Engelberg’s most impressive ski area is the snow-sure Titlis glacier zone, which is served by the Rotair, one of the world’s few 360-degrees revolving cable cars, that rises up to a remarkable 3,020m, giving awesome panoramic views along the way. (Skiing is available on the glacier here year-round, incidentally.) With the resort being situated at just 1,050m this means that in good conditions there is a remarkable vertical drop of almost 2,000 metres on a run that is 12km long. There are taxing black and (mostly) red runs from the Titlis top station down to Stand (2,428m) and on to Trubsee (1,800m). From Trubsee you can then take the Trubsee-Hopper chairlift across the frozen lake to Alpstibli, from where there is access to the lifts on Jochstock (2,564m)/ Joch Pass area as well as a variety of runs right down to the valley floor. For those with guides, there are great off-piste opportunities on the Titlis sector, most notably the famous Laub route that has a vertical drop of 1,000m.

Engelberg’s other main ski area is the Brunni sector on the other side of the valley, which rises up to 2,040m and is especially well suited to intermediates. In total Engelberg has 82km of pistes and 27 lifts – more than enough to keep decent skiers entertained for a long weekend.

Engelberg is also an impressive resort for on mountain dining: there are 17 mountain restaurants in total in its ski area.

For what can initially feel like quite a small town, Engelberg repays diligent exploration. There is in fact a very wide choice of bars and restaurants and the après-ski scene is surprisingly cosmopolitan, especially at weekends. Although you might not normally expect a Ramada hotel to be a key centre in a ski resort, the Ramada Regina is remarkably welcoming once you get over its corporate façade. It has the agreeable all-day Regina Cafe bar/bistro which serves substantial (mostly Italian-style) snacks until 11.00pm at weekends and has live piano music, not to mention the more formal Titlis Ramada Treff and the Italian La Strega restaurants. Despite its international name, the bars/restaurants in this establishment are popular with the locals.

The best pizzas in town are to be found at the contemporary-styled Bierlialp pizzeria, which is open from 10.00am until 11.00pm and where reservations are advisable at weekends. For serious gourmets, Axel’s Restaurant (2 toques 15/20 Gault Millau) serves stylish modern food in stylish modern surroundings at concomitant prices. Those looking for a more traditional alpine dinner in an old-fashioned setting should head for the Alpenclub . On the other hand those looking for something completely different should check out the very cool Chill’s Thai Food Engineering in the Hotel Eden. It’s an offshoot of a Lucerne restaurant of the same name.

At the foot of the slopes, the new Chalet at the valley lift station of the Titlis sector is run by the lift company and has a good atmosphere from the end of the skiing day onwards. So does the throbbing, Mexican-themed Yucatan and the Eden (complete with pool table) just opposite. Both these bars have a young, energetic clientele with lots of boarders as well as skiers.

The bar in the Central hotel, just by the station, is modelled on a European vision of a British pub and is popular with locals and UK visitors alike, while the bar of the grand old Hotel Europe has an interesting period feel. Wine lovers will enjoy the uncompromising modernity and impressive list of The Wine Bar next door to Axel’s restaurant. For an interesting aperitif opportunity, try taking the very old little funicular (complete with ‘No Spitting’ signs) up to The Terrace. Nowadays this extraordinary old place is a kind of club-hotel, but it’s worth a look, nevertheless.

Later at night you can visit what claims to be Switzerland’s third oldest discotheque, the Spindle , which opened in 1968. Other options include the rather more contemporary CCBaR Musicbar and Disco, where you find the cocktail menu on an LP cover and the wine list on a disc inside it.