The Obertrübsee Snowshoe Hike in Englelberg, Switzerland

The Obertrübsee Snowshoe Hike in Englelberg is an easy-to-moderate Snowshoe Hike in the popular resort of Engelberg. Easily accessible from anywhere in central Switzerland, this trail will lead you through the beautiful alpine landscape in the Engelbergtal and the impressive mountains surrounding the valley.

Despite this being very popular with Skiers and Snowboarders, it is possible to enjoy some peace away from the pistes on the Obertrübsee Snowshoe trail, and for a good part of the trail, you wouldn’t guess there’s such a big resort just around the corner.

This is a top-rated mountain resort both in winter and summer, so there will also be plenty of occasions to enjoy the area after a day up in the mountains.

Panoramic Image of the frozen Obertrübsee

Table of Content

Overview of the Ristis Snowshoe Hike in Engleblerg

View of of the trail.

How to Get to Obertrübsee and Parking

Obertrübsee is a small lake above Engelberg, and getting there requires taking a gondola lift up the mountains.

• Driving Directions: Engelberg can be reached from Highway A2, either south or north. Take the exit at Stans, where you will see road signs for Engelberg.
• Parking: Ample, paid parking is available around the TITLIS Bergbahnen station. Follow the signs and directions of the staff, as this is a busy place.
• Public Transport: Engelberg is very nicely served by public transportation. Trains run directly from Lucerne’s train station to Engelberg, which takes about 45 minutes. From Engelberg’s train station, it’s a 10 minutes walk to the Gondola lift station.

The Mountain station of the gondola lift.

The Obertrübsee Snowshoe Trail

This is a loop trail, and it’s generally done counterclockwise. The trail starts immediately out of the gondola lift station and is fully marked with the classic pink snowshoe trail posts.

Part of the trail, the first and the last parts, is on packed snow. Those are the parts around the lake which will be completely frozen over in winter. And, by the way, do not try to cross it on snowshoes.

Back to the trail; if you are doing it counterclockwise, the trail will steer off the main road up a small hill on the right. The ascent is short, and soon the trail will descend before reaching the farthest point on the hike.

Here the trail will turn around and start going uphill again to the top of another small hill where there is a bench suitable for a break, a snack and a warm coffee, assuming you brought your thermos :).

This bench is almost at the end of the hike, though. From the hill, you will descend back on the same track to close the loop before reaching the mountains station of the Gondola lift.

The trailhead, right out of the mountain station of the gondola lift.

The last, uphill part of the trail.

Lastly, here’s also a short video of this snowshoe hike:

Obertrübsee Snowshoe Hike Photos and Photography tips

Obertrübsee is on the “dark” side of Engelberg, meaning in winter, it does not get much sun throughout the day due to the mountains shadowing the whole area.

This is alright since you will still get light hitting the mountain tops around the trail, but if the sun is out, there can be harsh light to deal with. Still, the whole alpine scenery around the trail is just gorgeous.

The trail offers plenty of occasions for minimal images, especially after a fresh snowfall or in bad weather. This is also the part I enjoy about snowshoeing: the landscape as a sort of blank canvas perfect for a minimal style. So expect brutally minimal photos below :)

There aren’t, however, many occasions to view and photograph the valley below, if not on the farthest point of the hike where you can get a view of the north part of the valley below.

One of the classic huts along the trail.

More cozy-looking huts!

A brief break in the cloud in the fast-changing mountain weather.

One of the very minimal photos that can be taken on similar snowy days.

A snowshoe hiker silhouetted against a snowy landscape.

Map of the Obertrübsee Snowshoe Hike in Englelberg

The trail is well-marked with the usual pint trail posts and is always easy to follow. You don’t need a GPS track here, but the map below can give you a good idea of the elevation profile and what to expect on the trail.

Where to stay

You’ll find several hotels and other types of accommodation in Engelberg. Plenty of restaurants and bars for a drink too. It is also possible to stay at Berghotel Trübsee at the Mountain station of the gondola lift. I’d recommend booking, though. Otherwise, this snowshoe hike can be a day trip from nearby cities, Like Lucerne or Zurich.

Additional Resources

• Here you can check the status of the trails in Englelberg.
• Check my main Switzerland page for more info and Photo Hikes in Switzerland.
• More Snowshoe hikes in Switzerland: Arnisee, Sunnig Grat, Engelberg Ristis, Melchsee-Frutt – Erzegg and Fronalpstock.
• On top of the above, I’d highly recommend you check out the Titlis Glacier Cave and Cliff Walk too.
• Check out my top Snow and winter Landscape Photography Tips