The luxurious five-star Kempinski Palace Engelberg in the Swiss Alps is a so-far lesser known ski resort, only a 40-minute drive south from Lucerne, nestled at the foot of Titlis mountain – one of the highest peaks in its range.
When you’re skiing, the need to refuel is great, and locally farmed meat, Swiss apple pie and cheese galore, were washed down with delicious local Swiss wine during a private dining session in the restaurant kitchen. Think MasterChef without the dining mishaps! The fondue and charismatic Head of House pouring wine, enhanced the intimate ambience.
There are plenty of opportunities to explore the area too and we opted for a mountain bike ride. The electric bikes allow you to cheat your way uphill and focus instead on the scenery – streams and small ranches – on our route. We were sorry to have missed the local cattle show though which we were told was quite an event.Picture perfect Our next stop was the chic four-star wellness hotel Frutt Mountain Resort at Melchsee-Frutt, which is closer to both Lucerne and Interlaken.