Engelberg

Engelberg

Location: Switzerland, canton of Obwalden
Type of village: Hotel
Year of opening: 1959
Year of closing: 1993

For the record: Club Méditerranée occupies the most beautiful locations, and also knows how to establish its villages inside buildings with prestigious pasts (Saint Moritz, Villars, Wengen, Pontresina but also Superbagnères and Vittel…). The Club Méditerranée hotel in Engelberg, whose real name is Terrace Palace, is added to this list.

Before telling you the story of the Club Méditerranée in Engelberg, I would like to tell you a few lines about the history of this hotel, born at the dawn of the century (I am talking about the 20th century, of course).

The story begins in 1903. Gottfried Fassbind purchased a plot of land a short distance from Engelberg, a popular health resort, to build a hotel. Construction began on April 15, 1904. Gottfried's son supervised the work and then took over management of the establishment. The Palace opened for the winter of 1908. 

The Terrace Palace is a first-class establishment (luxury, comfort, tennis courts transformed into an ice rink during the winter, exotic garden, access road, not forgetting a private cogwheel train). 

Closed during the First World War, it closed again during the 1929 crisis. From 1934, when it reopened, it attracted foreign customers. The renewed prosperity unfortunately lasted only 4 years. The Second World War brought the story to a sudden halt. Definitively!!
During the conflict, the Terrace Palace was used by the Federal War Department. Various goods and art objects were stored and piled up in its lounges, bedrooms, and bathrooms. After the war, the hotel was entrusted to the American army of occupation in Germany, so that its soldiers could spend some vacations there.

In 1948, Mr. Fassbind put the Terrace up for sale, but no buyer came forward. It was not until 1956 that a buyer arrived in the person of Fritz Noser. Some time later, Fritz Noser came across Club Méditerranée, which was looking for a hotel to rent to open a new village. It was 1959. The beginning of a new era and a secure future for the Palace!! 

So let's get back to the Club. The village opened for the winter of 1959/60 (December 19, 1959), Roger CAILLET opened as village chief. He was assisted by Jean BELIN.

Many people don't know this, but it was in Engelberg, in 1960, that the care of GM children (in other words the mini club) was truly born. Previously, tests had been carried out in Leysin and Monetier but the Club, in its communication, expressed dissatisfaction.
In the summer of 1960, the village integrated the Junior Village (the term mini club was not yet used at the time) allowing parents to go about their leisure activities without worrying about their dear little ones until the evening.
At the head of this Junior Village, Gérard Messseiller, surrounded by a small GO team, takes care of children from 4 to 15 years old and offers activities especially for them during the day. In the restaurant, tables called Junior tables are reserved.

The children also prepare a show for their parents at the weekend. The summer games give way to ski lessons specially designed for them and other winter activities during the winter.

Club Med left Engelberg after the winter of 1992/93

The journey

The journey takes place on a special sleeper train from Paris Gare de l'Est to Lucerne. A boat crossing of Lake Lucerne is then followed by a small cogwheel train to Engelberg.  

Today

The hotel is still in operation. It's a 3-star hotel.
As an aside, the small funicular that used to go up to the hotel was demolished in 2008 after 100 years of loyal service. It was replaced by an elevator (certainly more practical, but also less romantic).