Melchsee-Frutt

Frutt sits at about nineteen hundred metres on a shelf above the Melchtal, and there is no road up - everything, including hotel supplies, arrives by cable car, which is why the plateau has stayed quiet and has no through traffic. The Melchsee is the main lake, with the Tannensee and Blausee nearby, all shallow and cold and fished for trout. Walking between them is easy and nearly level, unusual at this altitude, and a gondola continues over to Engstlenalp and the Joch Pass. In winter it becomes a modest ski area with a snow-shoe and winter-walking network. Ibex and marmot are on the higher slopes toward the Erzegg and Balmeregghorn.

What you actually see

• No road at all - everything up by cable car, including supplies.
• Three shallow lakes - Melchsee, Tannensee and Blausee on one shelf.
• Level walking at 1,900 metres - rare easy paths this high.
• A link to Engstlenalp - the gondola over toward the Joch Pass.

When to go

June to October, or the winter season. A day.

Honest expectations

The cable car closes between seasons - late spring and late autumn are dead. Everything on the plateau is priced for the lift-only supply chain. Weather changes quickly and there is little shelter between lakes. The area is small.

Nearby

Engstlenalp is over the gondola; Sarnen and Lake Sarnen are below.