Engelberg, or Angel Mountain, is a ski resort located in central Switzerland. Located only about an hour and a half outside of the major Swiss city of Zurich. The location makes Engelberg a large tourist destination. Due to this, skiing Engelberg can be full of crowds. Thus use this Engelberg ski guide about how to maximize your time.
Quick Trip Overview
Location: Engelberg, Switzerland
Closest Airport: Zurich Airport
Time of Year: December to April
Weather at Engelberg
Month: Snow amount (week), Snow days (week)
December: 25cm, 3 days
January: 33cm, 3 days
February: 26cm, 4 days
March: 27cm, 4 days
April: 24cm, 3 days
Powder Days
Powder days are a bit few and far between while at Engelberg. The resort makes up for this with a lot of snow machines. So I wouldn’t go visiting with the expectations of fresh powder.
But, if you are lucky enough to get one of the handful days of snow dumps then visit some of the backcountry routes.
Bluebird Days
Compared to some other regions of Switzerland, this is one of the areas with a lot of sun. The amount of sun is due to the smaller amount of snowfall. Engelberg being a northern resorts means that there is also a potential for a later season start.
Backcountry
There are some great backcountry options for Engelberg. This is great for anyone looking to avoid the crowds on the piste runs.
There are 6 backcountry routes to explore in Engelberg. But you should use backcountry tours to explore the Engelberg backcountry.
There is the option for nightriding at Engelberg. Season passes include the nightride. But if you are not a season pass holder the nightride costs 25CHF.
The nightskiing is an option between Stand-Trübsee. The ticket includes the lift from Engelberg to Stand, and then you can enjoy the night skiing. The stand bar will also be open during the beginning hours of the nightride.
The end of the session is an escorted ride back down from the stand to Engelberg.
Crowds at Engelberg Ski Resort
This is where I will express that I did not actually like Engelberg. The resort area has become quite the tourist attraction – and I mean that. You will find busses parked down at the main lift area visiting from Zurich.
The tourist bus in from Zurich for the mountain experience of Switzerland.
You will find yourself sharing the Titlis Xpress and Titlis Rotair with tourist. The top, Klein Titlis is a premium tourist destination. You will find people taking photos out and about on the slopes.
So, I don’t recommend going to the Titlis side of the resort. One, there is tourist everywhere so it’s a bit annoying shoving into a super packed Titlis Rotair.
If you’re want to enjoy the skiing experience and avoid the tourist crowd stick to the Jochstock section. But, this is where you’ll find the skiing crowd! Everyone seems to be over here avoiding the tourist crowd on the other side of the mountain.
I found there was the same number of tourists and crowd as there is at Zermatt and Andermatt. But, there are not as many runs to help spread the crowd out. If limited in time, I would recommend sticking to Andermatt and Zermatt. Cut Engelberg.
Where to Rent Ski Equipment
If you are not looking to drag your ski gear along with you, here are some options of locations to rent ski gear at Engelberg for your Engelberg ski holiday.
The popular location to grab a drink following a long day skiing Andermatt is at a restaurant called Yucatan. There you will find plenty of other individuals enjoying a beer – or five.
The Yucatan is a strange burger, Hispanic food mix. You can opt for a burger or a fajita.
If interested in mixed drinks, you can find those at Yucatan but prepare to pay 20CHF for margaritas or a mojito.
If you want to save some money, there is a Coop located inside Engelberg. I got some cheap wine (compared to the restaurant prices at least).
Where to Eat in Engelberg
As previously mentioned, the Yucatan is a popular place to visit not only for drinks but also for food. If interested in visiting show up when Yucatan first opens or call ahead to make a reservation. As you will find it full quickly.
Another place I would recommend is Alpenclub. This comes with a heavy price tag (but what doesn’t in Switzerland?) The food though is delicious.
I would recommend visiting for the fondue. You can head upstairs for the standard Swiss cheese fondue. Or downstairs you can get a cook your own meat meal fondue! It’s delicious and fun for a couple to experience together.
Other Winter Activities
Tired from skiing, or traveling with someone who doesn’t ski? Here are some other activities that non-skiers can enjoy while visiting Engelberg:
Snowshoeing
Cross Country Skiing
Tobogganing
Engelberg offers 41km of cross-country skiing. If tired of the slopes, then you can also explore the cross-country ski options. These routes around Engelberg can mix things up.
Additionally, at the top of Titlis you will find some other experiences to check out such as:
Glacier Cave
Cliff Walk – the highest suspension bridge in Europe. This is great even for those only visiting to ski. You can pop the skis off quickly and walk across the suspension bridge to enjoy views across the mountains.
Getting to Engelberg
Engelberg ski area is one of the closet ski resorts to Zurich airport. You can reach Engelberg ski resort from the Zurich international airport in roughly 90 minutes. The town of Engelberg is only a twenty-minute drive off the nearest highway.
The second way to reach Engelberg is by train. Engelberg is not easily accessible between ski resorts like Andermatt and Zermatt. Engelberg ski resort is reachable by train from Zurich Airport to Lucerne, and then over. But the easiest way to reach the resort is by car.
Getting around Engelberg
Like other ski towns, staying in central Engelberg you will find everything within a decent walking distance. I stayed outside of town a bit and was still able to walk to the farthest side of town within 20 minutes.
There is also plenty of parking available next to the Titlis Xpress. So that is an option as well if you are visiting and want to leave from there into the town.
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