The skating express.
Intro
The cross-country skiing legend Bjørn Dæhlie discovers the most beautiful Swiss cross-country skiing areas from St. Moritz to Zermatt on the Glacier Express.
St. Moritz
St. Moritz is more than just a holiday resort. It was also the birthplace of Alpine winter tourism (in 1864) and has twice hosted the Winter Olympics. Nevertheless, St. Moritz first became famous thanks to its mineral springs, which were discovered 3,000 years ago and established the town as a summer spa resort early on.
Hint
The most successful cross-country skier of all time.
On the wrong track
The young Norwegian wanted to be a professional footballer, and he also tried his luck as a ski jumper, but to no avail. Because he used to go to school on cross-country skis, he nevertheless dared to give Nordic Combined a try. Any luck this time? No chance! Thankfully, at the age of 15 he concentrated entirely on cross-country skiing, and new dreams were born.
Bjørn Dæhlie trained hard and often. However, as a junior he only won his first race in his final year. That was the beginning of his success story. From the 1990/91 season onwards, nothing could stop Dæhlie. World Cup victories were interspersed with world championships and Olympic medals.
After a training injury in summer 1999, Dæhlie had to miss the following season. In 2001, the dream of a comeback and a fourth Olympic Games was shattered. The cross-country legend announced his retirement. It was the end of an era.
See for yourself:
12 Olympic medals - 8 golds
17 World Championship medals - including more than half of them gold
46 World Cup victories in 14 different countries - 5 of which in Switzerland
With the Glacier Express and Bjørn Dæhlie to the cross-country skiing hotspots in Switzerland.
Day 1
The birthplace of winter tourism is where our trip begins. The Engadin has a tremendous amount to offer cross-country skiers. From the high-Alpine trail in Bondo at 2,330 metres to the well-known Engadin ski marathon – a very special kind of experience.
Cross-country skiers in Norway are focused on performance – unlike here where people place a lot more emphasis on having fun.
Day 2
The Norwegian celebrated a lot of World Cup wins in Davos. To this day, this is where the World Cup season begins every December for the cross-country elite. The tracks are even open to amateur skiers.
Davos was always sort of a lucky place for me.
Day 3
The journey continues over the Oberalp Pass to the next stop. In Andermatt, “The Nordic House” offers everything you need for cross-country skiing, and Alpine skiers are catered for too with the new cable car to Sedrun. The Glacier Express snakes its way through the Urserental Valley towards Goms: the mecca for cross-country skiing in Switzerland.
Day 4
The snowy Obergoms Region is completely oriented towards the needs of cross-country skiers. There are 10 stations along the 90 km network of cross-country trails, so you can start and stop wherever you like. You can also recharge your batteries at over 30 restaurants right by the trails.
The mountains and entire landscape are simply fantastic – and virtually without parallel.
Day 5
After a full day on the trails, only the beauty of Zermatt can work its magic on Bjørn Dæhlie. The end of this breathtaking stretch of the Glacier Express and its long-distance trip through Switzerland.