{"id":3018,"date":"2019-05-27T09:09:32","date_gmt":"2019-05-27T09:09:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ultimatesk2stg.wpengine.com\/ski-resorts\/switzerland\/engelberg"},"modified":"2026-03-13T15:02:16","modified_gmt":"2026-03-13T15:02:16","slug":"engelberg","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.ultimate-ski.com\/ski-resorts\/switzerland\/engelberg\/","title":{"rendered":"Engelberg"},"content":{"rendered":"

Arriving among Engelberg’s impressive Belle Epoque hotels, it’s easy to gaze up at the towering mountains and understand why a wandering monk was so impressed by the scenery that he stopped in his tracks, had a vision and founded a monastery that later spawned both the town and the modern-day Engelberg ski resort.<\/p>\n

For skiers and boarders, two mountains are more important than all the others: the mighty 3239m\u00a0Titlis<\/strong>, and the slightly smaller 2564m Jochstock<\/strong>. A state-of-the-art ski lift system<\/a> ascends almost all the way up Titlis to its second peak of Klein Titlis at 3028m, opening up a vast north-facing deep freeze well stocked with deep powder. This is the home of the Titlis glacier and the famous Laub<\/strong>, a consistently steep freeride descent (1000m vertical elevation) down the shoulder of the mountain. However, the Laub is just one of Engelberg’s ‘Big Five’ off-piste descents, which also include Sulz<\/strong>, Steint\u00e4li<\/strong>, Steinberg<\/strong>, and Galtiberg<\/strong>, some of which have vertical drops that are almost twice as large. And ski tourers and true backcountry explorers will also want to tackle the High Five – five long itineraries that take you far from the town.<\/p>\n

For those who want to ski on pistes, Engelberg offers some nice runs, but not many of them. Titlis<\/strong> and Jochstock<\/strong> have red and black pistes near the top and easier blues below. Across the valley on the sunny side of town is Brunni<\/strong>, which has lower, gentler, south-facing slopes. And a bus ride away is the small Bannalp<\/strong> ski area above Fell. Together, these are more than enough for a novice (there are decent ski schools <\/a>and nursery slopes), but a keen intermediate who does not want to try off-piste skiing will exhaust the groomed runs in about three days.<\/p>\n

\"Engelberg

Engelberg Ski Area Titlis-Barghuis-Jochpass \u00a9 Engelberg Titlis Tourism<\/p><\/div>\n

And that might be all that is needed, because Engelberg is easily accessible\u00a0and a great weekend destination. It can also be combined for a two-centre holiday with\u00a0Meiringen-Hasliberg<\/a> (best for weaker skiers) or Andermatt<\/a> (best for stronger skiers), which are just over an hour away by car. Or skiing can be supplemented with Engelberg’s\u00a0other activities<\/a>. There are delightful winter walking and snowshoeing trails on Brunni<\/strong>, cross-country trails all around the town and up and down the surrounding lower slopes, a large ice rink at the Sportingpark, and a separate mountain dedicated to snowshoeing and tobogganing accessed from the nearby lift at Furenalap<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

As a place to stay in, Engelberg was a town long before skiing became popular, so the historic centre of the town and most of the accommodation<\/a>\u00a0are a 5-minute bus ride or a 15-minute walk from the lifts and pistes. It’s not a party resort, but it fills up at weekends with skiing enthusiasts, and there are enough bars and restaurants for relaxed apres-ski and good dining<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Ultimate-Ski Guide to Engelberg<\/h3>\n