Just outside Engelberg are the waterfalls, the golf course and the gondola to Fürenalp. Fürenalp is also known as one of the hidden gems of central Switzerland.
From hotel Kempinski Palace Engelberg we left by car to the parking lot of the gondola. A drive of about 10 minutes. It is doable to walk to the gondola from Engelberg, the duration is about 45 minutes, but we do not find this walk interesting because it partly follows the main road. That is why our advice is to go to the gondola by car. Parking at the gondola is CHF 5 for a day, if you are early you can also park in front of the parking lot, we saw quite a few cars there.
We had a tourist card and that’s why we got a discount on the lift. An older elevator takes you to an altitude of 1,850 meters. It goes up quite steep.
When we got to the top, we immediately set off. We decided to make the long walk back to the base station. This walk takes about 3 hours. Put on good hiking boots, because you will be walking on mountain trails. In addition, the path goes between the cows and past several waterfalls, so it can be slippery. Keep in mind that you are in the mountains.
The view is breathtakingly beautiful, different every time. Impressive rock formations, many waterfalls, many mountains with snow and natural forest. This hike is considered quite difficult. Parts are very walkable and there are parts that are slippery and muddy, this does not prevent us from walking on and enjoying intensely. The dog also loves being able to walk in the mountains and can roam freely here for the most part unless we go through the cows.
We went for coffee at Hobiel. A very funny little place run by an elderly couple and their son. In fact, they are farmers who also earn some extra money. We arrived just as they were enjoying the hot meal. No problem, we sit at another table and have nice conversations with the owners. They also have a dog, so the dog was allowed in too. Do not expect luxury, you are sitting in the living room of these people where there are two long tables. There is an outdoor terrace where you can also enjoy a drink.
People live here part of the year. In winter there is too much avalanche danger, so they live in the valley. One of the houses is partly in the mountain and is therefore protected against avalanches, the other house where the ‘restaurant’ is located is more or less behind an avalanche wall. We were lucky that there was also cake. The daughter-in-law had baked something.
The road continues down through a waterfall, between the cows. So take good care of your dog. We took him on a tight leash and sometimes we lifted him.
Along the way we came across many other restaurants where it looks very cozy everywhere.
There are easy walks here and there are also very difficult/long walks, so you may decide to walk the Surenpass. I hear that you have to allow 2 days for this, there are people who spend the night at Hobiel and cross the pass the next day.
In winter you can ski in certain places on Fürenalp. We have yet to experience this. This mountain is a very different experience from Titlis.
