20 great winter sports destinations | CNN Travel 20 great winter sports destinations 20 great winter sports destinations Best ways to get sweaty in the snow. Don't forget your sunscreen By Winnie So 21 December, 2011 Whether you’re a snow bunny looking for a bit of glamorous, off-piste fun or a powder hound itching for a fix, there’s plenty of frolicking to be had for all manner of snow lovers. For snow bunnies Classic movies made these hills glam, but please resist the one-piece neon snowsuit. 1. Aspen, United States Aspen has a reputation for being the winter playground of models and moguls, celebrities and socialites. With four mountains to choose from -- Aspen Mountain, Aspen Highlands, Buttermilk and Snowmass -- there’s plenty of terrain for snow bunnies to give chase. It’s a good idea to conserve some energy for Aspen’s hopping après-ski and nightlife. Grab a few drinks at 39 degrees in Sky Hotel before a sumptuous meal at Nobu’s Matsuhisa or Il Mulino then check out what’s playing at Belly Up . Nearest airport: Aspen, Colorado, United States. Obviously, this is not a spectator sport.

2. Courchevel 1850, France Courchevel 1850 is both the highest in elevation and in prices in the Three Valleys (Les Trois Vallées of Courchevel, Méribel and Les Menuires), which now includes a fourth valley -- Maurienne. There’s plenty of entertainment off-piste. Hot and happening après-ski spots include Le Tremplin or Kudeta . Or dance till the wee hours in Les Caves or La Grange . Nearest airports: Lyon, France or Geneva, Switzerland or by rail to Moûtiers Salins. Which kind of junkie would you rather have in your family? 3. St. Moritz, Switzerland If you prefer your fun a little less alcohol-fueled, Saint Moritz offers more for the adrenaline junkie. There’s the famed Cresta Run , a toboggan run exclusively for daredevils where the top speed can hit 140 kph. Or try the Bob run , the world’s last remaining natural ice run from St Moritz to Celerina (1,722 meters).

For those who perfer watching men prove their athletic prowess on racing steeds, there’s the annual St Moritz World Cup Polo on Snow . Nearest airport: Engadin, Switzerland or rail to St. Moritz. Whistler, BC's friendliest city. 4. Whistler-Blackcomb, Canada Whistler-Blackcomb is a great place for ski and snowboard-loving parents to introduce their toddlers to the piste. Many of the resort’s facilities have been designed to ensure a great learning experience for young children. There are designated “Go Slow” and “Family” zones as well as kid centers on both Whistler and Blackcomb mountains. In Blackcomb, there’s a Big Easy Terrain Garden and a children’s adventure park complete with a ski-through castle. There are fully-licensed childcare programs for kids as young as 18 months old so even new mommies get a chance to hit the slopes. Nearest airport: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. "Good work, son. Now where did you pack those cookies for dad?" 5. Beaver Creek, United States Beaver Creek loves kiddies. For seven weeks over the winter season, the resort organizes special family activities with complimentary offers for kids.

Outside of those weeks, kids will still have a blast with complimentary après-ski chocolate chip cookies at 3 p.m., and every week there’s storytelling on the hill and an in-village street fair with music, magic and more. Nearest airport: Eagle, Colorado, United States. Junior Sean Whites in training. 6. Club Med, Worldwide Club Med’s all-inclusive resorts (no extra charge for equipment) are known the world over for being family-friendly. Their ski resorts in Chamonix-Mont Blanc and Villars-sur-Ollon offer Baby Club Med childcare for babies as young as four months old. For older kids, there are tailored programs for different age groups all the way up to teens. From four years old, kids can join their own ski or snowboarding classes. And in their Méribel and Val Thorens resorts, there’s the added convenience of ski-in-ski-out, especially handy for parents who don’t want to have to carry their tired children’s skis. Various locations in France, Switzerland, Japan and China. Back on track. 7.

Yellowstone Club, United States Yellowstone Club, an invitation-only residential club, lost a bit of its luster when it filed for bankruptcy protection in 2008, but it did re-emerge from bankruptcy the next year. The saga of this exclusive ski domain was documented in a New York Times article , which named a few of its illustrious members who had had to fork out upwards of US$5 million for a home in the development as well as a joining fee said to be US$250,000 and annual fees of US$20,000. In addition to skiing, there’s also golf. Nearest airport: Gallatin Field, Montana, United States. Great place for a fortieth. 8. Big Horn Revelstoke, Canada This private chalet offers heli-skiing in and around Revelstoke Mountain Resort . For C$64,500-75,000 (US$63,690-74,060) during peak months, 16 people get exclusive use of this chalet, complete with its own helipad, for seven nights. The helicopter costs are extra.

The chalet does come with chefs and housekeepers though, and is equipped with a bar, poolroom, private cinema, outdoor hot tub, indoor exercise pool, gym, sauna and massage room. Nearest airport: Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada. Shred cheese, then slopes. 9. Dolomites, Italy Foodies can’t really go wrong in Italy, and the Dolomities is a great marriage of Italian cuisine and superb skiing. After a day making the round on the Sella Ronda , which takes skiers from village to village and mountain to mountain, it’s time to re-fuel with some carbohydrates. A popular dish in this region is the casunziei, half-moon-shaped pasta filled with beet, spinach or other vegetables and are typically drizzled simply with melted butter, poppy seeds and parmesan shavings. To warm-up on the slopes, stop off for a bombardino, a mixture of eggnog, brandy and espresso topped with whipped cream. Nearest airport: Venice, Italy. Where Audrey met Cary. 10. Megeve, France M is for Megeve, but it can also be for Michelin stars.

While skiers can access 445 kilometers of ski pistes connected by 116 lifts in and around Megève, they can also build up calories thanks to the likes of Marc Veyrat , the first chef to score a perfect 20/20 from Gault Millau for both his restaurants, starting with La Ferme de Mon Père (which has since been sold due to Veyrat’s deteriorating health). Since then, there have been other additions such as Flocons de Sel and Les Roches . At the top of Mont d’Arbois, stop by the Rothschild-owned L’Idéal 1850 for a spectacular meal. Nearest airport: Geneva, Switzerland. "I think I see golden arches between those two peaks." 11. Niseko, Japan Japanese ski resorts are often lacking when it comes to dining, with fast-food joints populating the mountains. Fortunately, with the boom of international skiers and boarders in Niseko making the most of its four amazing resorts -- Niseko Village, Annapuri, Hanazono and Hirafu -- the scene has improved.

Kamimura Restaurant , owned by Tetsuya-trained chef Yuichi Kamimura and Ezo Seafoods bring this family-friendly area into the culinary world. Those who prefer to stay in have the option to have their dinners catered by Niseko Gourmet or The Niseko Company . Meanwhile skiers look forward to the opening of Capella 's exclusive hotel and residences at the foot of Annapuri where rooms will feature private onsens when they open in 2013. Nearest airport: New Chitose (Sapporo), Hokkaido, Japan or by rail to Niseko. The only place in the world known for powdery sand and fluffy snow. 14. Mammoth, United States TransWorld Snowboarding gave Mammoth the top spot for its pipe and second place in the overall resort category. It takes guts aplenty to go for gravity-defying glory on a monster pipe, and the six-meter-deep Super Duper, Olympic-size pipe at Mammoth is exactly that. For those just getting their footing, there’s also the four-meter Canyon pipe and the five-meter Super pipe.

For some jaw-dropping, breath-stopping inspiration, check out Olympic gold medalist Shaun White at the Olympic qualifiers . Nearest airport: Mammoth-Yosemite, California, United States. A glamorous place to sit nearly naked, outdoors, watching the snow fall. 18. Dunton Hot Springs, United States There are hot springs all over Colorado, but few are as charming and luxurious as Dunton Hot Springs. Close to Telluride , this once-abandoned mining town has been restored, complete with an Old West saloon and dance hall, and has enough cabins to accommodate 42 people. The whole town can be rented for a celebration. In winter, a host of activities from heli-skiing to dog-sledding and ice climbing are available. For those who prefer to watch the snow fall, the outdoor calcium bicarbonate hot spring pools offer the perfect vantage point. Nearest airport: Durango, Colorado, United States. St.

Moritz: ‘Cresta Run’ – Pullman Editions Dimensions: 97 x 65.5 cms Price £329.17 Add to Basket Run down: bold depiction of the drama and daring of the spectacular Cresta Run, very much part of the winter sports legend, and recalling an era when consciously modern art movements informed stylish poster design. The famous Cresta Toboggan Run, three-quarters of a mile in length and with a sheer drop of over 500 feet, is unchallenged as the jewel in the crown of Alpine sporting pursuits. Veteran bobsleighers extol the merits of the specially constructed ice-run at St. Moritz, an experience not preferred by the fainthearted. St Moritz: The Cresta run - Telegraph Switzerland St Moritz: The Cresta run In spite of extensive modernisation, an atmosphere of privilege and style endures at the home of the Cresta Run, writes Peter Hardy 12:00AM GMT 13 Nov 2000 IT is eight o'clock on a bitter morning in the Swiss Engadine and my friend Amin has suddenly stopped gibbering inanely about the weather.

Instead he has adopted the unnatural calm of a soldier in the final moments before battle. Riding on ice: horse racing on the frozen lake is a popular winter attraction in St Moritz It takes some skill, and rather less than a minute, to ride the three-quarter mile ribbon of polished ice known as the Cresta Run which links St Moritz with the lower lying village of Celerina. It also requires either a mountain of courage or a total absence of imagination. Yesterday Amin fell, crashing out of the track into a pile of straw bales and narrowly escaping injury from the toboggan, which is so heavy that it takes two people to lift it. The experience has unnerved, but not apparently deterred, him. Most of us would say that to hurtle voluntarily through 10 banked bends at a speed of up to 60mph, while lying head-first on a heavy steel toboggan with your nose three inches off the ice, is tantamount to complete insanity. The risk of injury appears unacceptably high. In the course of two hours, I saw two riders taken to the hospital where another lay comatose in intensive care from an appalling accident the previous week.

Yet every winter for over a century, fresh-faced, young and predominantly British holidaymakers gather at dawn in the track-side club house of the St Moritz Tobogganing Club for their initiation. In theory, anyone can become a temporary member of this last crusty bastion of Alpine colonialism - provided of course that he is male. Women are not allowed. To take your place among the handful of novices each day all you need is sufficient bottle and the requisite £200 for instruction and five rides. In practice, the overwhelming majority of the British riders appear to fall into that same social bracket for such winter pastimes dictated by Sir Henry Lunn, the forefather of the ski package holiday. To qualify for inclusion in his trips to Mürren in 1911 you had "to be educated at a public school or a university, or to have held a commission in the Army or Navy". In 90 years, little seems to have changed. The atmosphere in the St Moritz Tobogganing Club this February dawn reminds me unwillingly of long-forgotten schooldays.

Listening to the stentorian chatter in the club room and to the beginners' briefing, one couldn't help but surmise that those who missed out the first time on gaining the coveted prefect's badge were enjoying a second bite at the cherry. "Gentlemen, you are here to enjoy yourself, you are not here to end up in hospital," intoned a veteran member, "but if you don't do as you are told, you certainly will - you there in the green jersey, I'm saying this for your own good so you would be well advised to wake up and listen. "Never wear your signet ring, or those things that I understand are called wedding rings. If you fall and damage your arm, the doctor will have to cut if off - the ring, I mean. Riding the Cresta and doing nothing is bloody dangerous. Unless you control it, your toboggan will not stay in the run and you will fall at the corner called Shuttlecock. "In the event of this happening you must follow my instructions exactly, otherwise you will get the Cresta Kiss. That's what we call it when a bit of your face is taken away . . ." It was time to take myself away.

The Cresta, founded by a British group of recuperating TB patients in 1885, is the source of the international fame of St Moritz. But it is only a single component of the greatest of all winter sport playgrounds that is currently undergoing a mighty renaissance. Back in 1864, a hotelier called Johannes Badrutt famously overheard a group of four Englishmen bemoaning their imminent departure for London at the beginning of autumn. He suggested they return in the New Year, and promised to pay for their journey if there was less sunshine than in summer. Winter sports were born and St Moritz was the arena. Over the years its name has become so synonymous with wealth and style that the resort took legal action in 1986 to protect itself as a brand name in 50 countries around the world. The Cresta and the nearby bobsleigh grab the limelight, but a startling diversity of entertainment is centred around the lake, which freezes solid without fail each winter. Not only can you skate and curl, but you can also play golf and ice hockey as well as watch horse-riding, polo, and even cricket on the frozen lake.

Of course, you can also ski, but this remains just one of many ways of passing the daylight hours before the serious business of dining at Chesa Veglia and dancing the night away at the Kings' Club. In 1907 the Ski Club of Great Britain recorded: "It is curious that, whilst among the Engadines ski-running is so popular, the sport should languish amongst the English Colony. The Visitors' Club does not suffer from lack of money, but from what is of much more importance - lack of energy." Still, today, a high proportion of visitors conserve their strength for bouts of shopping in the fabulous boutiques of St Moritz, with a break for a four-course lunch followed by the ritual apres-ski coffee and cakes at Hanselmann's. Lunch means La Marmite, a pretentious-looking restaurant on the piste at Corviglia. Hartly Mathis, the first man to bring haute cuisine to the high mountains, still makes guest appearances in the kitchen where caviar and truffles are counted by the kilo. In high season you need to book a fortnight ahead.

His son Reto presides over the two daily sittings at what many would argue is the finest lunch-spot above 2000m in the world. Business is as good as ever, but these days Reto makes more from marketing his most prized concoction. This is not a dish, but a culinary machine that produces perfect al dente pasta at the flick of switch. Money, like snow, has never been lacking in the richest of all resorts. St Moritz has started to update its 55 lifts and plans to spend a further £175 million doing so over the next 12 years. At the same time, its four most famous five-star hotels are investing a further £125 million to bring facilities in line with the 21st century demands of their high-profile clientele. The greatest of these is the Suvretta House, a resort-within-a-resort that has its own ski lift, ski school, skating rink and three mountain restaurants. The hotel stores from year to year the skis and entire winter wardrobe of regular guests.

In the halcyon days that followed the First World War, the Maharajah of Hyderabad took up the offer and arrived with 500 trunks and 300 pieces of hand luggage. Nijinsky - the dancer, not the horse - gave his last public performance in the ballroom. Other guests have included King Farouk, the Aga Khan, the Shah of Iran, Eva Peron, and even Lenin. It is the only Alpine hotel I have stayed in where a man has to wear a dinner jacket to dine in the main restaurant. Critics argue that this legacy of grandeur from a bygone age is unnecessarily stuffy. While older visitors enjoy the formality, such a policy might deter younger, more sports-conscious guests. Entering this magnificent dining hall is an intimidating experience. You can't help but feel you have inadvertently intruded on a convention of the super-rich, who have been seated at the same tables for your entire lifetime. To counterbalance this image, the hotel opened the Teddy Bear Club kindergarten, which has its own children's restaurant. Last summer the hotel closed for the first time in its history for a complete makeover to give it more youth appeal.

It re-opens this Christmas with improvements that include a giant indoor swimming pool, as well as indoor and outdoor hot-tubs. But by far the biggest changes in St Moritz have taken place on the slopes. New lifts make the three main ski areas much more accessible and have dispensed with nearly all of the bottlenecks that plagued them. Corviglia, reached by train from the town or from the Suvretta by its own lift, provides plenty of intermediate cruising. Corvatsch on the other side of the valley and Diavolezza-Lagalb offer more advanced terrain. Down in Celerina at the end of the Cresta, my friend Amin is still lost for words as he completes his run in a creditable 63 seconds and his toboggan is hauled aboard the support lorry for the return journey to the top of the track. It takes 15 minutes for the look of fear to leave his face and his heartbeat to return to normal. Would he do it again? Amin takes some time to consider the question. "No," he says eventually, "not in a million years. But I'll come back to St Moritz whenever I can." So, for that matter, will I.

Peter Hardy's trip to St Moritz was arranged by Momentum Ski (020 7371 9111, ): a seven-night stay costs around £1,100. Price is half-board per person and is based on two people sharing a standard double room, including Swissair flights and first-class rail transfers. Cresta Run, St. Moritz Cresta Run, St. Moritz ABOVE: A rider brakes by sliding back on the sled and digging in his toe cleats. By Durant Imboden To most people (especially in North America), the word "toboggan" evokes memories of flat-bottomed wooden sleds bouncing down a snow-covered hill in a neighborhood park. At the Cresta Run in St. Moritz, Switzerland, the term has an altogether different meaning: it's used to describe a steel "skeleton sled" that may reach speeds of nearly 80 mph (129 km/h) over its 3/4-mile or 1.2 km course from St. Moritz to the neighboring village of Celerina.

A Victorian legacy The Cresta Run had its beginnings in the autumn of 1884, when George Robertson and Charles Digby-Jones of the British winter residents' Outdoor Sports Committee staked out a course from above the Hotel Kulm to the outskirts of Celerina. When the snows arrived in November, the five committee members went to work. Their labors are described in The Cresta Run 1885-1985, the centenary anniversary book that Roger Gibbs wrote for the St. Moritz Tobogging Club: With their boots swathed in coarse bandages they linked arms and trudged their way time and again along the line that had ben staked out until the snow was trampled down for the frost to harden. The building of the banks was an even more complicated drawn out and complicated affair and all in all it took almost nine weeks to build the first Cresta Run. With the help of endless carrying of buckets the Run was iced throughout. In early January, the new Run's builders invited the British community in Davos, Switzerland to send over ten tobogganists for a "Grand National" competition, thereby starting a racing tradition that has been broken only by two World Wars.

Olympics Note: At the 1928 Olympic Winter Games in St. Moritz, skeleton tobogganing was an official sport: a distinction it hasn't enjoyed since, perhaps because Cresta-style tobogganing--like Swiss wines--is best enjoyed within Switzerland's borders. A century of evolution As the years passed, the Cresta Run's toboggans evolved from tall wooden sleds of the classic European design into low, streamlined platforms designed to reduce wind resistance and provide greater stability in tight corners. The riding technique also changed from sitting upright to lying face down with the head forward, using body position and toe cleats to control direction, speed, and braking. (The sliding seat was added in 1902, but some of today's fastest riders are again using fixed sleds.) Nowadays, the Cresta's skeleton toboggans resemble mechanics' creepers with steel tubing underneath. Athletic "tobogganers" in sleek wet suits and crash helmets grasp handles near the front of the sled, lying flat or pushing themselves upwards as necessary to negotiate the straightaways and treacherous curves of a course that drops 514 feet (157 meters) and has an average gradient of 13 per cent.

A skilled toboganner can finish the 3/4-mile run in less than a minute, for an average speed of more than 45 miles (72 kilometers) an hour. ABOVE: The Cresta Run's clubhouse is located at Junction, below the aptly named Church Leap. A ride for the fearless In The Cresta Run 1885-1985*, Roger Gibbs describes a ride down the ice chute on a skeleton toboggan: In order that as much riding as possible can take place each day, before the fierce sun softens the ice, races start as early as 8:30 a.m. At that hour in the morning it is usually bitterly cold. The competitor waits his turn at the top of the Run, with a feeling of apprehension and excitement. The bell tolls. Although now committed in the Run he is relieved the waiting is over and he is on his way. The first hundred yards are relatively uneventful but the rider knows only too well that the drop in the next three-quarters of a mile is 514 feet, a fall of 1 in 7.7, with his eyes only four inches above the Run.

Soon he is under the road bridge just before Church Leap doing about twenty miles an hour--then a sheer drop of one in 2.8 into three very tight corners--Curzon, Brabazon and Thoma. In a matter of seconds his speed has increased to 50 mph as he flashes past the Clubhouse at Junction, down the straight on his way to the right-handed corner Rise, steadying the toboggan before taking the next bend, Battledore. Diving off Battledore into the low, raking, notorious corner of Shuttlecock, round Shuttlecock and into the right-handed bend of Stream before speeding on his way down the long straight toward s the road bridge at Bulpetts--doing nearly 70 mph; under the railway bridge at Scylla, left-handed out of Scylla into the final corner Charybdis and down the last leap, crossing the finishing beam at a speed in the region of 80 mph [129 km/h]. An expert completes this course in about fifty-three seconds or even a little less.

To win any race on the Cresta is a fine achievement for all races are highly competitive, but there are riders who think that even to arrive safely at the Finish at all is a miracle--and in some instances it is! And now, it's your turn. You, too, can risk life and limb on the Cresta Run--providing you're in St. Moritz during the season (which normally runs from just before Christmas through the end of February), are a male over 18 years of age, and can afford the CHF 600 fee. (Women are out of luck--the SMTC is a bros' club.) Your payment entitles you to a beginners' booklet, a quick introduction to the basics of skeleton toboganning, and up to five rides down the Cresta Run with equipment supplied by the club.

Related Web site and article Luxury Holidays St Moritz | Switzerland | Original Travel View Gallery Our guide to holidays in St Moritz St Moritz is famous for the thrilling Cresta Run , descending the ¾ mile long run at speeds in excess of 60 mph (the best riders approach 80 mph), your face just inches above the surface of the ice, is the ultimate in adrenaline fixes. St Moritz also has a range of alternative winter activities on offer, including skiing, dog sledding, snow-shoeing, or curling. In the evening soak up the resort's great nightlife and cosmopolitan ambience. Expand Original Highlight It's hard to beat knocking back Martinis with the Euro 'in' crowd at the Kempinski after a long day on the slopes! Dave, Original Traveller A note on price A luxurious family ski holiday in Zermatt can be yours for about £10,000 or so. The Cresta Run experience should be something to tick off everyone’s bucket list: three friends staying in separate accommodation can experience the thrill for less than £2,000 each. Learn more about our pricing Weather in January January February March April May June July August September October November December Average Temp.

— 1°C / 33°F Rainfall — 7cm / 2.8 inches Average Temp. — 1°C / 33°F Rainfall — 6cm / 2.7 inches Average Temp. — 5°C / 41°F Rainfall — 6cm / 2.4 inches Average Temp. — 8°C / 46°F Rainfall — 6cm / 2.6 inches Average Temp. — 13°C / 55°F Rainfall — 8cm / 3.2 inches Average Temp. — 16°C / 60°F Rainfall — 9cm / 3.9 inches Average Temp. — 18°C / 64°F Rainfall — 9cm / 3.6 inches Average Temp. — 18°C / 64°F Rainfall — 11cm / 4.5 inches Average Temp. — 15°C / 59°F Rainfall — 7cm / 3.1 inches Average Temp. — 10°C / 50°F Rainfall — 6cm / 2.4 inches Average Temp.

— 5°C / 41°F Rainfall — 8cm / 3.3 inches Average Temp. — 2°C / 35°F Rainfall — 7cm / 2.8 inches Snow Sledding History A Brief History of Snow Sledding in Europe Did you know that the "Sport" of Sledding started in the Alps? In 1883 in Davos, Switzerland, an Australian student named George Robertson won what is reputed to be the world’s first international sled race. He outslid 19 other competitors from England, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland and the United States on a four kilometre stretch of road from St. Wolfgang to the town of Klosters. The term "Davoser" is still used today to describe the Traditional Wooden Sled, Sledge or Toboggan. Our "Tracker" Sled is based on this Classic Design. In the nearby Swiss Valley of Grindelwald, another version of the Traditional Wooden Sled was developed. It had a looping "Ram's Horn" feature in front providing a better grip for riding while seated upright. This type of sled is still referred to as a "Grindelwalder".

Our "Bighorn" sled is based on this Classic Bentwood Design. In the winter sports town of St. Moritz in 1884, British Major William Bulpett, with the backing of winter sports pioneer and Kulm hotel owner Caspar Badrutt, constructed "Cresta Run", the first sledding track of its kind in St. Moritz. The track ran three-quarters of a mile from St. Moritz to Celerina and contained 10 turns. In the early days of competitive sledding, the predominant style was "luge" racing (lying on one's back). The "head-first" style was first used in the 1887 Grand National competition . By 1890 all competitors were riding head-first. This style of sledding became known as "Cresta" racing. In 1892, the original "Davos" style sled was transformed by an Englishman named L. P. Child. Many thought the the newly designed "bare-bones" sled resembled a skeleton. For this reason the sport of individual "head-first" sledding eventually became known as "Skeleton" racing.

The Cresta Run is still used today and is one of the few tracks now dedicated primarily to Skeleton style sledding. When the Winter Olympic Games were held at St. Moritz in 1928 and 1948, the Cresta Run was included in the program, marking the only two times "Skeleton" racing was included as an Olympic event before its permanent addition to the winter games in 2002. "Bobsledding", with multiple riders, was also developed in Switzerland in the late 1800's. The larger sleds got their name because early racers thought they could get more speed by bobbing their bodies backward and forward. Originally two Skeleton sleds were joined to make a single bobsled. This meant that they were equipped with four runners, much like the four wheels of a car. The first organized Bobsledding competition was held on the Cresta Run on January 5, 1898, with five-passenger sleds. (Two of the passengers had to be women.) Speeds on the mountainside became dangerously fast, so an artificial bobsled run with a gentler slope was built at St. Moritz in 1902.

The popularity of the sport led to the introduction of Bobsled racing to the Olympic Games in France in 1924. The Luge competition was introduced to the Winter Olympic Games in Innsbruck in 1964. . Travel poster created in 1918 by Emil Cardinaux for the Swiss Alpine winter sports resort village of Davos. As Switzerland became a popular travel destination at the turn of the century, the need for promotion arose. Emil Cardinaux created the first "modern" poster, his 1908 Matterhorn. It stunned the public with its rich coloring and grand simplicity. For two decades, the Swiss continued to create beautiful illustrated posters for their ski resorts, thermal spas, and alpine retreats. Davos , 1918 Winter: Where can one get the best tobogganing practice before tackling the Cresta Run in St Moritz? - Quora Quora Winter: Where can one get the best tobogganing practice before tackling the Cresta Run in St Moritz? In Europe. For someone with no tobogganing experience at all.

Written Feb 16, 2015 Firstly, tobogganing (aka Skeleton) down the Cresta Run is not the sanest endeavour I tell you. I've done it with hockey skates tons of times (and a few times on snow shovels during nights when the trains had already stopped ;-) ), but never with a toboggan so my answer won't qualify. First, there's two tracks; the bobsleigh-track which is purely for that purpose (and Bobrun-Skating with hockey gear, which they discontinued unfortunately). And there is the tobogganing track where you go down on a heavy race toboggan, HEADS FIRST! As for practice I highly recommend the Preda-Bergün Track: From St. Moritz, the train takes you to the starting point in Preda in about 20/25 Minutes. There you can rent a toboggan (get the "raciest" model) for a few practice runs. But keep in mind, that it's not going to be the same experience as on the Cresta Run as you will be tobogganing FEET FIRST on snow (50 km/h).

But anyway, at least you will get a (very vague) feeling for the speeds you'll be experiencing on the CR on ice (80 - 130 km/h). Otherwise I recommend getting into very good physical shape as crashes are not uncommon and will be very painful if you're not in good shape - promise. As for the admittance on the Cresta Run I can't say that you will be eligible for a run as it's a club and I don't now if they allow outsiders to have a go (EDIT: actually, for CHF 600.-- you can take a beginners course during non-race days; the introduction to the day is called "Death Talk"; see vids below for justification). 288 Views St Moritz Travel Tips from Rail Europe Enjoy snowboarding in St. Moritz. Panaramic view of beautiful St. Moritz. Panoramic view of the Upper Engadine Alps with Piz Corvatsch to the right. Night in St. Moritz in the Upper Engadin, Graubuenden's world-famous winter sports region. Mountain bikers at Suvretta Pass above St. Moritz.

Where Sybarites Come to Ski and Be Seen Looking for glamour, charm, ambience, excitement and the opportunity to ski in one of the most fashionable areas of the Swiss Alps or, perhaps, even the world? Pack your bags, your snowsuit, your après-ski ensemble and fashionable Swiss Travel Pass and head to St. Moritz, Switzerland. Situated next to Engadine 's lakescape at 1,856 meters above sea level, the bubbly "champagne atmosphere" is as legendary as the St. Moritz sun, which shines on an average of 322 days a year. This trendy resort city attracts aristocracy, jet-setters, movie stars, and now…you. On the southern side of the Alps in the Upper Engadine, St. Moritz was originally known for its mineral springs, likely discovered by the Celts some 3,000 years ago. From Roman times through the Middle Ages, visitors came here in summer to experience the spring waters' curative powers. It was not until 1834 that the first winter guest stayed in the area.

The earliest skiers appeared on the scene in 1859 and in 1864, a pension owner, Johannes Badrutt, brought a group of English people to St. Moritz to spend the winter, starting what has grown into a flood of tourism. In 1896, he opened a hotel, the Badrutt Palace, which is one of the most luxe ski chalets in the world. Besides plush skiing, you can experience Cresta Run, the world's first bobsled run; the tobogganing run on Muottas Muragl as well as horse and greyhound races, polo, cricket and curling tournaments on the frozen lake. The St. Moritz Gourmet Festival and the St. Moritz Music Festival Snow & Symphony bring thousands of non-sports enthusiasts to enjoy this stunning backdrop. St. Moritz is also the starting point for the unique experience of the sights of Switzerland and Italy on the Bernina Express train. In just 2 ½ hours, you'll make your way through a landscape of glaciers and stone fields as you ride with ease from St. Mortiz to Tirano, Italy.

Relax while you glide through the countryside and enjoy sweeping vistas of Alpine crossings, dramatic gorges, timeless bridges and winding tunnels all through panoramic windows. Then, if you choose to continue on, in the summer, travel by bus through the charming Swiss scenery to Lugano. The Bernina Express serves city pairs including Chur, Lugano, St. Moritz, and Tirano. Experience your vacation in comfort and flexibility on the Bernina Express and the comfortable busses. Don't miss out on this scenic opportunity - be sure to reserve your tickets in advance. When riding along with the Bernina Express, this isn't just travel – it's part of the vacation. Come experience St. Moritz and the surrounding mountains majesty. Where James Bond came to schuss, and fine service is no secret. Contributed by: Lothaire, a Marketing Manager in the eBusiness team, has lived 4 years in Paris and used to take overnight trips on the Eurostar to go clubbing in London. St. Moritz rentals - Villas International: Over 25000 Worldwide Vacation Rentals CRESTA APARTMENTS Celebrities, aristocrats, and world-class skiers all flock to St.

Moritz, one of Europe's leading ski resorts. Considered by many to be the birthplace of winter sports, this fabulous resort offers classic downhill and cross-country skiing, as well as ice skating, bobsledding and tobogganing (which got its start here at the famous Cresta run). St. Moritz enjoys a well-deserved reputation for glamor; its many exclusive boutiques, restaurants and nightclubs help create an unforgettable après-ski scene. St. Moritz enjoys a classic alpine setting, overlooking a small lake and ringed by towering mountain peaks. Traditionally, the town has been divided into two sections: St. Moritz-Bad, the area adjacent to the lake, and St. Moritz-Dorf, the old village overlooking the lake. It is about a 10-15 minute walk between the two parts of the village. We offer a wide selection of apartments in both St. Moritz-Dorf and St. Moritz-Bad, most with wonderful mountain views. Located in attractive, modern chalet-style buildings, the apartments are comfortably furnished and well equipped; most of the larger apartments offer fireplaces. Whatever your choice, you will enjoy easy access to the ski slopes.

INTERIORS Studios include double bed or sofabed, bathroom, living/dining area and fully equipped kitchen. One, two and three bedroom apartments comprise bedroom(s), bathroom(s), living room, dining area and fully equipped kitchen. Furnishings are comfortable and modern; sofabeds are available in some apartments. All apartments offer telephone, radio and TV; some feature fireplaces and/or balconies. FEATURES A wide selection of attractive, modern apartments in the world-famous ski resort of St. Moritz, known for its inimitable combination of superb skiing and exciting nightlife. WINTER PEAK RATES mid Dec. - beginning of Apr. Studio (for 2)

Question: At which European winter sports resort is the Cresta Run?
Answer: St Moritz