Home of choice for the bike pros: Flims is considered one of the most diverse holiday resorts in Graubünden. Bike trails, hiking trails, mountain peaks and mountain lakes: welcome to Switzerland, the great outdoor paradise!

“You first?” – “Ok. But full throttle!” Anita and Caro high-five each other. Saddles in the downhill position, a short, strong start and the two steer their bikes down into the valley with both feeling and power. A blink of an eye later, you can already hear them happily whooping a good bit further down. 

The twins have cleared their day enough to do what they love: climbing a mountain on their mountain bikes from their doorstep, exploring new terrain and – above all – cruising downhill on one of the countless trails in Graubünden. “Whenever possible, we hit the trails together and push each other,” Caro tells us.

In their case, biking is not just a hobby, Caro and Anita are world-class mountain bike professionals. Or rather, they were until recently. For ten years, they raced in the Enduro World Cup and were among the best in their discipline. In the summer of 2022, they officially bid farewell to the Enduro World Series to focus on their new project. Let’s tell the story chronologically:

The Gehrig twins grew up on Lake Constance, far from mountains and alpine trails. Nevertheless, biking was omnipresent in the family: their older brother competed in cross-country races. The family often accompanied him to these races. 

Their vocational training in the hospitality industry brought the twins to Graubünden. “Actually, we came here for just one winter season at first,” Anita recalls. “But we fell in love with the region, so we didn’t want to leave again.” A hobby was needed for the summer and, since everyone here went biking, it was obvious that Caro and Anita would also soon conquer their new home on mountain bikes. 

It was just as clear that the young women would start competing right away. “Biking means racing,” they had seen that at home. “And we’ve always been competitive,” Anita admits with a grin. Soon after, they took to the start of their first mountain bike race: a downhill race in Davos – fittingly on snow.

When the Enduro World Series was launched in 2012, Anita and Caro instantly knew “that’s our thing”. In this type of mountain bike race, participants have to master several challenging, timed descents, though even the ride to the start requires a great deal of muscle power. “Sharp descents at a good pace after you’ve pedalled up the mountain yourself – that’s what we like to do in our free time anyway,” Caro explains. This is what kicked started their lives as mountain bike professionals.

For ten years, Anita and Caro achieved top rankings among the world’s best enduro mountain bikers. Having Graubünden as a home was key to their success. “Countless bike trails, bike parks and hiking trails to ride – all on our doorstep. There was really no better way for us to prepare for our races,” the twins agree.  

The mountain world around their home in Flims demands a lot from the female bikers. “The alpine terrain naturally plays to our strengths,” say the Gehrig twins. “As a professional, you want to keep improving. For this, Graubünden, with its sometimes challenging terrain and enormous diversity of trails, is the perfect training location and home base for ambitious bikers.”

“Days like this are the dream. Exploring the mountain world on a bike just the two of us, or with good friends. This is what we live for!” Anita and Caro’s eyes sparkle. At times they ride the PostBus a little up the mountain somewhere in Graubünden, on other days a mountain railway helps them ascend or they carry their bike up a peak. Graubünden, the Home of Trails, remains the biking El Dorado for the well-travelled Gehrig twins with its huge variety and endless selection of trails. 

They never fail to be astounded by the scenery, even in places they have been many times before. Taking a moment, away from the hustle and bustle, to enjoy the view while recharging the batteries with fine alp cheese or salsiz smoked sausage – this is how biking in Graubünden works: “patgific”, totally relaxed. Until the trail calls, with long downhills, technically challenging over rock and stone, fluid and unending on hiking trails or playful and winding in the woods. 

after ten years as professional athletes, Anita and Caro decided to turn over a new leaf. Although it was hard to say goodbye to the world of racing, another dream came true with the opening of their own hotel, Flem Mountain Lodge in Flims. “The lodge combines our two passions: gastronomy and biking – now we have it all under one roof,” says Anita. 

The Gehrig twins – that’s how they are known in the bike scene and beyond – were already known for their love of good coffee during their biking career. Infamous, how they cheered up the whole field with the finest cappuccino at enduro races. Now it is the guests of their lodge who enjoy their barista-quality coffee – as a latte, too, if they wish.

Although the hotel certainly keeps Caro and Anita busy as neo-gastronomers, they are clear that “there must always be time for biking. Otherwise we would be doing something wrong, because the best days are still the ones on our trails in Graubünden”. Their recommendation for a perfect bike day is simple: “it must start with a good coffee from our machine. Then hop on the mountain railway or PostBus, or set out from the front door, to take a few snappy trails under your wheels and arrive back in the valley tired and blissful ready to plan the next bike adventure.” The possibilities are seemingly endless in the Home of Trails. You just have to go.