Nestled in the mountains south of Luzern, handy to our Swiss Heartland and Oberland UnTours, the traffic-free village of Engelberg is surrounded by pure countryside and several mountain lifts. It’s packed with activities aimed at families, but placid enough for anyone.
Here are a few hikes in the area that are accessible to most of our guests.
Engelberg Valley Stroll
Difficulty: This is appropriate for anyone.
Time and Distance: You can hike as long as you like, up to 4.6 miles round-trip
These two trails, both immensely popular with the locals, are easy enough for strollers and wheelchairs, but no less rewarding scenery-wise than any of the most challenging walks. From the station, walk east a few blocks on Dorfstrasse (away from the direction the train came in) to the Benedictine cloister at the edge of town.
Behind the cloister is a trail leading into the valleys. Where the trail intersects the Horbistrasse, about a third of a mile in, either walk about one and a quarter miles northeast to where the trail ends at the Horbis chapel, or about two miles southeast to the Fürenalp lift station, the top of which has a great view of Engelberg region. These are not circle walks, so at any time, just turn around to come back.
Brunnipfad: Up to the Brunnihütte
Difficulty: This is a little harder but still appropriate for anyone without mobility issues.
Time and Distance: This takes about 2.5 hours and is about 3.5 miles but with a lift as a shortcut.
Open: May to October
Here’s a family-friendly, circle hike through meadows that can be done in either direction, with a lift to take you up if you wish to skip the uphill half, or down if you wish to skip the downhill half. Along the route are twelve information posts with excellent explanations of the surrounding flora and fauna you will see on your walk.
Take the gondola from Engelberg to Ristis. From Ristis, either take the lift up to the Brunnihütte, or follow the “Brunnipfad” Wanderweg signs up to the Brunnihütte via Rosenbold and the Härzlisee. If you’ve walked up, you can either take the lift back down, or complete the circle by heading back to Ristis via Holzstein and Rigidalstafel.
Alpine Flower Trail: Gerschnialp and Trübsee
Difficulty: This is appropriate for anyone without mobility issues.
Time and Distance: This will take about 2.5 hours and cover 3 miles.
Open: June to September
This walk combines two easy trails, one low and one high, each with descriptions along the way of the local, hearty alpine plant species and how they survive. Expect to see some lovely flowers on this walk.
From Engelberg station, walk south on the Bahnhofstrasse to Rohrstrasse, make a right, and head for the Gerschnialp lift station. Take the lift up to Gerschnialp and follow the Wanderweg signs on a gentle incline west to Unter Trübsee. Here take the lift up to Trübsee (buy a round-trip ticket) for the second half of the trail along the north shore of the Trübsee, a high mountain lake.
At the other end of the lake, stop at the mountain inn to refresh yourself, then take the lift back down to Engelberg.
These are just a few of the hikes accessible to you from the Swiss Heartland and Oberland UnTours. The Swiss Transit Pass we include with the Swiss UnTours covers your rail travel and some lifts. The Swiss Travel System of buses and trains gives you excellent flexibility as a hiker, as the trails are well marked and there is often a train of bus at the end to take you back.
These hikes are excerpted from the Swiss UnTour Hiking and Biking guide, a book we have written for the Swiss UnTours in the Oberland and Heartland. The book details dozens of excellent walks and hikes in the region. All guest on these UnTours receive a copy.
See you on the trails!