Engelberg

The town of Engelberg goes back to the founding of the Benedictine monastery by Konrad von Sellenbüren in the year 1120. The land on which the town stands today belonged to the dominion of the Engelberg Monastery until 1798. Since 1815, Engelberg has been an exclave of the Canton of Obwalden, and it is bordered by the cantons of Bern, Nidwalden and Uri.

Today, Engelberg is one of Switzerland’s most important areas for tourism in both winter and summer. The municipality itself has some 4,000 inhabitants, covers an area of roughly 16 square miles, and lies over 3,000 feet above sea level. The highest local mountain is Mount Titlis, which reaches over 10,000 feet.

Engelberg’s namesake, the mountain to which both monastery and town owe their name, rises up behind the monastery – when seen from the town – and is over 8,000 feet high. Its striking silhouette is also featured on the emblem of the Stiftsschule.