MT.
TITLIS ROTAIR
Rotating Aerial Cable to the Glacier Above Engelberg
“Down below the abyss, above, the whisper of the cable, you soar into the deep blue skies as if whisked by winds” remarked the Engelberg Gazette in 1927 when the original cable car rose up the mountain called Titlis. If traveling in central Switzerland, you undoubtedly see ads for the Mt. Titlis Rotair cable car and may wonder what’s that about? There are many cable rides up mountains in the Swiss Alps, but Mt Titlis claims the distinction of being the world’s first rotating cable car.
The floor of cable car gondola, with panoramic windows, makes one 360 degree rotation as the passengers view the scenery from the Stand station to the top. The ride begins at the valley floor and takes two other aerial cables to reach the altitude where the rotating car rises the last length to the summit of Mt Titlis across the chasm- but the view is impressive. A suspension ride from the valley floor takes 40 minutes, including changes at two stations beginning with a 20 minute enclosed gondola from the valley floor to Trubsee, with the rotating car to the top for 5 minutes over the perma-ice crevices of the glacier which crowns the mountain.
In warmer seasons, the top of Mt Titlis at 10,000 feet, the highest point in central Switzerland, can still be frosted with glacial snow while the slopes and valleys 3,000 meters below are green and verdant, rife with hiking and biking trails. Rent a mountain bike or take a theme trail, or for a thrill rent a “Trotti Bike”, with fat tires and no pedals - meant to whiz down the wild dry ski trails. In winter, the Engelberg area is the largest ski region in central Switzerland, combining Mt Titlis and Brunni with 25 ski lifts and the longest downhill run in the Alps of 26 kilometers from the top of Titlis to the valley. Engelberg also boasts the world’s longest natural ski jump where world cup championship competitions are held every December, the weekend before Christmas.
At the top of Mt Titlis, after exiting the tunnel to the observation window, the suspension bridge Cliff Walk is a breathtaking step across the crags. The Ice Flyer is a special chair lift for close views over the crevasses of the glacial flow rising to the Titlis Glacier Park, which allows near season round fun on the ice and snow, with free use of the snow toys, snow tubes, ice balancer scooters and the personal snow bob rider. The Glacier Cave three levels below allows a decent into the heart of a glaciers, a frozen world of ice tunnels. There is a photo studio to get your picture taken in traditional “leder”and “dirndl” gear to impress friends back home you’ve gone totally Swiss. There is a snack bar on the terrace, ice cream boutique, and Chocolate Shop. For an more atmospheric lunch take a seat at the Panorama Restaurant.
Engelberg
is an hour by train from Lucerne, two and a half hours from Zurich.
About 2 hours from Lugano. If thinking of day trip from Lucerne
the journey by train from Lucerne and aerial cable ride to the top
of Mt Titlis and back takes up near five hours, so plan for a full
day.
A quicker mountain trip would be to Pilatus (see Mt
Pilatus Cog Train and Cable) or Stanserhorn (see Stanserhorn Cabrio). For a more relaxed trip, stay over in Engelberg with a range
of lodging
opportunities - hotels in the city and perched along the hillsides
above, holiday apartments and even an igloo village in winter. You
can check
in the tourist center located at the train station for options. The Hotel
Terrace is a grand art nouveau “belle epoch” hotel
built in 1909 which is owned by the same company who operates the
Titlis cable, with its own cable ride up from the village and free
ski shuttles.
The Trübsee Alpine Lodge is a modern cabin style hotel halfway
up the mountain just next to at the Trübsee cable house, allowing
the closest access to skiing in winter and mountain hiking in summer.
Unlike
Pilatus and the Mt Rigi, there are no hotels at the top of Mt Titlis.
Riding Mt Titlis Rotating Cable
The
cost for trip up the Mt Titlis Rotair is around 89 CHF
for a round trip, 63 CHF for one way (ski or bike down). The Ice
Flyer chair
lift and Glacier Cave are included in the price. With a Swiss Pass (see Swiss
Rail Pass) or a Eurail Pass including Switzerland (see Eurail
Passes) the cost is about half-price. Children under
6 are free and kids under 16 are free
when traveling with a parent with a Swiss Pass or Swiss Family Card.
The first car up from Engelberg is
8:30 am the last car down from the
Mt.
Titlis
station
is
4:50
pm. The cable house on the Engelberg valley floor is about a quarter
mile
from the train station - a ten minute walk or shuttle bus ride.
If driving there is a large free parking lot. If taking the train from
Lucerne,
make sure you get on the right cars as the train splits at Obermatt
with only the cog train section going up the steep grade to Engelberg. © Bargain
Travel Europe
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Engelberg
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SEE ALSO:
SWISS
MUSEUM OF TRANSPORT LUCERNE
POST
HOTEL WEGGIS ON LAKE LUCERNE
JUNGFRAUJOCH SCENIC RAIL
MT RIGI RAILWAY - ORIGINAL STEAM COG TRAIN
KLEIN MATTERHORN - ALPS HIGHEST CABLE RIDE
GLACIER 3000 CABLE - LES DIABLERETS
