Introduction

I arrive in Flüelen at around 15h00. I’m all sweaty from my hike from the Rütli, thirsty, and hungry. I’ve decided to spend the night at the Berggasthaus Eggberge, high up on a mountain above Flüelen, overlooking Lake Lucerne.

Getting to the Hotel

From the boat landing it’s a short walk of about fifteen minutes to the base station of the Eggberge cable car. According to the schedule published online, there’s a ride in both directions every half hour, on the hour and the half hour. However, if there is a lot of demand, like today, the schedule is suspended and replaced with a more frequent shuttle service.

The Berggasthaus Eggberge is located right next to the peak station of the cable car. The hotel is owned and run by a friendly couple and is obviously a labour of love. From what I understand, they did a lot of the renovations to convert the old farmhouse to a hotel themselves.

Room 4

The hotel only has eight rooms, with five of them on the first floor and the other three on the second floor. Most of the rooms have a view of the Alps and the lake. Unfortunately, by the time I made the booking, there was only the one room left, number 4, which also happens to be the smallest and does not have a view.

The room is clean and modern, but it’s very basic. There is a kettle and two mugs, and the hotel also provides Crocs if, like me, your feet are all sore from the hiking and you’d like to wear something a little less bulky. As this is a place that is frequented mostly by people hiking, there isn’t a wardrobe or anything of the sort in the room, people tend not to stay for long, but there are plenty of clothes hooks scattered around the room.

My only criticism is that room 4 is sold as a double. However, the bed is really very narrow (140cm) and not a full double, making it very tight for two adults. The mattress is also painfully soft.

Dining

There is an outdoor bar and a dining area with a gorgeous terrace overlooking the mountains. Even though it’s already autumn when I visit, it’s still warm enough to sit outside for coffee and cakes.

Apparently, the husband of the couple who owns and runs the place is British, and he had the idea of having a kind of British gastropub vibe at the restaurant, which manifests itself in there being a steak pie and a vegetarian pie on the menu.

For dinner, I start with the Bündner Gersten Suppe, which is a thick barley soup from Canton Graubünden that is total comfort food. And very Swiss.

Next, I try one of the pies, although strictly speaking, it’s not a real English pie, mainly because it has a puff pastry on top instead of the more customary short crust pastry. The pie is served with chips and coleslaw and the taste is excellent.

The restaurant opens at 18h00, and by 20h30 the meal service is over. In the mornings, breakfast is served from 08h00 to 10h00. On Sundays they serve a brunch that is open also to non-residents.

Conclusion

The Berggasthaus Eggberge sits in a lovely spot, towering high above Lake Lucerne – with spectacular views of the mountains. The hotel staff are great! They’re friendly and very helpful. And the food is good also. I think my only gripe is the size of the bed.