What could be better than hiking through the Swiss mountains to an alpine lake? Well, hiking to FOUR alpine lakes, of course! The 4 Lakes Trail (or Vier-Seen-Wanderung) from Engelberg to Melchtal takes you to the lakes of Trübsee, Engstlensee, Tannensee and Melchsee.
This hike is perfect for those who want to enjoy the mountains on a hot summers day since you can swim in two of the lakes!
Overview of the 4 Lakes Trail, Engelberg
| Location: | Central Switzerland |
| Difficulty: | Easy-moderate. Clear path the whole way, some parts are steep but nothing technically difficult. |
| Distance: | There are many variations of this trail. The full version is 25km, the version we did was 12km. |
| Duration: | For the 12km version, allow at least 4 to 4.5 hours to enjoy the hike, a picnic lunch and a lake swim. |
| Elevation Gain: | 200 m on the 12km version, 1400m for the full version |
| Starting Point: | Engelberg Titlis Gondola Station |
| End Point: | Melchsee-Frutt Gondola Station |
Route Variations to the 4 Lakes Trail, Engelberg
The full and official 4 Lakes Trail skips all the cable cars and mountain transport. You start in the mountain village of Engelberg and end in Stöckalp. Of course, since there are so many gondolas and chair lifts in this region of the Swiss Alps, many people make the hike shorter and easier depending on what they are looking for in their hike. This has lead to many different variations of this trail that still visit all 4 lakes.
Here are the main route variations of the Engelberg 4 Lakes Trail:
- Full Route: 25km, starting in Engelberg, hiking from the valley all the way up to Jochpass, along to Melchsee and then down to Stöckalp
- Trübsee to Melchsee: 14km, you skip the main ascent and descent by taking the cable car up from Engelberg and down from Melchsee-Frutt
- Jochpass to Melchsee (but still visiting Trübsee): 12km, also skipping the steep uphill section from Trübsee to Jochpass by taking the chairlift. You still visit Trübsee lake on your short walk between the cable car and the chair lift. You can linger longer here by walking round the lake if you like.
- Alternative easy version, just visiting one lake: If you think this hike still sounds too much for you, or you are travelling with kids and/or strollers, then just visiting the first lake will be a great easy option for you! Trübsee has an easy loop walk around it which is flat and stroller friendly. You can even do it in winter, we walked around the frozen lake with our family on Christmas Day 2022!
- Switch the route around: The 4 lakes trail can easily be hiked the opposite way as well, ending in Engelberg instead of starting there.
Hike Summary of the 4 Lakes Trail, Engelberg
This Swiss hiking trail is certainly a stunning one, and the fact that you can adapt it to suit you and your group’s hiking needs makes it one everyone can enjoy!
We did the 12km version, so I’ll outline all the important information needed to do this route below. I hope it helps and that you enjoy the trail!
How to Get There
You’ll start your day in the beautiful mountain village of Engelberg. Getting here by public transport is super easy as it has it’s own train station. From Zürich it takes 1 hour and 43 minutes by train, changing in Luzern. When travelling from Luzern, it’s just a 43 minute direct train.
From the train station, you take an easy 10 minute walk to the Titlis cable car station. It’s here that you can take the cable car up to Trübsee, the first lake on the 4 Lakes Trail.
The hike ends at Melchsee-Frutt. From here you can catch the cable car down to Stöckalp where there is a bus. It’s only once an hour though, so make sure you check the timetable in advance and plan accordingly!
Trail Highlights
The Engelberg 4 Lakes Trail included many of the stunning sights that you hope for on a Swiss mountain adventure!
- Views of Mt Titlis: this stunning, glacier-topped mountain is one of the highlights of Central Switzerland! You get some epic views of the peak for the whole hike. If you plan plenty of time, you could also combine your hike with a trip up to the summit via the revolving cable car.
- Marmots: You’re in marmot country on this hike! We spotted one of these little cuties calling to his friends as we hiked towards Tannensee.
- 4 crystal-clear alpine lakes: I always love a hike in the mountains that includes a lake, but the fact that this one has FOUR makes it so special.
- Swimming spots: You can take a refreshing dip at both Engstlensee and Melchsee – so don’t forget your swim suit and towel!
Tickets and Prices For The Cable Car
For this version of the hike you will need:
- a single ticket from Engelberg to Jochpass – costs 34 CHF full price. You can get a 50% discount with the GA, Half-Fare Card and Swiss Travel Pass. The journey is free with the Tell Pass. (Information correct for summer 2024 – you can find up-to-date information here.)
- a single ticket from Melchsee-Frutt to Stöckalp – costs 23 CHF full price. There is a 50% discount with the GA, Half-Fare Card and Swiss Travel Pass. Free with the Tell Pass. (Find all the current ticket informations here.)
The Route: Maps and Information
This route is a popular one and is well promoted by the Engelberg tourism board, which means that it’s extremely well signposted, making it easy for you to follow. Keep following the signs marked “574: Vier-Seen-Wanderung” and you’ll stay on the right path.
Below is the summer hiking map for the Engelberg and Melchsee-Frutt resort areas. I’ve labelled the lakes 1-4 on there to help you visualise the route you’ll be taking!
Below I’ve attached a Google Map to help you plan your hike. I’ve marked on all the key spots, as well as the hiking route that we took (from Jochpass to Melchsee after getting the chairlift up from Trübsee).
My Experience of the 4 Lakes Trail, Engelberg
We chose to head to Engelberg and hike the 4 Lakes Trail on a very hot, sunny Saturday in August 2024. It was going to be a scorching 33 degrees in the city of Zürich where we live, and so heading higher up in search of a fresh breeze and some alpine swim spots seemed the best idea!
Arriving at Trübsee
After riding the cable car up from Engelberg to Trübsee, we made the short walk along the edge of the first lake of the hike. If you wanted to linger longer here you could do the easy loop hike around the lake or hire one of the rowing boats before continuing up to Jochpass. However, we where ready to begin hiking! So after a few quick pictures we jumped on the chairlift to take us straight up!
We got some fabulous views across to the glacier on Titlis as we rode the chairlift!
You can also walk up to Jochpass, but after reading a few reviews and blogs of the hike from other people (I always like to be super prepared for every hike we do!), the consensus was that it was a bit of a slog, and skipping it freed up more time to enjoy the lakes.
Hiking Down to Engstlensee
After disembarking from the chairlift at Jochpass, our time hiking the Engelberg 4 Lakes Trail could finally properly begin! It wasn’t long until we spied the stunning second lake of the hike: Engstlensee. (And we could also see from here how long the path was to get us all the way down there!)
This part of the trail is probably the most “difficult” part since the path is quite rocky as you descend all the way down. It’s nothing crazy, and is still quite easy – you just might want to remember hiking poles. We didn’t bring ours, but for this section I know my knees would have thanked me if we did!
The hiking path then becomes flat and open as you reach the lake, much easier walking from this point on. The views here were really special and I think this was my favourite of the four lakes. I’d love to come back just to spend the whole day here swimming and reading!
Heading Uphill to Tannalp
After leaving Engstlensee behind, you walk through some cow meadows. This really is stereotypical Swiss vibes here! You can hear all the cowbells jingling while you enjoy the view looking back towards Titlis.
Unfortunately, the tranquil meadow scenes don’t last forever though and it is soon time to put some work in! The climb up to Tannalp is a bit of a steep one, and it was also a little longer than we realised. It wasn’t too bad compared to other steep climbs I had done, but since it was super hot and I was starting to get very hungry, this section was a little bit of a struggle!
It was all worth it though, because this section of the hike had the most spectacular mountain views! I managed to take a few really stunning camera photos of the layers of peaks.
We reached the small pretty village area of Tannalp. It had a cheese shop, restaurant, a few buildings and a pair a goats relaxing in the shade! This is also where a little blue “train” runs along the road to take visitors to the Melchsee-Frutt cable car. So if you were feeling tired out already, you could actually jump on that and go to the final lake and cable car!
Lunch Stop at Tannensee
We didn’t hang around at Tannalp for long because I was absolutely STARVING by this point! Luckily, lake number 4 (Tannensee) was just a few minutes walk away and had a beautiful picnic area. There was a sheltered indoor picnic area as well as plenty of outdoor picnic benches. There is also a grill with a fully stocked log shed ready to use!
I always love the idea of grilling on hikes (it’s extremely popular here in Switzerland with lots of public grills and fire pits available to use on hiking trails) but I’m always scared I’ll get there with all my food and there’s no wood to use! However, this was the Grillplatz with the best-stocked wood shed I’ve seen on a hike so it would be a great place to do it!
After filling up on pasta, cereal bars and coffee, we set off again, walking around Tannensee and then heading towards the final lake of our hike.
Finishing with a Swim at Melchsee
The final two lakes are pretty close together, meaning it was a short hike across a dirt path towards the lake of Melchsee. This lake is next to the Melchsee-Frutt resort village and cable car, so it felt the busiest of all the lakes but we didn’t mind that. There are plenty of restaurants, cafe’s and even more fire pits where you can cook your own food.
Melchsee is absolutely stunning, with the mountain backdrop and the little church on it’s shores. It also has some rocky “beach” areas that are the perfect points to head in for a swim. I’d been dreaming of cooling off in the water for the whole hike so even though it was FREEZING, a swim here felt so good!
FAQ About The 4 Lakes Trail in Engelberg
What Time of Year is Best?
This trail is normally open and accessible during the usual summer hiking season from June-October. However, each year is different, sometimes there is still snow in high areas well into June or even July for example! Therefore, always check the websites for current information before setting off.
A hot summers day is a perfect time to do this hike since it means you can really enjoy cooling off in one of the lakes.
What Facilities are There?
This hiking trail passes by plenty of cable car stations, mountain restaurants and guesthouses. This means there are lots of opportunities to buy food and use the restrooms if needed. The main areas you will find restaurants and bathrooms to use on the 4 Lakes Trail are:
- Engelberg Cable Car Station
- Trübsee
- Jochpass
- Tannalp
- Melchsee-Frutt
What Should I Bring and Wear?
Remember, the weather in the mountains can change quickly and you should always make sure you are prepared for any eventuality. This is what I recommend bringing for this particular hike:
- Sturdy footwear: the steep and rocky areas are much easier to navigate if you have good hiking boots.
- Hiking poles: we didn’t bring them but wished we had done on the steep downhill section.
- Plenty of water and snacks: there are facilities and restaraunts on this trail, but it’s always best to be over-prepared in my experience!
- Swim wear and towels: these are a MUST on a summers day because cooling off in the water is such a treat! Personally, I’m not a fan of having to faff around getting changed so I hike in active swimwear underneath my hiking clothes. I’m currently enjoying this active set from Stronger. We both have quick drying microfibre towels we bring with us.
- Waterproofs and light layers: dress appropriately for the weather forecast that day, but always remember to pack light layers and waterproofs as well. The weather can always be unpredictable in the mountains!
Final thoughts
The 4 Lakes Hike in Engelberg was a really lovely day of hiking in the Swiss Alps for us, and it was also great that it wasn’t too difficult to get to from Zürich! I hope that you’ve found this post helpful if you’re looking for some summer hiking inspiration in Switzerland! Let me know if you do this hike yourself!