Switzerland casts a magical spell over me!

The land of Grafenort......

Attempt at a selfie in Grafenort

I am just back from few days break in the  land of Grafenort in Switzerland - I know it sounds like something our of a fairy tale.  Well you are not far off the mark - I felt like a magical spell was cast over me  and I could not believe it when it was time to go home.

Engelberg Valley in Grafenort 

Grafenort is situated in the enchanting valley of Engleberg just a few minutes train journey to Engleberg itself - a gateway for visiting Titliss, a popular ski resort.  We arrived in Grafenort by train from Lucerne at night.  The guesthouse we stayed in is literally across the road from the train station.  We were the only passengers getting off at Grafenort.  If you are looking for a quiet spot to relax in for a few days  with captivating scenery Grafenorrt certainly ticks the box.  It is close to the mountain resort of Engleberg  situated at the foot of the Titlis mountain (at 3020 metres) where visitors can take the four stage cable car journey to the Titlis mountain station which is snow bound all year round.

View of the guesthouse in Grafenort across from the train station

Up in the clouds ........

view of Titlis from Turbsee mountain station

Tuubsee Mountain Station at 1800 metres

On the second day of our stay we took the Titlis cable car as far as the Trubsee mountain station at 1800 metres where we got great views of Titlis - the journey itself took just 10 - 15 minutes. There is a  restaurant at this station  and we could not resist a quick stop here before we did the 50 minute walk around the lake and up to a  private cable car station that brought us on a steep descent to Untertrubsee  for some more refreshments.   Ok ,,,,, I admit our journey was marked by lots of tea and cake!!  

Private Cable Car to Untertrubsee with some of the best views 

 From here we were able to walk back to Engelberg - it took us about an hour. The walk was quite steep in parts for people who are not used to mountains and the surface was rough.  Oh word of warning - do not bring your handbag!!  Well I thought I was only going for a few minutes cable car ride up the mountains - so I was suitably attired in my dress with handbag.  A small back pack would have been much more appropriate with hiking shoes.   An alternative for those people who do not like heights is to go around by the road taking a little longer.  

The sound of music.....

There was music all the way on our walk around the lake to the private cable car for Untertrubsee - it was the sound of the bells around the cows necks.  I felt like I was on a movie set.  The cows on these mountains are so tame and the sound of the bells is a lovely addition to the walk.

Swiss cows with bells on -  grazing on route to Untertrubsee

Ready to go again after more tea and ice - cream in the cafe at Untertrubsee  - we made our way down a steepish descent cross country on a marked out path to Engleberg.  The sign said 45 minutes walk but we took almost an hour - I am blaming my handbag!  Seriously the scenery is so beautiful  time just slips by.

Finally we made it home to Grafenort and our Guesthouse  - where we were able to recover from the days activities with good wine and Indian food.  The people running the guesthouse are from Bangladesh - the rooms are simple but comfortable, the service is good and the food is very tasty.  Room rates are reasonable for Swiss prices - we got a double room with bathroom for 100 euro a night excluding breakfast.