The tourism office promises 41km of snow-sure runs, due to 8km of glacier pistes and an additional 33km covered by snow cannons. With lifts often starting in October and functioning until May, the region is in great condition throughout the season.
Engelberg is a calm mix of wooden chalets and enormous Edwardian buildings, just big enough to seem like a town.
The railway runs right through the heart of town, making it convenient for most hotels. It’s a simple area to go about by vehicle or foot, with low traffic. You may tour the town in a horse-drawn carriage while wearing a sheep skin over your knees, or you can walk through the cobblestoned pedestrian lanes towards the monastery, which was built in 1120 and dominates the town. There’s a church with an onion-domed spire, gardens, and a building where cheese is made and sold, as well as huge monastic quarters and working buildings with spectacular interiors that can be viewed; while you’re there, you can learn all there is to know about producing cheese. The architecture is another distinguishing aspect of Engelberg: stately old hotels from the early days of tourism, as well as surprising touches like the miniature funicular from the outskirts of town to the ‘terrace,’ a sunny, level walking area with views over town.
Back in town, the retail area is decent, with all the necessities, including sports stores and a sprinkling of bakeries, cafés, and pubs. Provisions may also be obtained at the major Co-op and Migro supermarkets in the city center. The Co-op features an outstanding self-service restaurant, which is only open until early evening but is an unexpected star attraction in Engelberg in terms of quality, variety, and pricing. The Okay store on the corner of the Bellevue Hotel, opposite the station, sells telemark and snowboarding equipment, as well as backcountry equipment and an internet café. This is where the’real’ cyclists congregate.
With 82 kilometers of routes, Engelberg Titlis is one of the biggest ski areas in Central Switzerland and, owing to the Titlis Glacier, a site where top conditions are nearly assured.
On the spectacular slopes near Brunni, Titlis, and Jochstock, advanced skiers are especially well supplied for. The valley gondola transports skiers to Trübsee, from whence they may visit Titlis and Jochstock. You may alternatively depart at the Stand mountain station on the way to Titlis and enjoy the red-marked groomers back down to Trübsee. However, you should not miss up the opportunity to take the spinning Rotair Bahn up to the glacier’s head. From there, you may access a number of red-marked lines with surface lifts. There is also an untracked way back down to the Stand runs.
If you take the lift up to Jochstock instead, you’ll find a selection of great red-marked routes, with run no. 8 garnering special notice. The Engstenalp has two blue-marked routes, but this location is unquestionably the place to go for freestyle skiers, with a terrain park and air bag jump to explore.
Brunni is situated across the valley from Titlis. Although there are fewer courses here, it is still worth a visit, and the lengthy blue runs are especially good for novices. If you’re too scared to go up the mountain, there are various practice lifts to help you establish your footing in the valley.
Engelberg Titlis is also commonly regarded as a freeride skiing paradise. Some of the top backcountry trails in Switzerland are Laub down into the hamlet and Galtiberg to Engelberg. Off-piste, there are always fresh, magnificent lines to find, so Engelberg Titlis keeps freeride aficionados coming back for more.
Both sides of town have ski resorts, with Titlis, Jochpass, and Bannalp on one side and Brunni on the other.
Red run skiers and snowboarders are best served in the Titlis region, with shorter pistes up on the glacier – the vistas and superb powder are well worth the lift trip. Intermediate skiing is available between Stand and Trubsee, as well as down from the Jochstock at 2564m.
Families will enjoy exploring the Bannalp region’s six blue and red runs, as well as the simple skiing at Gerschnialp, which features a beginner’s area at 1300m. This is also a great site for cross-country skiers, since there are 12km of beautiful tracks in and out of the forest. There are a total of 35km of XC routes here, with twilight excursions available.
The Brunni region, on the opposite side of town, features 7km of sunshine skiing, including the highly spectacular Schonegg slope for experts and the Brunnihutte blue. The Yeti Park, with its magical carpets, caters to young learners. The blue Klostermatte slope towards the bottom is generally available late for night skiing.
Set your eyes on the Big 5 if you’re an experienced freerider. Laub, Steinberg, Steintäli, Sulz, and Galtiberg are the best powder descents in the region, and they can be reached without taking off your skis or snowboard. Ski tourers may tackle the High 5: Titlis, Brisen, Salistock, Ruchstock, and the Urner Haute Route.
Yucatan has one of the most vibrant après-ski scenes in the country, with cocktails, music, and dancing on tables after the slopes shut. From 3 p.m., DJs and bands perform in Chalet at TITLIS Talstation, and live music at Hoheneck Bar kicks off the party mood on the main street. For something really unique, the Igloo Bar offers a variety of tipples from deckchairs overlooking the Alps.
There are several dining alternatives in Engelberg, ranging from fondue at the Alpenclub to curries at the Spice Bazaar and pizzas at Al Monastero. Yucatan offers a cool dining space and an excellent burger menu. Head up to 3020m for dining with a view, where the Panorama-Restaurant features an ice cream bar offering homemade waffles for dessert.
After you’ve finished dining and drinking, venture out on a sled from Gerschnialp to a 3.5km woodland route or up to the Titlis glacier park for snowtubing and snake glissading. The snowXpark includes a fleet of snowmobiles for you to ride on. Day visits to Lake Lucerne are simple with the Zentralbahn, and in addition to shopping, you can visit the monastery and cheese factory.
