Switzerland - Alpine Tour SwissTour
2005 Date: 9/23/2005
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Friday Morning in Engelberg After a busy previous day, and getting in late to the Waldegg, we were looking forward to a more relaxing day visiting Mount Titlis. The Waldegg is one of the better options in Engelberg, and has a very good breakfast buffet that has a compliment of scrambled eggs, cheeses and the regular staples of cheese and bakery goods.
Plan for the Day The village of Engelberg is nestled between some of the beautiful lower alps in a valley. The village was literally cut off from civilization during the August 2005 floods, since the only road and rail into and out of town was destroyed. While they did not have their rail back in order, the road had been fixed and we got in without any problem. I didn't see Engelberg mentioned in any of the guidebooks - but it's a wonderful little village surrounded by lots of summer and winter alpine activities. This is a must-see if you're looking for a more relaxed locating with all the amenities. After our breakfast, we packed our daypacks and hiked down from the Waldegg to the lift station.
Movie - Swiss - Day 09 - Cable Car Start
Aerial Cablecar To get up to the peak of Titlis, you have to take a multisegment cablecar ride up.
Movie - Swiss - Day 09 - Cable Car Down - View of Cows
Cablecar I presented our Mt. Titlis tickets purchased in advance from RailEurope and got passes for all the lifts up.
Movie - Swiss - Day 09 - Chair Lift - Mid
First and Second Segments Up The first lift is only to about 800 meters and a short ride. The second cablecar ride is very long - across a long green meadow where you'll see cows grazing below as you hear the clanking of their bells.
Movie - Swiss - Day 09 - Mid Station
Final Ascent On the Rotair The final ascent to Titlis is via the Rotair - a cablecar that has a floor that rotates 360 degrees. It's pretty cool, but the novelty wears off after just one ride. The car holds about 15 people and the operator sits in the middle which does not rotate. The lift is pretty dramatic from rock and tundra to glacial flows.
Movie - Swiss - Day 09 - Rotair Departing Top
Mount Titlis The day we went up it was clear with some clouds randomly forming. The view was spectacular. The wind was low and the temperature was around 0 degrees C, or 32 degrees F. In the Sun however, it was comfortable in shorts and a t-shirt with a vest.
Movie - Swiss - Day 09 - Titlis - Top Pan
Glaciers The beautiful roaming glaciers wind throughout the alpine ranges and eventually supply enough water to produce 60 percent of Switzerland's power and up to 45 percent of the water which makes up the Rhine River.
Movie - Swiss - Day 09 - Titlis - Back View
Lifts down On the last segment down, you can rent a trotti bike (scooter) if you'd like to coast down the paved access road. We didn't rent them, but wish we had. Cost about 8 CHF for the last segment down.
Movie - Swiss - Day 09 - Swiss Army on Trotti Bikes
Wellness Area - Spa After getting down from the cablecar, we took a 30 minute hike back to the Waldegg. Donning robes and slippers, we headed off to the lower level wellness area. The Waldegg was also a spa - so we were eager to try out the facilities and compare them to the Riffelalp.
Spa Basically, the wellness area is a pool (with commanding floor to ceiling windows for a fantastic view of the mountains), spa, sauna, steam room, footbath, shower and massage area. There is also a small juice bar. This is a great alternative to the Riffelalp - and for a lot less money (albeit without the posh service, perks and view). However, the price is about 1/3 to 1/2 of the Riffelalp.
Dining in Engelberg We opted to dine out down in the village, at the Alpine Club. This is a traditional Swiss-German style restaurant/bar with fantastic food. We had the fondue chinoise (hot oil fondue). Taxi is around $10 CHF to the Waldegg (which is on a steep slope - so walking is a chore at night). After dinner, we enjoyed some hot chocolate by the crackling fire. Oddly enough - the fireplace had not been used all season and when I mentioned how nice it would be to have a fire to take the chill off the evening, the desk person was nice enough to have it going when we returned from dinner. Now that's service. Overall, Engelberg is a lovely village that is completely overlooked by tourists who want the grand specter of the Matterhorn and other touristy places. It's not even mentioned in the Rick Steve's guidebook. The Waldegg was the second nicest hotel we stayed at, next to the Riffelalp.
Additional
Photographs:
Mt. Titlis - Glacier
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