Engelberg's location, almost exactly in the centre of Switzerland, makes it a perfect holiday base for exploring further afield, and many of Switzerland’s attractions can be reached in a day from Engelberg station, via the efficient and reasonably priced train and bus services.

Public transport here really is as good as its reputation, with reliable and integrated rail, bus and ferry services, and reasonable prices. There are some excellent rail passes available which can give you almost unlimited travel without the inconvenience of buying a separate ticket for each journey.

You can travel even further with a hire car. Switzerland is a small country and most places in the country are accessible in a day from Engelberg. Car hire is not expensive, and the roads are quiet and well maintained.

There are many beautiful and interesting places to visit from Engelberg, but listed below are some suggestions for ideal places to visit during a typical one week or two week holiday in Engelberg. All of the places listed are accessible on a day trip, using public transport.

Bern

Bern is Switzerland’s capital city and well worth a visit. The medieval air of this city with its many fountains, sandstone facades, narrow streets and historic towers is unique and has changed little in over 500 years. This has led to Bern’s old town being listed by UNESCO as a Cultural World Heritage Site.

Bern is a small city of only 130,000 people, and is best toured on foot. Despite its small size, Bern remains the home of the Swiss Parliament and the Houses of Parliament, which rise above the city, are just a short walk from the railway station. The doors to the Houses of Parliament are open to visitors most of the time.

Bern has a relaxed atmosphere and most of the old town is kept car free, making it ideal for strolling along its cobbled streets and alleys, passing shops, cafes, boutiques and bars. The city is built on the steep banks of the fast-flowing river Aare and there are beautiful views of the river from various parts of the old town.

There are a number of excellent museums in Bern including the Albert Einstein House (Albert Einstein stayed in Bern at the start of the 20th century), History Museum, Art Museum, Swiss Alpine Museum and Communication Museum.

To reach Bern from Engelberg you simply take the train down to Luzern, and then the inter city train from Luzern to Bern, which just takes one hour. By car the journey is especially scenic, and takes about 1 hour and 45 minutes.

Ballenberg

On a nice sunny day, we would thoroughly recommend a visit to the Swiss open air museum at Ballenberg.

Ballenberg shows rural life in Switzerland as it used to be, with more than one hundred old buildings highlighting the vastly differing architectural styles from all over Switzerland. Each of the historic buildings has been carefully dismantled at its original location and then transported to Ballenberg, before being re-built again, piece by piece.

There are also daily demonstrations of local crafts in traditional workshops using original tools. These include wood carving, basket weaving, spinning, weaving, bobbin lace making, forging, cheese making and bread baking.

Apart from the fascinating buildings and craft demonstrations, Ballenberg is set in a beautiful area of rolling parkland, with cafes and restaurants serving regional food from different parts of Switzerland. Guided tours of the museum are available and there is a lively programme of events between April and October.

Ballenberg can be visited on a day trip from Engelberg. Trains run from Luzern to the pretty lake-side village of Brienz, from where you catch one of the regular buses from Brienz station straight to Ballenberg. Alternatively, it takes just over an hour by car.

Brienz itself is a very pleasant village, known as the centre for wood-carving in Switzerland. There is a museum in the village showing the history of woodcarving in Brienz, including its famous music boxes, and you can visit this by yourself or with a guide.

Interlaken

Near to Ballenberg is the well-known resort of Interlaken. Although a pleasant, bustling Victorian town in itself, the real attraction of Interlaken is its location – nestled between the beautiful Thun and Brienz lakes, and near to the spectacular scenery of the Bernese Oberland region.

A short train ride from Interlaken takes you to Lauterbrunnen, from where you can just sit and admire the giant peaks of the famous Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau mountains which are side-by-side, or take a mountain train all the way up to the top of the Jungfrau, the highest train station in Europe at 3454 metres above sea level.

Interlaken is easily reached by train from Luzern. Alternatively, it’s under an hour and a half away by car.

Zurich

Many people think of Zurich as Switzerland’s capital city. While Bern has that mantle, Zurich is Switzerland’s largest city with a population of about 360,000, and a reputation for banking, stock-broking, wealth and affluence. Despite this, Zurich is a beautiful city and well worth a visit from Engelberg.

The city is sited along the River Limmat, and looks towards the Zurich lake, with its crystal clear waters which have been certified as safe to drink. Surprising to many visitors when they visit Zurich is that much of the city centre is made up of the car free “Altstadt” or Old Town, which is full of beautiful historic buildings.

Zurich is known for its shopping. There are some wonderful little shops to explore in the Altstadt, but the most famous shopping street in Zurich is the Bahnhofstrasse, which is lined by smart jewellery shops and chic department stores.

There is also plenty of culture and a number of historical sites to enjoy in Zurich. To understand the history of Zurich (and even Switzerland itself) a visit to the “Grossmunster” or Great Church is a must. The Grossmunster dominates Zurich’s skyline and was constructed in its present form between 1100 and 1230. It was here in the 16th century that Ulrich Zwingli, the priest credited with the initiation of the reformation in Switzerland, began challenging and questioning the teachings and practices of the Catholic Church.

Zwingli was a humanist with a passion for the liberty of individuals free from the strictures of the past. He proclaimed the sole authority of God and preached against the existing church practices such as taking payment for the forgiving of sins, making him one of the most radical anti-establishment figures in European history.

Word of his preachings quickly spread, and students and theologians travelled to Zurich from all over Europe to hear him. Zurich was transformed from a quiet small town into a busy religious centre. It was not long before Zwingli’s ideas spread to other cities in Switzerland, and the country was transformed. Zwingli died at the young age of 47, fighting those opposed to the reformation, including the populations around Luzern, who remained faithful to the Catholic church in Rome. Much of Switzerland’s work ethic and national character today can be traced back to the reformation, and Zwingli in particular.

Zurich is an easy day trip from Engelberg. There are regular trains to the centre of Zurich from Luzern, which take less than one hour.