Engelberg (Switzerland) is a ski resort that has been hosting athletes for many years. It is located in the canton of Obwalden, 35 km southeast of Lucerne, at the foot of Mount Titlis (3239 m).
Engelberg is a very small town in Switzerland with a population of about 4,000 people. Tourists who come here to ski and ski jumps will not be able to get lost. On the main city street Dorfstrasse there is a large part of shops and restaurants, and not far from the train station, Klosterstrasse has a tourist office.
Engelberg brought worldwide fame to Switzerland, because important winter competitions are held here: the Ice Ripper Style Trophy snowboard tournament is held in November, and the European Cup for night ski jumping next month.
What Engelberg offers skiers
Given the fact that of all the mountains in the center of Switzerland, it is Titlis that has the highest height, and the Jochpas pass, known as the center of the ski zone of the same name, is one of the snowiest places in this area, it is not surprising that the slopes here are of excellent quality. Moreover, in Engelberg, designs are used that intensively create artificial snowmaking.
The season for skiers lasts from early November to mid-May, but you can ride the glaciers and ski jumps in Engelberg for 9 months a year.
The heights at this resort in Switzerland fall within the limits of 1050 – 3028 m, service is carried out by 27 lifts (7 – ski lifts). The ski slopes have a total length of 82 km, there are tracks for carving and cross-country skiing, marked pedestrian routes are equipped, a skating rink and a springboard for jumping work. On the territory of the recreation area there is a snowXpark park, 3 ski schools with special sections are open, where children can go and make ski jumps.
Endelberg has 2 sports spaces. On the north side of the valley is Bruni (1860 m), which includes the “blue” and “red” tracks. Here beginner skiers are engaged, family holidays are popular.
The main zone is located a little further to the south and has a very original landscape: 2 steps-plateaus of large dimensions. At first Gershnialp (1250 m), where there are tows and “blue” tracks, then Trubsee (1800 m), where the frozen lake is located. From Trubsee you can drive higher in the cabin, to Klein-Titlis (3028 m), to the northern part of Titlis with difficult routes, or on the chair lift to go to the Joch pass (2207 m). There are several directions that you can go further with Joch:
- go back to the north and along a rather difficult descent, where you can ski, to Trubze;
- return to the hilly and in some places downhill slopes located from the south, leading to the Engstlenalps;
- climb to Yochstok (2564 m).
There are 21 lifts for servicing the southern sections. On the territory of these sections there are 73 km of marked routes, and difficult ones prevail. Even for those professionals who have repeatedly skied from the ski jump in Engelberg, the lower part of the Roteg route from Titlis is a serious challenge – it goes along the glacier with many splits, along steep and icy sections without snow.
There are also good places for snowboarders, in particular, there is a fan park on the slope of the Shtand with jumps for jumping and Terrain Park near Yoch, which has a quarter pipe, big airs, half pipes, jumps for jumps. There are 3 routes for luge enthusiasts with a total length of 2500 m.
For skiing and ski jumping at Engelberg Titlis you can buy a ski pass (ski-pass) for one or several days. Moreover, if the days go by, then with an increase in the number of days, the cost of each of them becomes less.
It is convenient that there are various benefits and discounts – you can find out more detailed information about them, as well as the exact prices, on the resort’s official website www.titlis.ch.
What else to do in Engelberg
In season, in addition to skiing and ski jumping, or in the summer, when the weather in Engelberg does not offer such sports, you can find other types of entertainment.
There are 14 ski shelters right at the slopes, many cafes and restaurants are open. There is something to do in the town itself: restaurants, discos, a cinema, a casino, a massage parlor, a solarium are at the service of tourists, there is also a sports center with a swimming pool, tennis court, ice rink and wall for mountain climbing. In the summer, cycling and hiking are important (a type of sports hiking).
Engelberg is located at the foot of the Titlis mountain, on which hiking trails, mountain and scooter-bike paths are laid – in the summer, many events are organized here. You can climb to the top not only on foot – in 1992 the world’s first cable car with rotating cabins was built. There is a unique ice park with an ice cave on the mountain, a panoramic restaurant and a karaoke bar await visitors. In addition, from a height of 3239 m very beautiful photos of Engelberg in Switzerland are obtained.
There is an ideal place in Engelberg for lovers of hiking in the Alps – these are the surroundings of Lake Trubsee. From the lake, which can be reached by lift, and further through the Joch pass, there is a hiking trail – the path along it is interesting for the views of the nearby mountains and Lake Trybze.
Engelberg attracts those traveling in Switzerland not only for skiing, but also for various attractions. In 1120, a Benedictine monastery was built here, which is now operational. The main church of the complex was built in 1730, its design is made in the rococo style.
A cheese factory operates on the territory of the monastery complex – it is a small room with glass walls through which visitors can personally observe all stages of cheese preparation. By the way, in the souvenir-cheese shop on the territory of the monastery complex you can buy not only cheese, but also yoghurts made here – in city shops you cannot find such products.
The monastery complex is located east of the railway station, its visit is possible:
- from 9:00 to 18:30 on weekdays,
- Sunday – from 9:00 to 17:00,
- daily at 10:00 and 16:00 there is a 45-minute guided tour.
Free admission.
Where to stay in Engelberg
Engelberg has over 180 hotels and guest houses, many apartments and chalets. Most hotels belong to the 3 * or 4 * category, characterized by prices quite acceptable by Swiss standards. For example:
- at 3 * Hotel Edelweiss the price of accommodation starts from 98 CHF,
- at 4 * H + Hotel & SPA Engelberg – from 152 CHF.
Accommodation at this resort can be selected and booked through well-known search engines, using different search parameters, for example, star rating, type of room, price, reviews of former guests. You can also study a photo demonstrating where the housing is located in Engelberg, what the interior looks like.
Without a doubt, a trip to Engelberg can be advised to those who want to ski in Switzerland at the lowest possible cost.
All prices on the page are relevant for the season 2018/2019.
How to get to Engelberg
It is most convenient to get from Zurich and Geneva to Engelberg by train, making a change in Lucerne. You can find out the exact timetable on the Swiss railway portal – www.sbb.ch.
From Zurich train station to Lucerne, trains depart every half an hour, the journey lasts 2 hours, a second-class ticket costs 34 CHF.
Train departs from Geneva hourly; you need to pay a little more for a ticket than when traveling from Zurich.
There is a direct train from Lucerne to Engelberg, the journey time is about 45 minutes, the ticket will cost 17.5 CHF.
In season, from the railway station Engelberg to the slopes you can take a bus, free of charge transporting skiers there. From June to mid-October, buses run every half an hour that transport tourists to hotels: if you have a train or Swiss Pass ticket, travel will be free, in all other cases you need to pay 1 CHF.
You can also drive from Lucerne to Engelberg (Switzerland) by car – 16 km along the A2 highway and then another 20 km along a good mountain road.
