destroying a paraquet. But at our place in Switzerland you can have the mops really wet).
By not vacuuming inside and only using a wet system the amount of dust in the air is greatly reduced as well as the spread of bacteria.
The color system reduces the cross contamination of bacteria, between kitchen (including dining areas (yellow color), hands and body (towels and orange cloths), floors (mops and blue cloths) and other surfaces (pink cloths).
Simply use very hot water and a drop of dishwashing hand soap.
Follow the posted instructions. It is so easy to grab a clean pink cloth and wipe the surfaces of water faucets and bathroom sinks.
To grab a blue cloth to clean something that has spilled on the floor.
To grab a yellow cloth to clean the dining table after use and the cooker and kitchen surfaces. Just hang up afterwards to dry above the sink. You should not reuse this cloth because if you did you would be spreading bacteria.
When you clean the floors there is no need to wring the mops, just grab a new clean one. This way the cleaning action is maximized, rather than spreading dirt from one area to the next. When the floor mops are getting too dry to slide easily along the floor, push the dust to one spot and continue outside on the balcony and shake off the dirt outside the balcony and place to dry on the SMALL drying rack that is just for this purpose on the balcony.
It is important to clean beneath furniture. Get someone to help you move some furniture.
It is also simple to grab a piece of kitchen roll and spray a little window cleaner onto it and clean some smudges on windows, other glass surfaces, mirrors and the toilet (all surfaces except the toilet bowl itself for which there is a special toilet cleaner).
There are replacement bath mats in the brown chest of drawers in the entryway. It is nice to choose two mats that match each other..
◄Be clear about our categories► so you do not inadvertently book an inappropriate category
◄If you booked our Backpackers► or other no-linen indicated category then linen and comforters (duvets / quilts) are NOT included and be aware that these must never be used without a cover. You MAY be able to find some large blankets. You may use our pillows and you should always have a mattress protector but not a sheet. A pillow you may use. Change its cover before departure.
◄If you booked a shared room►, be prepared to SHARE even though you think you have maxed out the number of beds in the given category.
◄If you booked for a large group► be prepared to share 2 triple beds and a single bed that can be split up into 2 to 3 sleeping surfaces, that would take part of the limited floor space or a room with lots of mattresses often close to each other and under a low sloping roof.
Irrespective of what you are booking now, please keep in mind our “helper” also called “community” categories. People who book this very cheap category are not just expected to do a bit more but a lot more to make sure everything is in good order in the house and to help us with world-bettering projects (ask us about them). This might be ideal for people who want to save some money, who want a change of environment, to stay longer, to have a home office or who want to take a break before, in between or after their career. But also for people staying a short time, if they are prepared to use part of that time to help us and the world. Examples of how to help, include deep cleaning, sharing photos and videos, doing translations and putting us in contact with influential people and generally spreading the word about what we are doing. Share this info with your friends and acquaintances who can possibly help us help the world Such people must really help us out by making sure the place is presentable and help with our projects. They must show the initiative to communicate and help. It is not much help if we have to beg them to contribute.
◄Pillow and duvet menu►You can choose a pillow or swap your unused pillow or take an extra pillow from our pillow menu location which is on the top floor in the middle. A comforter / duvet menu can be found behind it.
◄Our Opinion►
We recommend slow travel. Eating out tends to be very expensive in Switzerland. It might be nice to try some traditional dishes such as Schnitzel, Gordon blue, Rösti, Risotto, or the Swiss favorites Raclet or Fondue. The choice is similar in most countryside restaurants. We do not consider them to be of gourmet standard. There are no doubt gourmet restaurants that cater to the rich which we have not tried. Fast food tends to be extremely expensive, especially international brands. The restaurant that we have found good is the restaurant Buechwäldi in Morgarten and the Raten restaurant is said to be fine and Eierhals directly below us by the lake serves both fast food and fine food, including fish from the lake. We personally think that fast travel is a waste of people's time and not worth the environmental costs. We are not quite on the same wavelength as people who stay in the mountains and do not look to see if they can see the Alps. Nor do we understand people that can not understand the environment of raising cattle or who have a problem with our place being a place where people live and work and instead focus on whether there is a spec of dust in a corner or something like that. We think that the most attractive thing about Switzerland are the mountains and it is therefore counter-intuitive to only visit the cities.
If you clean up after yourselves and follow the instructions, including instructions about recycling you are welcome to use the kitchen. Most groceries are more expensive in Switzerland (than in Germany) but there are exceptions especially if you buy Micros Budget or Coop Prix Garantie products, usually found on the bottom shelves of these supermarkets. In any case it is cheaper to cook yourselves, than to eat out. Eggs and cheese you can get directly here from the farm and bacon that is not from here but from a friend of the farmer.
◄Sustainability►
In addition to campaigning for real impact with our Biodiversity.Vision campaign, we encourage people to make use of our place with sustainability in mind. We encourage people to use facilities that have multiple uses like our house, that serves people who volunteer and/or who are able to live there during low season. But at the same time not to forget the older-style hotels that are having a tough time competing with the conveniences like fully equipped kitchens that places like ours offer. On the contrary, avoid newly built hotels which stand empty for most of the year and tend to lead to isolation from the rest of the community. Please also value our efforts towards recycling, energy consciousness (e.g. by not using the dryer and using off peak electricity) and superior detergents that contain less chlorine.
◄About us and our projects► .
We are an open minded multinational family who has lived in Iceland, Switzerland, Scotland, the United States and Germany. We are turning two of our places into centers to better the world. Our world-bettering topics are biodiversity.vision; a communication campaign for the Ukraine; against misappropriation of resources; education for all and a better future. By staying here, you will be enabling us to do more for the world.
These are big communication campaigns which we need a lot of support for, so if you are interested in helping in one way or another let us know.
◄Moreover►
Imagine living in the mountains in a truly sub urban, semi-rural surroundings with a view people would associate with Heidi. With a hiking post right outside. To enjoy the fresh air (at least fresher than most other places in Switzerland) and fresh spring water direct from our own spring. With the possibility of walking to the lake (about a 30 minutes walk through a field, over a small brook, and through the forest. You can stroll along the lake, visit a spa, dine at a restaurant or go swimming in the lake.
Once we found this fantastic place there was no turning back. We want to share it with other people who would truly appreciate it. But we are not always there. We might be at our other fantastic place in beautiful Iceland. You might want to look up on Airbnb our place in Rif, Iceland or our other categories here in Oberaegeri, Switzerland.
Because we are not always on location ourselves (and even if we were), we need your cooperation in making the place ready for the next guests before you leave, as well as your understanding when someone doesn't quite do it right. This means cleaning before you leave and leave the kitchen and bathrooms etc., spot free, put on or empty the dishwasher (make it start after 10 pm) and put things in their right places. Replace the linen you used with fresh linen or if linen was not included and you used a bed that had linen and you rolled it up to store, then put it back on. The place has to be ready for the next guests.
An important rule is to respect other guests that are there, including those in your own group and to respect our neighbors; Do not walk on their grass (except the designated hiking route over one of the fields), do not make noise, do not litter, do NOT use the neighbors trash containers NOR THEIR PARKING PLACES, do not spy on them or take photos of their facilities without permission.
You must take off your shoes when entering the apartment..
There are video cameras, at the top of the stairs and in the living area which we consider as our equivalent to a hotel lobby. As in any establishment, it is illegal to tamper with them in any way.
We seek guests that are into slow travel and healthy living.
If you want to enjoy the view of the alps, and the night star view, longer stays are recommended as it is all weather dependent. Staying longer is also likely to give you a better feeling of the area and Switzerland. Another benefit from staying longer is not having to be packing and unpacking all the time.
◄Parking► If you book a private room, one parking place for a normal car is included. A big plus compared to many listings in towns and cities. Otherwise or in case you are a group with more than one car or you come with a big vehicle you may need to park that further away on top of the hill. Our main parking place is right next to the main road by the corner of the house and NOT by the garages. Please park neatly ideally leaving space for two more cars. Park carefully to avoid the drop offs and hitting the house or extending too far into the street. Other parking suggestions can be found upon entering the apartment, one of those extra parking places is particularly well suited for a small car or motorbikes.
◄Public Transport►
We are in practice 40-60 minutes walk uphill from the nearest public transport.
Best to take bus number 601 from Oberaegeri Station which is a bus station, to the central train station in the city of Zug. This is a convenient bus because both stops are end stops. Another bus you can use is bus number 612 that takes a small detour..
It is best to walk up Rämslistrasse. Although there is a bus stop that is one bus stop nearer, it is not worth changing buses just for one bus stop.
The physically closest bus stop is Eierhals, but the walk up from there is steeper and not well defined and takes you through a forest and a field that might be muddy. Definitely NOT the way to arrive with luggage.
From the city of Zug there are direct trains to various destinations, including Zurich, Zurich Airport, Lucerne, Ticino and Italy.
For any long term guest who is a regular commuter without a car, we would suggest getting a bike and bike to Rothenthurm and use the train system from there.
◄Other Points►
Life is not a list of “been there, done that'', posted on social media, but truly enjoying some places. Explore the near and the not so near parts of Switzerland.
Please only book if you are comfortable with this being Self Service and if our above description appeals to you.
We also look for volunteers of any age who would like to stay for a few days or longer and help us out, especially with our Charitable.Institute projects such as Biodiversity.Vision
To let us know that you have read this long description please include the phrase “read it” or the number “67”
► Further information can be found in the House manual (especially cleaning instructions), and other information provided on airbnb, the directions to our place, our neighborhood description, the getting around section, our guidebooks and other specific instructions that apply to the category you booked and by the written notices posted all over the place..
Check-in instructions should be accessible sometime as a tab in airbnb before arrival and to be sent to you automatically on the day of arrival. Checkout instructions will also be available.
( ͡❛ ͜ʖ ͡❛) Do you think you will like our place?
This listing is for a mattress under a low, sloping roof in our mixed dormitory shared with strangers, run on our "Self-Service Plus" principle: you clean up & do a little extra. Ideal for independent, budget-conscious travelers. For private rooms, see our other listings. The apartment view is spectacular.
► BEFORE YOU BOOK: Click "Show more >" for key info on the pros, cons & location ☺
Note: Not for young children or people who snore.
The space
Book a short stay first to make sure this is a good category for you.
This is a tatami bed in a SHARED mixed dormitory. A mattress on top of a tatami. Basically a mattress on the floor with a tatami in between. The mattress is under a low sloping roof. There is not much space between the mattresses. The room may or may not be crowded. You are not only expected to clean up after yourself but to take part in the daily and/or weekly chores around the house. It is a 40-60 minutes walk to the nearest public transport. Parking is usually available next to the house, but if not you may have to park at the top of the hill. The room faces a cow barn. Sometimes a double bed is available for a couple, placed between the other tatami mattresses. The apartment is beautiful and the view from the apartment is fantastic.
Other things to note
( ͡❛ ͜ʖ ͡❛) Our goal is to have happy guests only which is the reason why we are sharing so much information.
►►► Be sure to understand what “Self-Service and a bit more” entails. See further down this section.
We are looking for guests who are not just looking for a cheap place to stay but who come to take advantage of our place while fully realizing the limitations. This can not be done without reading this full description. So if you can’t be bothered simply look elsewhere.
The ADVANTAGES of this place is the weather dependent fantastic view directly from the apartment (a view that captures the breathtaking beauty of Switzerland - why settle for anything less!!!?) and the fact it is a modern apartment with all the comforts you might expect. Fully equipped kitchen, comfortable sofas, dining area, bar tables, balcony with gym facilities (rowing machine and dumbbells) and another dining area with a movable half glass cage. Hopefully you care about our contribution to sustainability and bettering the world. For people who would like to work, there are small tables in some rooms or you can use, when not being used for dining, the bar table or the inside and outside dining tables or even sit in one of the sofas with your laptop. There is excellent Wi-Fi, pillow and comforter menus and extra blankets. Depending on what category you are booking, you might also like our high thread count linen, comfortable beds or mattresses, our color coded hygiene system, the sun blocking metal blinds and the bluetooth enabled radios. You might also appreciate having such a great view, overlooking not only the Alps but a lake without mosquitos (we have practically no mosquitos here). You might also enjoy the purer air and our very own spring water - something that you do not find in the cities and lower laying settlements. The view is so unique that if you travel half a km in 3 out of 4 directions it is not there anymore. Perhaps a little bit disappointing is the fact that no matter where you go, the view will probably be better when you come back to our place than whatever place you visited. The view also overlooks the most historically significant place in Switzerland the site of the battle of Morgarten, the reason why Switzerland, a country of very different people with different languages, was formed. There is a hiking post right outside and nearby hiking posts point to our hiking post. This area is ideal for hiking.
Our place is for anyone who wants to relax, hike, do home office, volunteer, work, explore or do business in Switzerland.
It makes sense to stay with us for your perfect Spa trip and for vacations the year round. We have more information about the fantastic Spa opportunities, skiing and hiking options in our neighborhood description here on Airbnb. Why not go for a high altitude sun wellness holiday?
If you are not from german or french speaking regions the nude wellness spas might be a totally new concept for you worth exploring.
If you stay longer in winter you might use the opportunity to sunbathe in winter as the unbelievable microclimate has temperatures reaching more than 20 degrees centigrade. There is, however, also a possibility of snow. You can find out more about the incredible microclimate and other weather phenomena as well as more information about our neighborhood in the neighborhood section of this airbnb listing. Staying above the fog makes sense when you are visiting Switzerland.
Lucerne which is considered by many as the most beautiful city in Switzerland is phasing out airbnb’s. Why not stay at our place which is more beautiful. Not only do we have a simultaneous view of a lake and snow capped mountains, but unlike Lucerne we have not just some mountains but the Alps which tend to have snow in them year round.
The DISADVANTAGES are that this is just an ordinary house. And you might not like that it is Self-Service where you are expected to ►clean up after yourselves ►and a bit more. This might mean that the place might be dirtier than you expected - please do not mark us down for this and that you are nevertheless expected to return the place clean, ready for the next guests. You might not like the cows (fortunately without bells) mooing outside. You might not like that this is not a rustic but a modern place. If you do not have a car you need to be prepared to walk up the hill for 40 to 60 minutes to reach our place and back for essential services, except for some farm products you can get here (esp. eggs and cheese). If you come with a car, keep in mind the road is a narrow mountain road next to a steep slope, especially if you come from the direction of Oberaegeri. The local people who share the road tend to be much friendlier and more understanding than elsewhere in Switzerland. So do not hesitate to give a friendly wave as you pass. If you are booking our SHARED room you might not like the placement of mattresses underneath the low sloping roof or the fact that there might be many people staying in what amounts to a potentially crowded shared room. If you are a couple sharing the double bed in the shared room you might like the sky view and potential star view from the window above the bed. You might not like that there is not much space between the beds and mattresses. And if you are booking group accommodations you might not like the triple beds or the reduced floor space when mattresses are spread out. We generally have free parking, but if you are coming with a group and using more than one car please be prepared to store one of those cars at the top of the hill. Trucks and buses would also need to be parked further away on top of the hill.
At times there might be many people in the house. There is one and a half toilet, so normally there should be one available. Usually people have different time schedules so sharing the kitchen is no problem and can also be fun. The place has security cameras. The apartment is always SHARED, except when we have no other bookings and we are not there ourselves, but generally you should expect other guests to be there and indeed we are not interested in renting the whole place for private use. For some categories, the sleeping area is also SHARED, but we also have private room categories.
Please cancel your request to book immediately if it does not suit you.
◄ Nourishment ►You may only use the kitchen, garbage and recycling facilities IF you follow the instructions carefully and clean up after yourself. Using the kitchen rather than dining out might save on the total cost for your trip. Our prices for accommodation tend to be reasonable and so there is no need to avoid otherwise expensive Switzerland. Some guests invite our helpers for a meal which tends to be fun and well appreciated. Sometimes guests decide to cook together. If you are here as part of our community of helpers please adjust your schedule so that guests can use the kitchen when they prefer. Different guests tend to have different schedules so normally there is no or a short waiting time or people are comfortable with cooking at the same time or even sharing and cooking together an exotic meal and learning about some foreign cuisines.
►►► Be sure to understand which category you are booking and to switch to a different category if it is not what you are looking for.
◄We also have a fantastic place in the beautiful Icelandic countryside on the Snaefellsnes Peninsula overlooking a Mt Fuji lookalike volcano, our Whatshitsu.Casa in Rif, Iceland.►
You can see directly from the house Depending on the weather (longer stays recommended)
◄ Some Bird Life ► Small birds and predator birds. Very often you see the Milan bird of prey hovering right outside the house. In summer the swallows are hunting flies and the White Wagtail comes for an occasional spider. We also have the ducks that belong to the house in the little pond below. They have their own little house to sleep in. The happy chicken from which you can get eggs are sometimes wandering in and around the garden.
◄ The Sunsets ► These may be nice. Although the pure air right here is not conducive to red sunsets, the particle rich air over the city of Zug is, so that you may still get to see very nice red sunsets.
◄The Uri Alps ► Seeing the Alps without being hindered by some smaller mountains in front, gives you a superior view. Seeing the Alpine Lake in front at the same time makes this one of the best views in the world.
◄ The pre alps ► The smaller very hikable mountains next to the Alps. For example hikes to the Wild spitz (there are actually two mountain peaks with this name). Morgarten Berg. Dreilanderecke, the meeting point of the cantons of Zug, Schwyz and Zurich.
Nothing or something
When we first came to this place we were memorized by the view and we liked the nice apartment and how it is built with the view in mind. There are houses close by that have no long windows or do not face the Alps and the lake at the right angle so that you can not truly appreciate the view. And houses a bit further away may not be able to see both the lake and the Alps at the same time because one or both are obscured, for example most of Oberaegeri can not see the Alps as they are obscured by the green mountains in front.
Initially we were of the impression that there was nothing else here that we could boast about for tourists to do. But we have now come to realize that this is exactly what most people desire.
The most important thing is that you get to experience first hand the extreme beauty of Switzerland. The scenery is comparable to that found in Glacier National Park in Montana, USA. The difference though is that in Montana you have vast areas without houses. Just as in Montana you can go on vast hikes along mountain ranges, but without the fear of getting lost in the wilderness. One such mountain range you can access directly from the house is the mountain range above lake Zurich (or rather between us and Lake Zurich) This is a bit like walking in the hills above San Francisco.
Walkable
► Hidden little stream with cascading water and a little bridge to walk over it.
► The Hochmoor of Rotenthurm. The first bog / moor to be protected in Switzerland and a catalyst for other bogs to be protected. A national vote, the first of its kind lead to the protection of the Hochmoor.
► The lake of Aegeri
► Aegeri bath
► Wellness area at Aegeri bath. This area is a bit more exclusive than when you just pay for general entry to Aegeri bath.
► Lido Area Oberaegeri is next to the Aegeri bath. You can choose to use the Aegeri bath facilities and still enter the Lido area or you can go there directly free of charge and swim in the lake.
► Aegeri waterfront. There are also other places you can access the lake at your own risk. For example you can hike down to Eierhals and from there search for a place to enter the lake. Or you can drive down to Oberaegeri in the direction of Landli and park there and enter the lake or walk along the lake.
► Teletubbies landscape. The TV program designed for Infants, Teletubbies with Tinky-Winky, Dipsy, Laa Laa and Po is set in rolling green fields. Coming up the hill from Rothenthurm Moor towards our place this is exactly the type of landscape you see. People are also fascinated by the particular shade of green that the grass has. Especially people who are coming from far away places like Taiwan.
► The viewpoint. Almost directly above our place. You don’t need to go there as you have the view directly from the house.
► St Jost restaurant in the forest and church
► Lots of hike and bike trails - There is a hiking post right outside our place.
Drive, Walk (might be a bit long to walk 40-80 minutes that is)
◄The historical town of Morgarten► The battle of Morgarten was essential for the creation of Switzerland. A land with totally different people united in being independent from other countries.
◄The town of Oberaegeri►
◄Oberaegeri (bus) Station► With a end-to-end bus (number 601) to Zug train Station which has fast connections to Ticino, Italy, Zurich and Lucerne. There are also end-to-end buses to Baar, Raten and Rothenthurm.
◄Aegeribad Wellness / Nude Sauna Area►
◄Aegeribad Swimming Pool, warm tub, changing facilities for the lakel►
◄Tourist information►at Aegeri Bad
◄Restaurant Eierhals► with both fast food and some fine food like fish from the lake and nice facilities to sit outside in the summer
◄Gourmet Restaurant► Buechwäldi Morgarten
◄Other Restaurants► St Jost (sometimes open on weekends), Steinstoss Subli (smokers local - probably no good for non smokers, restaurant Raten and other restaurants in Morgarten, Oberaegeri, Unteraegeri, Rothenthurm
◄Landli hotel with some extra facilities►
◄Grocery Stores►Coop Oberaegeri
◄The town of Rothenthurm►
◄Rothenthurm Train Station►
Drive, Longer Walk, Combined walk and bus
◄ Raten ►
◄ The town of Unteraegeri ►
◄ Bigger grocery store►Coop Oberaegeri, Bigger Coop and Micros Unteraegeri
◄ Small grocery store► Volg Rothenthurm
Short Drives (less than or about 30 minutes)
◄The Big Mythen►If you are relatively healthy we strongly recommend hiking onto this mountain, the view from it is similar to the views from Rigi and Pilatus, but by hiking there yourself you will feel a much greater sense of accomplishment and joy. Other mountains further away are Jungfrau, Säntis and Titlis. Titlis is one of the peaks you can see as a far away peak from our place.
◄The town of Zug►
◄The town of Barr►
◄Swiss Holiday Park►
◄Swiss Holiday Park Nude Sauna Area►
◄Swiss Holiday Park Swimming Pool►
◄Swiss Holiday Park Children's Pool, Go karts, climbing park, etc ►
◄Aqua Park Rapperswill► Alpamare. Lots of slides for the kids and a really warm pool that is exclusively for the adults.
◄Panorama Spa Resort►
◄Rapperswill► town. The most secret tourist friendly town of Switzerland.
◄Various other restaurants►Zug, Barr, along lake Zurich, in Lucerne etc
◄Sattle Skywalk► A nearly 400 meter suspension bridge to walk over if you dare overcome your fear of heights.
Moderate Drives (about an hour)
◄Zurich► City
◄Lucerne► City
◄Lichtenstein► Small country
Moderate Drives (about an hour and half, plus)
◄St Gallen► City
◄Ticino► Italian speaking canton
◄Austria►Country
◄France►Country
◄Germany►Country
◄Italy►Country
◄Why visit and stay at our place in Switzerland?►
Switzerland has a reputation for a beautiful landscape. Even guests from places like Nepal have been awed by our beautiful scenery.
Our place is central so everything that Switzerland has to offer is within reach, and many very nice places close by.
Wildlife can mostly be observed in the neighborhood especially between our place and Rothenthurm moor around dusk and dawn. We frequently see bambis, frogs, foxes, hedgehogs, salamanders (lower down or the Alp salamanders on peaks), Black grouse and foxes and badgers with offsprings. The wildlife is unpredictable but with luck you would see some of these.
►►► Important
House rules
√ This is a self service place. If everyone does just the bare minimum the place will deteriorate so that it will no longer be possible to stay. However if everybody does at least a little bit more it will be a pleasant environment for all. So you must not only clean up after yourself but do a bit more.
√ Leave the bathroom doors open when not in use. This way we can prevent mold and it is much more convenient for guests to see when the toilets are available
√ If you air your room, make sure you only open windows that have a screen so that flies do not get in and while airing out turn off the heating in case it is on. Normally there is enough ambient heating in the house that you never need to turn up the thermostat and you can keep it on minimum at all times.
√ More information about house rules can be found in our Airbnb house manual once you have booked.
During your stay
√ You may NOT use the kitchen unless you follow the instructions posted and recycle correctly.
√ Make sure the bathrooms doors are left open when not in use
√ If you have booked as a helper or as part of our community please help us a lot more. Follow all the little instructions, ask us and take the initiative.
Before you leave
√ Make sure the place is ready and clean for the next guests
√ Backpackers. Put the sheet back on that you should have removed and replaced with a blanket for the duration of your stay.
√ Others. Change the linen you used
√ Make sure the bathrooms doors are left open
√ Make sure that nothing wet has been put into the laundry bins. These things should be hung up first to dry.
√ Make sure all areas are clean including the toilets, kitchen and living areas.
√ Take photos of how you leave the place nice and clean and send them to us, including photos of your room and kitchen. We also welcome any photos you would like to share with us and our potential guests from you and the surrounding areas
◄About recycling► Recycling is not a cure all for the environment but it is an important step. Recycling is different in different areas. When people sort their recyclables incorrectly they are not contributing to recycling but rather make recycling impossible. We therefore ask you to take care when sorting your trash and recyclables at our place. Underneath the kitchen sink is regular trash and at the back organic (bio) trash under the green lids. We also have another trash bin in the bookshelf furthest to the left for non-smelly trash, including all plastics except drinking bottles. Next to this container are containers for plastic PET drinking bottles, paper and cardboard, metal and glass. It is important not to mix these up. It is lousy to expect us to re-sort your waste.
◄Cleaning► Our cleaning methods are different but effective. Here are some things you can do:
We do not use the vacuum cleaner inside the apartment. Instead take some mats out on the balcony and vacuum them there.
We never use a dry method of cleaning. So no dry sweeping. Instead use mops that can be found in the bottom drawer of the brown chest of drawers in the entryway. Wet one thoroughly and put a drop of washing up liquid on it. (Caution when cleaning a floor elsewhere with a normal non solid parquet you should only have mops damp and not wet otherwise you risk destroying a paraquet. But at our place in Switzerland you can have the mops really wet).
By not vacuuming inside and only using a wet system the amount of dust in the air is greatly reduced as well as the spread of bacteria.
The color system reduces the cross contamination of bacteria, between kitchen (including dining areas (yellow color), hands and body (towels and orange cloths), floors (mops and blue cloths) and other surfaces (pink cloths).
Simply use very hot water and a drop of dishwashing hand soap.
Follow the posted instructions. It is so easy to grab a clean pink cloth and wipe the surfaces of water faucets and bathroom sinks.
To grab a blue cloth to clean something that has spilled on the floor.
To grab a yellow cloth to clean the dining table after use and the cooker and kitchen surfaces. Just hang up afterwards to dry above the sink. You should not reuse this cloth because if you did you would be spreading bacteria.
When you clean the floors there is no need to wring the mops, just grab a new clean one. This way the cleaning action is maximized, rather than spreading dirt from one area to the next. When the floor mops are getting too dry to slide easily along the floor, push the dust to one spot and continue outside on the balcony and shake off the dirt outside the balcony and place to dry on the SMALL drying rack that is just for this purpose on the balcony.
It is important to clean beneath furniture. Get someone to help you move some furniture.
It is also simple to grab a piece of kitchen roll and spray a little window cleaner onto it and clean some smudges on windows, other glass surfaces, mirrors and the toilet (all surfaces except the toilet bowl itself for which there is a special toilet cleaner).
There are replacement bath mats in the brown chest of drawers in the entryway. It is nice to choose two mats that match each other..
◄Be clear about our categories► so you do not inadvertently book an inappropriate category
◄If you booked our Backpackers► or other no-linen indicated category then linen and comforters (duvets / quilts) are NOT included and be aware that these must never be used without a cover. You MAY be able to find some large blankets. You may use our pillows and you should always have a mattress protector but not a sheet. A pillow you may use. Change its cover before departure.
◄If you booked a shared room►, be prepared to SHARE even though you think you have maxed out the number of beds in the given category.
◄If you booked for a large group► be prepared to share 2 triple beds and a single bed that can be split up into 2 to 3 sleeping surfaces, that would take part of the limited floor space or a room with lots of mattresses often close to each other and under a low sloping roof.
Irrespective of what you are booking now, please keep in mind our “helper” also called “community” categories. People who book this very cheap category are not just expected to do a bit more but a lot more to make sure everything is in good order in the house and to help us with world-bettering projects (ask us about them). This might be ideal for people who want to save some money, who want a change of environment, to stay longer, to have a home office or who want to take a break before, in between or after their career. But also for people staying a short time, if they are prepared to use part of that time to help us and the world. Examples of how to help, include deep cleaning, sharing photos and videos, doing translations and putting us in contact with influential people and generally spreading the word about what we are doing. Share this info with your friends and acquaintances who can possibly help us help the world Such people must really help us out by making sure the place is presentable and help with our projects. They must show the initiative to communicate and help. It is not much help if we have to beg them to contribute.
◄Pillow and duvet menu►You can choose a pillow or swap your unused pillow or take an extra pillow from our pillow menu location which is on the top floor in the middle. A comforter / duvet menu can be found behind it.
◄Our Opinion►
We recommend slow travel. Eating out tends to be very expensive in Switzerland. It might be nice to try some traditional dishes such as Schnitzel, Gordon blue, Rösti, Risotto, or the Swiss favorites Raclet or Fondue. The choice is similar in most countryside restaurants. We do not consider them to be of gourmet standard. There are no doubt gourmet restaurants that cater to the rich which we have not tried. Fast food tends to be extremely expensive, especially international brands. The restaurant that we have found good is the restaurant Buechwäldi in Morgarten and the Raten restaurant is said to be fine and Eierhals directly below us by the lake serves both fast food and fine food, including fish from the lake. We personally think that fast travel is a waste of people's time and not worth the environmental costs. We are not quite on the same wavelength as people who stay in the mountains and do not look to see if they can see the Alps. Nor do we understand people that can not understand the environment of raising cattle or who have a problem with our place being a place where people live and work and instead focus on whether there is a spec of dust in a corner or something like that. We think that the most attractive thing about Switzerland are the mountains and it is therefore counter-intuitive to only visit the cities.
If you clean up after yourselves and follow the instructions, including instructions about recycling you are welcome to use the kitchen. Most groceries are more expensive in Switzerland (than in Germany) but there are exceptions especially if you buy Micros Budget or Coop Prix Garantie products, usually found on the bottom shelves of these supermarkets. In any case it is cheaper to cook yourselves, than to eat out. Eggs and cheese you can get directly here from the farm and bacon that is not from here but from a friend of the farmer.
◄Sustainability►
In addition to campaigning for real impact with our Biodiversity.Vision campaign, we encourage people to make use of our place with sustainability in mind. We encourage people to use facilities that have multiple uses like our house, that serves people who volunteer and/or who are able to live there during low season. But at the same time not to forget the older-style hotels that are having a tough time competing with the conveniences like fully equipped kitchens that places like ours offer. On the contrary, avoid newly built hotels which stand empty for most of the year and tend to lead to isolation from the rest of the community. Please also value our efforts towards recycling, energy consciousness (e.g. by not using the dryer and using off peak electricity) and superior detergents that contain less chlorine.
◄About us and our projects► .
We are an open minded multinational family who has lived in Iceland, Switzerland, Scotland, the United States and Germany. We are turning two of our places into centers to better the world. Our world-bettering topics are biodiversity.vision; a communication campaign for the Ukraine; against misappropriation of resources; education for all and a better future. By staying here, you will be enabling us to do more for the world.
These are big communication campaigns which we need a lot of support for, so if you are interested in helping in one way or another let us know.
◄Moreover►
Imagine living in the mountains in a truly sub urban, semi-rural surroundings with a view people would associate with Heidi. With a hiking post right outside. To enjoy the fresh air (at least fresher than most other places in Switzerland) and fresh spring water direct from our own spring. With the possibility of walking to the lake (about a 30 minutes walk through a field, over a small brook, and through the forest. You can stroll along the lake, visit a spa, dine at a restaurant or go swimming in the lake.
Once we found this fantastic place there was no turning back. We want to share it with other people who would truly appreciate it. But we are not always there. We might be at our other fantastic place in beautiful Iceland. You might want to look up on Airbnb our place in Rif, Iceland or our other categories here in Oberaegeri, Switzerland.
Because we are not always on location ourselves (and even if we were), we need your cooperation in making the place ready for the next guests before you leave, as well as your understanding when someone doesn't quite do it right. This means cleaning before you leave and leave the kitchen and bathrooms etc., spot free, put on or empty the dishwasher (make it start after 10 pm) and put things in their right places. Replace the linen you used with fresh linen or if linen was not included and you used a bed that had linen and you rolled it up to store, then put it back on. The place has to be ready for the next guests.
An important rule is to respect other guests that are there, including those in your own group and to respect our neighbors; Do not walk on their grass (except the designated hiking route over one of the fields), do not make noise, do not litter, do NOT use the neighbors trash containers NOR THEIR PARKING PLACES, do not spy on them or take photos of their facilities without permission.
You must take off your shoes when entering the apartment..
There are video cameras, at the top of the stairs and in the living area which we consider as our equivalent to a hotel lobby. As in any establishment, it is illegal to tamper with them in any way.
We seek guests that are into slow travel and healthy living.
If you want to enjoy the view of the alps, and the night star view, longer stays are recommended as it is all weather dependent. Staying longer is also likely to give you a better feeling of the area and Switzerland. Another benefit from staying longer is not having to be packing and unpacking all the time.
◄Parking► If you book a private room, one parking place for a normal car is included. A big plus compared to many listings in towns and cities. Otherwise or in case you are a group with more than one car or you come with a big vehicle you may need to park that further away on top of the hill. Our main parking place is right next to the main road by the corner of the house and NOT by the garages. Please park neatly ideally leaving space for two more cars. Park carefully to avoid the drop offs and hitting the house or extending too far into the street. Other parking suggestions can be found upon entering the apartment, one of those extra parking places is particularly well suited for a small car or motorbikes.
◄Public Transport►
We are in practice 40-60 minutes walk uphill from the nearest public transport.
Best to take bus number 601 from Oberaegeri Station which is a bus station, to the central train station in the city of Zug. This is a convenient bus because both stops are end stops. Another bus you can use is bus number 612 that takes a small detour..
It is best to walk up Rämslistrasse. Although there is a bus stop that is one bus stop nearer, it is not worth changing buses just for one bus stop.
The physically closest bus stop is Eierhals, but the walk up from there is steeper and not well defined and takes you through a forest and a field that might be muddy. Definitely NOT the way to arrive with luggage.
From the city of Zug there are direct trains to various destinations, including Zurich, Zurich Airport, Lucerne, Ticino and Italy.
For any long term guest who is a regular commuter without a car, we would suggest getting a bike and bike to Rothenthurm and use the train system from there.
◄Other Points►
Life is not a list of “been there, done that'', posted on social media, but truly enjoying some places. Explore the near and the not so near parts of Switzerland.
Please only book if you are comfortable with this being Self Service and if our above description appeals to you.
We also look for volunteers of any age who would like to stay for a few days or longer and help us out, especially with our Charitable.Institute projects such as Biodiversity.Vision
To let us know that you have read this long description please include the phrase “read it” or the number “67”
► Further information can be found in the House manual (especially cleaning instructions), and other information provided on airbnb, the directions to our place, our neighborhood description, the getting around section, our guidebooks and other specific instructions that apply to the category you booked and by the written notices posted all over the place..
Check-in instructions should be accessible sometime as a tab in airbnb before arrival and to be sent to you automatically on the day of arrival. Checkout instructions will also be available.
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Oberägeri, Zug, Switzerland
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Neighborhood highlights
You can choose to take different types of a holiday here, one that emphasizes nature, one that is based on spas, one that is about hiking, one that focuses on birds and wildlife, one that is about exploring the whole of Switzerland and a even bit of the neighboring countries and one that is simply about staying put and relaxing and enjoying the beautiful views or some kind of combination two or more of these.
We have an unbelievable microclimate where the temperatures can sometimes reach 20 plus centigrade even in high winter, e.g. in January. See our full description for details.
Our place is about living in the countryside at the edge of a beautiful town. Our view is second to none. The view is weather dependent so longer stays are recommended. The view is not only nice on sunny days but also when the weather is intermittent. You can simultaneously see the snow capped Alps up close and personal and a tranquil alpine lake right from our apartment. Not so at Interlaken where you can see a glimpse of the Alps but not the lakes as it is between the lakes. Not so in Lucerne which many would call the most beautiful city, where you can see simultaneously a lake and in winter snow capped mountains but not the Alps. Not so in Geneva or Zurich where you can simultaneously see a lake but only the far-away Alps. Not so by Wägitalersee where the tranquility is often ruined by motorboats. Not so in most of Oberägeri where the Alps are obscured by green mountains in front as are many places close to the Alps, such as Thun, Spiez, Brienz or Chur. Not so from many houses nearby where the windows are small or facing in the wrong directions, even some houses next door. Not so in Raten. Not so in Ticino or Italy where the Alps are not snow capped for most of the year. Not so in Germany where you can see the Pre-Alps. Even people from Nepal are impressed. You see some of the same Alps as when you go on top of mountains such as Pilatus, Rigi, Titlis, Fronalpstock and our favorite the Greater Mythen (a very nice hike with an 800 meter elevation difference from Brunni).
As an added bonus you are looking over the most significant historical place in Switzerland where the battle of Morgarten occurred and laid the foundation for Switzerland as a nation in the year 1315. You can visit the monument commiserating the loss of life in the battle or the museum.
From the hiking post right outside you can choose several directions to hike. You can hike to the town of Oberaegeri, join the Panorama Path, hike up to St Jost or Raten or the hills above lake Zurich (a bit like the hills above San Fransciso, Berkley and Hollywood). You can hike directly down to the Lake and/or go on top of several mountains close by including Morgarten Berg, Rossberg, Threi-Lender Junction and more. You can also take a short lovely hike through a field into the forest and over a quaint bridge that crosses a brook with a bench to rest nearby. Or you can hike to the nature protection area of Rothenthurm High Moor.
Spa holiday: Although we do not have our own spa, our place is perfect for a spa holiday. Just 8 minutes drive away is a top sauna wellness area Aegeribad, featuring nude spacious Finnish sauna, bio-sauna, women’s Sauna, steam bath, cold water plunge pools, Kneipp areas, ice fountain, balcony, multiple relaxation areas, free drinks and apples and great views (although not as good as ours) and with swimming costume, indoor infinity pool and a very large outdoor infinity jacuzzi and massage. On Tuesdays and Fridays there are evenings of not to be missed sauna infusion ceremonies. These are not performed in the summer during which time you might enjoy access to the lake instead. The spa is open until 10 pm on weekdays and 8 and 7 pm on Saturday and Sunday respectively. Why not go hiking in the day and relax in the Spa at night. For the kids or the kids in us there is an awesome waterslide. Speaking of waterslides, there is also within half an hour drive, a water park called Alpamare and in a different direction another spa in Morschach which also offers kids friendly facilities. If you like to pay as much for a one time visit as ten visits to the Aegeribad wellness you also have the option of visiting the Panorama Spa, also within half an hour drive.
Winter vacation: 15 minutes by car is the gondola for the Sattel Hochstuckli Family Ski area which is open daily until 10th of March 2023 and enabled by artificial snow when required. Depending on if there is any snow you can also enjoy 5 minutes by car is the Rothenthurm Cross Country Skiing area nearly 20 km of trail and the childrens ski area of Raten. Snowshoeing would also be an option If there is no snow you can of course always make very nice hikes, or take about half an hour or hour drives to various nearby ski areas.
There are many restaurants within a short drive or a long walk such as Buechwäldi which we recommend, Eierhals if you want a mix of fast and slow food offerings, including fish from the Aegeri Lake and the year round open Raten restaurant or Gottschalkenberg close to there. Plus many more Restaurants in Rothenthurm, Oberaegeri, Unteraegeri, Baar, Zug and just over the hill by Lake Zurich. On weekends you can also have a snack at St Jost or visit the Alp restaurants in the Pre-Alps close by.
But you do not have to eat at expensive restaurants as you are very welcome to use the kitchen provided you clean up thoroughly after yourself. You can get cheese and eggs right from the farm here or bacon from a friend of the farmer. Grocery stores provide you with the rest of what you need, the Coop in Oberaegeri, Micros, Coop and Denner in Unteraegeri, Volg in Rothenthurm and Aldi in Feusisberg. The stores' own low cost brands enable you to get many items (but not including meat) at prices comparable to nearby countries.
Malls you will find in Zug (Metali), Steinhausen (Zugerland), Pfäffikon SZ (Seedamm Center), Einsiedeln, Seewen and Schwyz (MythenCenter).
Luxury stores and more in Zurich and Lucerne. In Lucerne you will also find a big outdoor market on Saturdays.
In Einsiedeln you will find a ski-jump pavilion, the Benedictine Einsiedeln Abbey monastery featuring lots of gold and the famous Black Madonna. Close by is the Sihlsee Lake from which the river Sihl flows, parallel to Lake Zurich and underneath Zurich train station to join the Limmat River that runs from lake Zurich. The fact that both of these rivers could be crossed as one probably paid a role in making Zurich such an important place.
Nearby you will also find Arth-Goldau the first city coming from Ticino or Italy, after going through one of the Gotthard Tunnels, the Gotthard road tunnel or the world's longest rail tunnel the Gotthard Rail Tunnel. A big section of the (Rossberg mountain which can be seen from our place) came crashing down there in 1806. More than hundred houses are buried underneath debris of up to 70 meters. One can still see some of the boulders in the Goldau Nature and Zoo Park.
Rapperswil is a hidden gem. In Rapperswil in summer you can find 15000 plants with 600 types of roses, a castle, the old town with beautiful alleys and a walkway (that we recommend) which goes along the shore and out on to the lake with very nice birdlife.
We could go on to describe the neighborhoods of Zurich, Zug and Lucerne and all the multitude of things you can do there and in the rest of Switzerland which is all our neighborhood as Switzerland is not very big, but we will let this suffice. However you can always ask us for more information.
If you stay longer in winter you might use the opportunity to sunbathe in winter as the unbelievable microclimate has temperatures reaching more than 20 degrees centigrade. When we are here for longer in winter we do not miss the summer warmth and some of our guests have been fascinated by having warmer days here than in Spain or Egypt. So how is this possible at an elevation of nearly 1000 meters? Well there are two ingredients in this formula. 1. The slope needs to be facing the sun almost perpendicular as if it was close to the equator, so that the energy from the sun ray is not spread over a larger area - the reason why it is generally colder the further you get from the equator. And number 2. no wind to disperse the warm air with the colder air from surrounding slopes that do not have the characteristics described in the previous paragraph and an absence of a valley breeze that would normally form in such a valley but for some strange reason we have days with no wind and hence the temperature builds up. This microclimate is also very localized so if you travel half a km in any direction the benefit will be lost. Excuse the long explanation but this weather phenomena is so unbelievable that you would doubt our credibility without this explanation. Please note that the weather is unpredictable and we might have or not have the spells of the weather just described. Most of the time we have no snow here, but we may have spells of snow, we may have spells of rain, spells of high wind and spells of fog. Most often we are above the fog and even smog that hunt the lower laying towns such as Zurich and Zug. Smart people actually escape those foggy places and come here to hike in the sun. The alp view might be restricted by clouds but even in intermittent weather the view is fascinating as you see the clouds drift by or even form and disappear again. When the sun is higher in the sky in the summer the microclimate works in the other direction keeping us relatively cool when the towns and valleys are smoldering in heat. Another weather phenomena is the Alpine föhn wind (föhn meaning hairdryer) that is a well known weather phenomena north of the Alps. It is not just some warm air coming up from the mediterranean but a warm dry wind that descends on the lee side of possibly rainy mountain ranges. We are in a good spot to benefit from this wind as we are not far from the Uri-Gotthard mountain range and valley. Places that are further away suffer from fog that forms when this warm air meets some cold air. The föhn is much more prominent in winter and tends to peak in April / May. If it does snow, the road is constantly kept clear, so no need for a jeep, but good tires and 4 wheel drive are recommended or snow chains for exceptional use.
We have an unbelievable microclimate where the temperatures can sometimes reach 20 plus centigrade even in high winter, e.g. in January. See our full description for details.
Our place is about living in the countryside at the edge of a beautiful town. Our view is second to none. The view is weather dependent so longer stays are recommended. The view is not only nice on sunny days but also when the weather is intermittent. You can simultaneously see the snow capped Alps up close and personal and a tranquil alpine lake right from our apartment. Not so at Interlaken where you can see a glimpse of the Alps but not the lakes as it is between the lakes. Not so in Lucerne which many would call the most beautiful city, where you can see simultaneously a lake and in winter snow capped mountains but not the Alps. Not so in Geneva or Zurich where you can simultaneously see a lake but only the far-away Alps. Not so by Wägitalersee where the tranquility is often ruined by motorboats. Not so in most of Oberägeri where the Alps are obscured by green mountains in front as are many places close to the Alps, such as Thun, Spiez, Brienz or Chur. Not so from many houses nearby where the windows are small or facing in the wrong directions, even some houses next door. Not so in Raten. Not so in Ticino or Italy where the Alps are not snow capped for most of the year. Not so in Germany where you can see the Pre-Alps. Even people from Nepal are impressed. You see some of the same Alps as when you go on top of mountains such as Pilatus, Rigi, Titlis, Fronalpstock and our favorite the Greater Mythen (a very nice hike with an 800 meter elevation difference from Brunni).
As an added bonus you are looking over the most significant historical place in Switzerland where the battle of Morgarten occurred and laid the foundation for Switzerland as a nation in the year 1315. You can visit the monument commiserating the loss of life in the battle or the museum.
From the hiking post right outside you can choose several directions to hike. You can hike to the town of Oberaegeri, join the Panorama Path, hike up to St Jost or Raten or the hills above lake Zurich (a bit like the hills above San Fransciso, Berkley and Hollywood). You can hike directly down to the Lake and/or go on top of several mountains close by including Morgarten Berg, Rossberg, Threi-Lender Junction and more. You can also take a short lovely hike through a field into the forest and over a quaint bridge that crosses a brook with a bench to rest nearby. Or you can hike to the nature protection area of Rothenthurm High Moor.
Spa holiday: Although we do not have our own spa, our place is perfect for a spa holiday. Just 8 minutes drive away is a top sauna wellness area Aegeribad, featuring nude spacious Finnish sauna, bio-sauna, women’s Sauna, steam bath, cold water plunge pools, Kneipp areas, ice fountain, balcony, multiple relaxation areas, free drinks and apples and great views (although not as good as ours) and with swimming costume, indoor infinity pool and a very large outdoor infinity jacuzzi and massage. On Tuesdays and Fridays there are evenings of not to be missed sauna infusion ceremonies. These are not performed in the summer during which time you might enjoy access to the lake instead. The spa is open until 10 pm on weekdays and 8 and 7 pm on Saturday and Sunday respectively. Why not go hiking in the day and relax in the Spa at night. For the kids or the kids in us there is an awesome waterslide. Speaking of waterslides, there is also within half an hour drive, a water park called Alpamare and in a different direction another spa in Morschach which also offers kids friendly facilities. If you like to pay as much for a one time visit as ten visits to the Aegeribad wellness you also have the option of visiting the Panorama Spa, also within half an hour drive.
Winter vacation: 15 minutes by car is the gondola for the Sattel Hochstuckli Family Ski area which is open daily until 10th of March 2023 and enabled by artificial snow when required. Depending on if there is any snow you can also enjoy 5 minutes by car is the Rothenthurm Cross Country Skiing area nearly 20 km of trail and the childrens ski area of Raten. Snowshoeing would also be an option If there is no snow you can of course always make very nice hikes, or take about half an hour or hour drives to various nearby ski areas.
There are many restaurants within a short drive or a long walk such as Buechwäldi which we recommend, Eierhals if you want a mix of fast and slow food offerings, including fish from the Aegeri Lake and the year round open Raten restaurant or Gottschalkenberg close to there. Plus many more Restaurants in Rothenthurm, Oberaegeri, Unteraegeri, Baar, Zug and just over the hill by Lake Zurich. On weekends you can also have a snack at St Jost or visit the Alp restaurants in the Pre-Alps close by.
But you do not have to eat at expensive restaurants as you are very welcome to use the kitchen provided you clean up thoroughly after yourself. You can get cheese and eggs right from the farm here or bacon from a friend of the farmer. Grocery stores provide you with the rest of what you need, the Coop in Oberaegeri, Micros, Coop and Denner in Unteraegeri, Volg in Rothenthurm and Aldi in Feusisberg. The stores' own low cost brands enable you to get many items (but not including meat) at prices comparable to nearby countries.
Malls you will find in Zug (Metali), Steinhausen (Zugerland), Pfäffikon SZ (Seedamm Center), Einsiedeln, Seewen and Schwyz (MythenCenter).
Luxury stores and more in Zurich and Lucerne. In Lucerne you will also find a big outdoor market on Saturdays.
In Einsiedeln you will find a ski-jump pavilion, the Benedictine Einsiedeln Abbey monastery featuring lots of gold and the famous Black Madonna. Close by is the Sihlsee Lake from which the river Sihl flows, parallel to Lake Zurich and underneath Zurich train station to join the Limmat River that runs from lake Zurich. The fact that both of these rivers could be crossed as one probably paid a role in making Zurich such an important place.
Nearby you will also find Arth-Goldau the first city coming from Ticino or Italy, after going through one of the Gotthard Tunnels, the Gotthard road tunnel or the world's longest rail tunnel the Gotthard Rail Tunnel. A big section of the (Rossberg mountain which can be seen from our place) came crashing down there in 1806. More than hundred houses are buried underneath debris of up to 70 meters. One can still see some of the boulders in the Goldau Nature and Zoo Park.
Rapperswil is a hidden gem. In Rapperswil in summer you can find 15000 plants with 600 types of roses, a castle, the old town with beautiful alleys and a walkway (that we recommend) which goes along the shore and out on to the lake with very nice birdlife.
We could go on to describe the neighborhoods of Zurich, Zug and Lucerne and all the multitude of things you can do there and in the rest of Switzerland which is all our neighborhood as Switzerland is not very big, but we will let this suffice. However you can always ask us for more information.
If you stay longer in winter you might use the opportunity to sunbathe in winter as the unbelievable microclimate has temperatures reaching more than 20 degrees centigrade. When we are here for longer in winter we do not miss the summer warmth and some of our guests have been fascinated by having warmer days here than in Spain or Egypt. So how is this possible at an elevation of nearly 1000 meters? Well there are two ingredients in this formula. 1. The slope needs to be facing the sun almost perpendicular as if it was close to the equator, so that the energy from the sun ray is not spread over a larger area - the reason why it is generally colder the further you get from the equator. And number 2. no wind to disperse the warm air with the colder air from surrounding slopes that do not have the characteristics described in the previous paragraph and an absence of a valley breeze that would normally form in such a valley but for some strange reason we have days with no wind and hence the temperature builds up. This microclimate is also very localized so if you travel half a km in any direction the benefit will be lost. Excuse the long explanation but this weather phenomena is so unbelievable that you would doubt our credibility without this explanation. Please note that the weather is unpredictable and we might have or not have the spells of the weather just described. Most of the time we have no snow here, but we may have spells of snow, we may have spells of rain, spells of high wind and spells of fog. Most often we are above the fog and even smog that hunt the lower laying towns such as Zurich and Zug. Smart people actually escape those foggy places and come here to hike in the sun. The alp view might be restricted by clouds but even in intermittent weather the view is fascinating as you see the clouds drift by or even form and disappear again. When the sun is higher in the sky in the summer the microclimate works in the other direction keeping us relatively cool when the towns and valleys are smoldering in heat. Another weather phenomena is the Alpine föhn wind (föhn meaning hairdryer) that is a well known weather phenomena north of the Alps. It is not just some warm air coming up from the mediterranean but a warm dry wind that descends on the lee side of possibly rainy mountain ranges. We are in a good spot to benefit from this wind as we are not far from the Uri-Gotthard mountain range and valley. Places that are further away suffer from fog that forms when this warm air meets some cold air. The föhn is much more prominent in winter and tends to peak in April / May. If it does snow, the road is constantly kept clear, so no need for a jeep, but good tires and 4 wheel drive are recommended or snow chains for exceptional use.
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