Engstlenalp

Engstlenalp sits at about eighteen hundred and fifty metres on the shoulder between the Haslital and Engelberg, with the Engstlensee below it and the Titlis massif behind. It has been a stop on the walking route over the Joch Pass since the early nineteenth century, and the Hotel Engstlenalp has been taking guests since the 1830s - Brahms and Mendelssohn are among the names in its history, and the building has been kept rather than modernised. The alp is still grazed and the meadows are among the richest flowering ground in the region, a consequence of the late snowmelt and the way they have been farmed. A gondola links to Melchsee-Frutt, and the walk over the Joch Pass to Engelberg is a classic day.

What you actually see

• An inn since the 1830s - kept rather than rebuilt, with a long guest list.
• The Engstlensee - the lake below the alp on the pass shoulder.
• Flower meadows - among the richest in the region, from late snowmelt.
• The Joch Pass route - the classic walk over to Engelberg.

When to go

Late June to October. Half a day, or a night at the inn.

Honest expectations

The access road closes for winter and opens late. Postbus connections are few and need planning. The inn is simple and old-fashioned by design. Weather at this height changes quickly.

Nearby

Melchsee-Frutt is over the gondola; Meiringen is down the Haslital.