Mt Titlis Rotair– Swiss ingenuity at its best
There’s so much to see and experience in Switzerland, but if you only have time to explore one spot, let it be Mt Titlis. I promise you – you won’t regret it! Standing almost 10,000 feet (approx 3000 metres) tall, Mt Titlis is central Switzerland’s highest peak.
How to get there
The best (and easiest) way to get to the top of Mt Titlis is by the Titlis Xpress cable car. This cable car (better known as a gondola) option is ideal if you are not interested in climbing on foot, or if you are travelling with children or seniors. The gondola departs from the Titlis Valley station, which is a short 10-minute walk from Engelberg railway station. Engelberg itself is only about 45 minutes (approx 35 km) away from the historic city of Lucerne. It is also well-connected to other cities by both rail and road.
What you can do
Option 1: You can buy a cable car ticket, get to Engelberg by road or rail, and then take the first gondola from Titlis Valley station, and continue upward with the second and third gondolas.
Option 2: You can sign up with an organised tour company that takes you to Engelberg from either Lucerne or Zurich (71 km/2 hours away by train). The tour will usually include a round-trip cable car ticket from and to Engelberg.
Option 3: Read on…☺
The Titlis Xpress cable car system is operated in two stages, and gives way to the third stage, the Titlis Rotair.
1.The first gondola takes off from Titlis Valley station and takes you to Trübsee.
My husband and I, being the intrepid explorers that we are, chose a third option. We didn’t take the cable car all the way up to the summit (3 stages), but hiked partway. Instead of taking the first gondola at Titlis Valley station, we climbed upwards until we reached Trübsee, the access point for the second gondola.
Here are a few pics of the lovely gentle climb.
We got to see birds eye view of Engelberg and also walk through a tiny village on the mountains.
2. Disembark at Trübsee and get on to the second cable car which will take you to Stand.
We reached Trubsee and then took the second and third gondolas. Both these gondolas have large panoramic windows with stunning views of steep rock faces and surreal snow-covered mountains. Sublime Switzerland!
3.The final stage is the most exciting part of the trip because it involves the world’s first rotating gondola, the Titlis Rotair. The Rotair revolves a full 360 degrees and whisks you to the top of the spectacular glacier in just over 5 minutes.
When we finally reached the summit, we were greeted by a breathtaking 360° panorama of majestic soaring mountains, snow-capped peaks and Lake Lucerne that glittered like a carpet of diamonds. I was in tourist heaven! If my wordsmith daughter had been with me, I’m sure she would have described the spectacular high-alpine view as “a fairytale land straight out of Frozen!”
Our Titlis adventure didn’t stop there! At the Mt Titlis summit station, we had fun in the Glacier park. At Glacier Park, my better half and I went tubing, racing down the slope on a rubber tyre. Guess who won? 🙂 They have rubber tubes on which you can go sledging down the glistening snow. They have conveyor belt to bring you back up for the next ride.
We then took the Ice Flyer chairlift which literally flew us over the frozen glacier from the Glacier Park. Its a fun experience and do remmebr to smile at the camera. You can buy the customized postcard of your photo print later.
