normal magazin nummer18 sommer

Die Brunnihütte liegt an traum- hafter Lage auf 1860 Metern. The Brunni mountain hut is in a delightful spot at 1,860 m a.s.l.

Das Kinderfest stösst jeweils auf grossen Anklang.

… which is always a very popular event.

The Brunni mountain hut lies on the south-fac- ing slope of the Engelberg valley, 1,860 metres a.s.l. Here, the milk comes directly from the farm, and guests enjoy a warmwelcome from wardens Agnes and Fredy Schleiss. Back in 1932, the Swiss A lpine Club asked a group of Engelbergers to f ind a good loca- tion for a new mountain hut, env isioning a site by Grassen on the Titlis side of the va l- ley. But while hiking on the south-facing side, the scouts were so impressed by the fantastic v iew of Hahnen, Gross Spannor t, Ch li Span- nor t and Titlis that they “Chamois in the Snow” adorns the hut to this day. Until 1956 the hut cou ld on ly be reached on foot. Then, construc tion of the Brunnibahn cableway and ski lif ts brought more guests. Lo- cated right nex t to the ski slope and chairlif ts, the hut is a mountain restaurant by day, with a large sun terrace. Guests in the self-ser v ice res- taurant can enjoy wonder f u l dishes made f rom loca l ingredients. The milk is delivered f resh f rom cows on the Flühmat t and pasteurised in the hut. The home-made cakes ser ved in the restaurant taste so good because the f rosting is made using the cream f rom that milk. In the evening, when the day guests return to the va l- ley and peace descends, the hut turns back into a traditiona l SAC lodge with 40 comf y beds. In summer Fredy of fers mountain treks with his own mu les. The anima ls live year round in a stable behind the hut and are regu larly used to transpor t goods. “They’ve got more wits than cows,” says Fredy. He shou ld know. Before he and Agnes became hut war- spontaneously decided this was the per fec t spot, lay ing the foundations for today’s Brunni hut. Among them was famed Engelberg ar tist Willy Amrhein, whose painting

dens in 2000 they were mountain farmers for 26 years in Kerns and Wilen with more than 35 head of cat tle. But Agnes grew tired of the work: “I didn’ t want to be a farmer until I was too worn out to do any thing else. I wanted to get up into the snow.” Luckily, the Rugghubel mountain hut was looking for new wardens. Agnes and Fredy got the job. They sold their cat tle and star ted a new life. Af ter si x years at the Rugghubel they took over the Brunni. Their daughter Megi continued to manage the Rugghubel hut for many years. Agnes was not

new to hospita lity. Until she married Fredy, she used to help out her mother in A lpen- restaurant Wirzweli. She a lso inherited a pioneering spirit f rom her parents Margrit and Wa lter Niederberger. They

Lucky guests in this beautiful location are treated to home-made food made with local ingredients.

were the founders of the Da llenwil-Wirzweli cableway company and instrumenta l in estab- lishing the v illage of Wirzweli. For Fredy, tak- ing over the Brunni hut meant returning home; the Sch leiss family had an A lpine pasture beneath the Brunni hut. He spent ever y sum- mer there until he f inished his apprenticeship as a cabinet-maker. In the morning he wou ld help milk the cows and then run down to work in the v illage. “I needed 15 minutes at most. That ’s probably why I have trouble with my joints these days,” he laughs. He and his family slept on beds made of stones, with straw and a bedsheet on top. When it rained, water wou ld f low between the stones. “To be happy in the Brunni, you have to rea lly love the mountains,” says Agnes. The f irst thing she does each morn- ing is peer out of the window. Over the years she has learnt to read the weather. That tells her how many guests to expec t and how many delicious Nussgipfel pastries to bake that day.

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hotellerie | thehotel industry

hotellerie | thehotel industry