Some dream of love, others of big business. For both, the Titlis seems to be a direct hit. Despite a gigantic construction site, Indian tourists continue to flock to the 3,238 metre-high peak in central Switzerland. The Indians’ love affair with Switzerland began in the 1990s when Shah Rukh Khan, the king of romance, danced through the Alps. Wealthy Indians followed in his footsteps and included places like Engelberg and Lauterbrunnen between Rome and Paris on their travel itineraries.
When the Asian guests stayed away during the coronavirus pandemic, it became clear what tourism managers had long known: without visitors from India, China and Korea, nothing would work. Then the valley near Lake Lucerne would be quiet again. Attractions such as the Titlis Cliff Walk, Europe’s highest suspension bridge, the Ice Flyer and the glacier grotto are only worthwhile if buses full of tourists arrive at the valley station in Engelberg every day. The ride on the revolving Titlis Rotair is an experience in itself.
Construction work on the TITLIS 3020 project, designed by Basel architects Herzog & de Meuron, began in 2023. There will probably never be another construction site of this size in the Alps. Environmentalists protested against the massive encroachment on the glacier landscape, but the project was given the green light. “Empty summits don’t create jobs,” was the argument. The aim is to modernise the summit area and make it fit for the future. Plans include a new mountain station at 3,020 metres, an extended aerial tramway and shops for luxury items.
Set jetter of love
Since the beginning of Indian set-jetting for Bollywood film locations such as Madly in Love or Chori Chori Chupke Chupke, bizarre scenes have been shot in Swiss mountain villages. But on the Titlis, framed by construction cranes and concrete mixers, the charming culture clash tips over into the absurd. You watch in amazement as Indian guests queue in front of a cardboard cut-out of their superstars – accompanied by the roar of jackhammers and the commands of construction workers. Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol were unkindly placed in front of a construction container. The fact that the two danced for Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge in the Bernese Oberland in 1995 and not on the Titlis doesn’t bother the Bollywood fans up here. You’ll look in vain for romance – but the pose is perfect.
Bollywood romance meets Swiss perfection
Engelberg continues to invest in entertaining Asian guests, very few of whom ski. On the Titlis, they can hike through a glacier ice cave or test their head for heights on Europe’s highest suspension bridge, the Titlis Cliff Walk. However, most people head for the souvenir shop. Soon they can also buy a luxury watch up here before the journey continues.
Light at the end of the tunnel
Despite construction work, the summit remains accessible, even if viewpoints and platforms are temporarily closed or diverted. Construction workers manoeuvre large components and the noise reaches the summit restaurant. The Indian guests are not bothered by this. They continue to enjoy curries and flatbreads and pose in the photo studio with alphorn and traditional costume. The new Titlis Tower observation tower opens in 2026, and the ticket price up to the summit rose to CHF 102 in 2025. The modernisation of the Titlis Peak Station is due to be completed in winter 2028/29. The redesign of one of Asia’s best-known Alpine attractions will then come to an end.
Madly in love with nature
The Titlis remains a customised attraction for Asian guests. You don’t have to like it, but Engelberg has reinvented itself by tapping into new travel markets over 20 years ago. Those looking for alpine nature and the sound of cowbells will find plenty of alternatives in the Engelberg Valley. The Brunnihütte at 1860 metres is located on the sunny side of the valley, and the Führenalp, accessible by a small cable car, offers countless hiking trails and serviced mountain huts such as the Hobielalm. If hiking is not enough for you, you can get an adrenalin kick on the Zittergrad via ferrata or on designated mountain bike trails. And families can travel much more cheaply on the Buiräbähnli railway than on the Titlis Rotair. You sit alone in the small farmer’s cable cars and even get the cable car going yourself.
The research trip was supported by Engelberg-Titlis Tourism
