GRINDELWALD - SWISS WORLD SNOW FESTIVAL
Alps Ski Village at the Foot of the Eiger and Jungfrau
For
a week in the middle of every January, ice art takes the over natural
ice
rink in the center
of the Alps glacier village
of Grindelwald. The World Snow Festival of curious and nearly impossible
seeming ice sculptures designed by competing international artists
fascinate visitors to this town framed by some the Alps most famed
and breat-taking mountain peaks, the Eiger and the Jungfrau. The snow
festival which takes place on the natural ice skating rink at Baerparkplatz
in the center of old Grunedelwald began several years ago when Japanese
artists
carved
the image of Switzerland’s
best known little mountain girl “Heidi” in
the snow, and has developed into an international event, with teams
of ice artists from around the world creating surprising and fanciful
sculptures on
a
theme. But what
to do after you’ve seen the sculptures?
Grindelwald Snow Festival Dates: January 16-21, 2012
Grindelwald
is best known as the “Eiger Village” at the
base of the iconic mountain’s North Face, a winter vacation wonderland
for ski sports and icy mountain peak lovers. The alpine town located
is near Interlaken in the Berner Oberland region of the Swiss Alps.
Nestled below the backdrop of the Eiger, Wetterhorn and Jungfrau mountain
peaks Grindelwald is the gateway to the Jungfrau-Aletsch-Bietschhorn
UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site -The Jungfraujoch, known as the “Top
of the World” (see Eiger
and the Jungfraujoch Rail )
the highest rail station in the world and one of the most spectacular
destinations
in the Alps with its Aletsch
glacier,
the
longest in the
Alps.
Take a ride on the Glacier
Express - Panoramic Mountain Views from St. Moritz to Zermatt
Grindelwald
is the largest ski resort in the Jungfrau area with 44 cable cars
and ski lifts at the Kleine Scheidegg-Männlichen, Grindelwald-First
and Mürren-Schilthorn ski areas.
Ski and snowboard
schools with special courses
for children and family
ski parties guided by the cuddly mascot Snowli.
Kids who aren’t into skiing can just face-paint and play around
the ice igloo jungle gyms. There are a number
of private ski schools and guide programs for all levels, up to ice
climbing and heli-skiing. The Bodmi ski park offers Night Skiing
on its training area above the twinkling lights of the alpine village.
Try out the 70 kilometers of toboggan and sled run trails unique to
Berner Oberland, including the world’s longest toboggan run
at Faulhorn, a ride lasting almost 2 ½ hours and several thousand
feet in altitude. Get a kick out of nighttime tobogganing on the Eiger
Run after your cheese fondue at one of the several mountain restaurants.
The Sports Centre has indoor pools, wellness center, ice skating, curling
and hockey.
For
those who like their snow play at a slower pace, there are 80 kilometers
of footpaths in winter
for snow hiking. Take a romantic
ride through the deep snow on a horse-drawn sleigh or a cable ride
on the to the top of Schiltorn Mountain, made famous
in the James Bond movie “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service”,
with its rotating restaurant, views of
the Berner Alps and the steepest slopes in the Jungfrau
region (see Schilthorn
Piz Gloria). Snow Bicycles, that fun contraption
where you sit in a ski seat are an original of Grindelwald and
the Velogemel World Championships are held in Grindelwald every February.
Grindelwald is the twin city of Japan’s Azumi Mura and linked with other Switzerland resort areas St. Moritz, Zermatt, France’s Chamonix Mont-Blanc, Germany’s Garmish-Partenkirchen and Italy’s Cortina as part of the “Best of the Alps” resort areas. Grindelwald is 6 hours by train from Paris, Frankfurt or Milan - 10 hours from Berlin or Vienna, an hour from Zurich. There’s lots to do at Interlaken and Grindelwald in summer, too. - but then you’d miss the Ice Sculptures. © Bargain Travel Europe
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