Stans

Stans
Country	Switzerland
Canton	Nidwalden
District	n.a.
Coordinates	46°57′N 8°21′E
Population	7353   (December 2003)
Area	11.08 km2 (4.28 sq mi)
Elevation	452 m (1,483 ft)
Postal code	6370
SFOS number	1509
Surrounded by (view map)	Buochs, Dallenwil, Ennetbürgen, Ennetmoos, Oberdorf, Stansstad
Website	www.stans.ch
Stans [zoom]

A hotel in Stans

Stans is the capital city of the canton of Nidwalden in Switzerland. It has a population of 7,300 people. The area of Stans is 11 km².

History

Stans was first noted in 1172. In 1798, it was attacked by French troops, followed the decision of Nidwalden not to adapt a new constitution. Children whose parents were killed by this event were gathered by the teacher Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi for his first school. The open-air assembly (Landsgemeinde) was held in Stans each year until 1997.

Sights

The main sights of Stans are:

• The Stanserhorn (1900m) mountain and tourist resort
• The Stanserhornbahn: A cable car which takes people from the base of the mountain to the hotel at the top. It was first built in 1893.
• The main square (Dorfplatz)
• Saint Peter and Paul church: built from 1641 to 1647 with a Romanesque tower
• The Saint Klara monastery
• A monument for the local hero Arnold von Winkelried and his birth place (Winkelriedhaus).

Other websites

• Official Page (German)
• Stanserhorn