5 Best Sights in Luzern and Central Switzerland, Switzerland

The best views of Titlis and the Engelberg mountain panorama are from the south-facing Brunni resort, reached by cable car then chairlift from Engelberg. It’s networked by pretty paths, including a barefoot route, and has facilities including several restaurants, a summer toboggan run, and a large playground.

On the town square, facing the Pfarrkirche St. Peter und St. Paul, stands this 19th-century monument to Arnold von Winkelried, a native of Stans who died while leading the Swiss Confederates to victory over the Austrians at the battle of Sempach in 1386. The Austrians, armed with long spears, formed a Roman square so that the Swiss, wielding axes and halberds, couldn't get in close enough to do any damage. Shouting, "Forward, confederates, I will open a path!" von Winkelried threw himself on the spears, clasping as many of them as he could to his breast and creating an opening for his comrades.

Set 19 km (12 miles) south of Stans and towering over Engelberg, this is perhaps the most spectacular of the many rocky peaks that surround the Obermatt's long, wide bowl. Thanks to a sophisticated transportation system that benefits skiers, hikers, climbers, and sightseers alike, it's possible to ride a small cable car up to the tiny mountain lake (and famous ski area) called Trübsee (5,904 feet). From there, change and ascend to Stand to catch the famous Rotair cable car, which rotates to give 360-degree panoramas on its way up to the summit station on the Titlis. At the top is a multilevel structure that seems to conjure up Disney's Space Mountain: four rock-embedded, fortress-thick floors lead to stores, an ice grotto (serving drinks from a solid-ice bar), and a restaurant with views that take in the Jura Mountains, the Graubünden, and Bernese Alps.

The bell tower of the Pfarrkirche St. Peter und St. Paul is in Italian Romanesque style, with increasing numbers of arched windows as it rises. The incongruous steeple was added in the 16th century.

A two-part journey on a nostalgic 1893 funicular and an ultramodern, open-top cable car takes you to the Stanserhorn (6,200 feet), and from its peak you can see the Titlis, the highest point in central Switzerland. A "convertible" version of the cable car lets you feel the wind in your hair.