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wenminliang-blog · 5 years

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If you’d like to visit a winter wonderland and take in all the feels of a fairytale destination, add winter in Switzerland to your travel plans!

You can visit beautiful Christmas markets, partake in fun winter sports – like sledging and skiing (for beginners and kids too), take in snow-covered panoramic views, relax in thermal baths, enjoy beautiful train journeys and relish trying Swiss specialities like Fondue: There are a lot of activities to choose from during winter in Switzerland.

Here are some suggestions for the best things to do during winter in Switzerland.

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Doesn& this look enchanted? Winter wonderland for sure This was the view from the chair lift while coming back to the base. My hands were extremely cold while taking pictures and it is important you carry thick gloves suitable for the snow. Enjoy the serenity and be careful with your things. Apparently,a lot of phones are found down below every year. Have you seen the swiss chocolate tasting video yet? Link in bio! Don& forget to Share your images using and tell us your travel stories. – – – – – – – # mundaun

A post shared by Menorca@EuropeDiaries (@europediariesblog) on Feb 6, 2017 at 10:02am PST

NATURE AND WILDLIFE DURING SWISS WINTERS

For those of you interested in spotting some wildlife and enjoying the stunning landscapes, you could potentially spot some mountain goats or ‘Ibex’ if you stay in a ski resort or accommodations in the . In fact, some destinations like Davos even include offers in their ‘Inside’ package where you can access complimentary activities with locals, like early morning excursions, wildlife spotting, etc.

Some other areas that I recommend for you to enjoy the natural attractions of winter in Switzerland are the Graubunden Region and the Valais Region.

Switzerland has thousands of cable cars and hiking trails, which guarantee panoramic views. On some peaks like Titlis and Glacier3000, you can also go for the Cliff Walk and take part in other snow activities. However, keep in mind that on snowy days, the visibility might be poor from the top of the mountain peaks, so it’s a good idea to ask about the visibility when buying tickets for any cable car ride.

SchneeSelital is a small ski resort in the Canton of Bern, with a spectacular winter sports area, a fun park, and possibilities for snow tubing. The Gantrisch Nature Park is located in that region – it is about one hour from Bern by train or Alpine Bus.

So visit the Nature Park and the lake, look out for wildlife, visit the monastery ruins and enjoy hiking during winter in Switzerland!

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Well Hello there! When you meet a natural poser- Where did I see these lovely mountain goats and what went on? Check out today’s Insta Story for all updates! Switzerland is celebrating this weekend, opening up a lot of UNESCO sites for the public and organizing events. I had known about Belalp for a long time,mostly about the crazy witch ski race they have each year and the myth behind it. But I am so glad I finally took this trip! The views of the Aletsch Glacier, seeing the wild mountain cows and harmless mountain goats, getting to know about the UNESCO site at the World Nature Forum, eating the Valais Rosti- all made it a beautiful day Truly am and there are so many Swiss places still on my wishlist. What places in your current country are still on your wishlist?

A post shared by Menorca@EuropeDiaries (@europediariesblog) on Jun 9, 2018 at 11:59am PDT

CHEESE AND CHOCOLATE TRAINS IN SWITZERLAND

Trains taking you to a Chocolate Factory aren’t just a work of fiction! In Switzerland, you can choose to spend a day visiting both Chocolate and Cheese factories, as well as taking a ride on a special train serving you delicious cheeses and desserts! You can DIY and combine the visits to chocolate and cheese factories in Gruyere in ONE day by following this route. Or you can take one of these special trains to enhance your experience:

The Chocolate Train is a vintage, belle-epoque themed train that runs between Montreaux and the Cailler Chocolate Factory at Broc. If you are staying at Montreaux and would like to go on an organized round trip, the Golden Pass ticket includes a whole day itinerary from 9am to 6pm, including visits to both factories and a visit to the town of Gruyere. http://www.goldenpass.ch/en/goldenpass/offer/view?id=15

You can book the full day tour here.

Aboard The Fondue Train at Bulle, you can go around the Gruyere region for 3 hours, and enjoy fondue along with a meringue dessert, which is included in the ticket. Remember to book the tickets in advance and you can choose to either board the train at 11.20am or at 7.20pm.

CHRISTMAS MARKETS IN SWITZERLAND

Nothing says winter in Switzerland more than a Christmas Market! There are many, many Christmas Markets to choose from in Switzerland, here are some of the larger and better-known markets and the dates for 2018:

Basel Christmas Markets – 22nd November – 23rd December

Zurich Christmas Markets – 22nd November – 24th December

Bern Christmas Markets – 1st December – 24th December

You can find out about more Christmas Markets around Switzerland here.

READ: WONDERING WHERE THE BEST CHRISTMAS MARKETS ARE IN EUROPE? READ ON…

Magical Christmas Market – Montreux Noel

Montreux Noel Christmas Market. Picture Source.

If you are in Switzerland in winter, the best place to visit is Montreux Noel – the town of Montreux’s Christmas festival.

Held for a month each year in the lead up to Christmas, this festival takes place on the edge of Lake Geneva. The main focal point is the great Christmas market but there is more to the festival than this.

There are medieval Christmas activities at the UNESCO listed Chillon Castle. You can watch Santa fly over Lake Geneva every night from the Christmas Market. There are light displays, chocolate making classes and great food.

Our favourite part, after the Christmas market, was taking the train up Rochers-de-Naye mountain to visit Santa Claus’ house. You get to meet the big man himself, and there are activities, food, and skiing. There are also great views from the train.

If you want to get into the Christmas spirit, make sure Montreux Noel is at the top of your list of things to do during winter in Switzerland!

Author: Sharon Gourlay from Simpler and Smarter

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READ: FIND OUT THE BEST CHRISTMAS MARKETS IN GERMANY

WELLNESS: THERMAL BATHS AND RELAXATION

What better way to stay warm during winter in Switzerland than soaking in one of the country’s many thermal baths. There are many to choose from, and one of my favourites is the Termali Salini & Spa in Locarno, which has an amazing location overlooking a lake and the .

If you don’t have a car, why not take a private tour from Geneva to one of the warmest thermal baths in Switzerland.

Winter in Switzerland. Credit: Sarah from Borders and Bucketlists

WINTER FESTIVALS IN SWITZERLAND

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For 3 days last week, several parts of the city of Basel were covered in a carpet of confetti -due to the Fasnacht (Carnival). This reminded me of Holi,the festival of colours, when there are colours everywhere around! Also came up with 4 other similarities between these festivals. Simply click through the link in bio and check it outToday, the festival of Holi is being celebrated in India and other places around the world. Missing out on the celebrations but wish you a fun-filled and colourful year aheadLet me know if you played Holi today or if you have attended either of these festivals in the past. Stay safe and best wishes to you and your loved ones! Link- https://www.europediaries.com/2017/03/basel-fasnacht-similar-to-holi-india/ – – – – – – – –

A post shared by Menorca@EuropeDiaries (@europediariesblog) on Mar 13, 2017 at 10:26am PDT

There are a number of wonderful winter festivals in Switzerland, and a visit to one of them would top off any winter in Switzerland itinerary.

1.Carnival is celebrated in Basel (Basel Fasnacht) and Lucerne (Luzern Fasnacht) – 2019 dates are 11th-13th March in Basel and 28th February – 4th March in Lucerne.

2. The popular Bern Onion Festival celebrates everything onion and garlic and is held on the fourth Monday in November – that’s November 26th in 2018.

3. A more unusual winter event in Switzerland is the Belalp Witches’ Race, where skiers wear scary witch masks and race downhill

4. The Igloo Festival in Adelboden has been running for eight years now and involves building igloos to be judged. It is held 16th-17th March in 2019.

5. Adelboden is also home to the Chuenis bi Nacht – a night skiing race and Ski show held every Friday evening between 1st February and 1st March in 2019.

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Never before I have probably been closer to and felt the heat that strongly..Notice the reaction of the people right there?This was at chienbase today at Liestal,just outside Basel.Fasnacht has begun! @baselswitzerland @visitswitzerland

A post shared by Menorca@EuropeDiaries (@europediariesblog) on Feb 14, 2016 at 1:51pm PST

READ: FIND OUT ABOUT THE MYTHS, LEGENDS AND FOLKLORE FROM SWITZERLAND

World Snow Festival, Grindelwald, Switzerland

Each year, the Swiss alpine village of Grindelwald plays host to the World Snow Festival, where figures and sculptures are carved out of huge blocks of snow.

The festival started back in 1983 when some Japanese artists carved the storybook character Heidi out of snow. These days, artists from around the world come to show off their snow-sculpting skills in the hope of being crowned the winner.

Work on the sculptures takes place in the heart of Grindelwald for the first four days of the festival (dates for 2019 are January 21 to 26) before the rankings are announced on day five.

Whilst a judging panel is in place, the general public is also asked to vote for their favourite from the 14 sculptures created during the festival.

On the final evening, the snow sculptures are illuminated, providing a wonderful spectacle for all to admire – before they melt away in the following days.

Author: Carolyn from Holidays to Europe

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HELICOPTER RIDE OVER THE JUNGFRAU

Panoramic view over the Jungfrau. Credit: mscgerber

When visiting Switzerland in winter there are so many beautiful areas to choose from! From central Switzerland to the French part, in Graubünden or even in the Italian part. Switzerland is full of beautiful places to spend your winter holidays. However, there is one place that stands out for me: The Jungfrau Region!

With its location in between some of the highest and most remarkable peaks of the European Alps, thousands of kilometres of ski slopes and the unique Top of Europe (almost 3500 meters in altitude), which you can reach by train, the Jungfrau Region is simply incredible.

In my opinion, there is something even better than just enjoying the Jungfrau Region in a regular way: By taking a helicopter ride around the area. I decided to do this in the beginning of 2018 – and it was a great decision! While a helicopter ride can be quite pricey, it offers you spectacular views of the Swiss Alps – including the possibility to land on a remote glacier. It was certainly something I will never forget.

Author: Michael Gerber from mscgerber

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What a delight it would be to fly over the Alps! Picture: mscgerber

ADVENTURE SPORTS IN SWITZERLAND

Skiing in Switzerland – Not Just for Regular Skiiers

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The first time I made such a big /snowlady with friends was such a memorable experience It was also the first fime I tried skiing(pics soon) though I ofcourse slipped and fell atleast thrice But,isn& it so much fun to try new things and find out what you love? Today, I want to know what YOU love doing and if anything you tried recently made you fall in love with the activity/place/people etc. I am all ears to hear your stories.So bring them on and keep doing what you love Use to post your photo stories and get featured – @graubuenden @myswitzerland @switzerland.ch @ – – – – ling

A post shared by Menorca@EuropeDiaries (@europediariesblog) on Feb 14, 2017 at 10:24am PST

During winter in Switzerland, skiing is second nature to the Swiss and when it comes to where to ski, there are many places to choose from.

Whether you are a first-timer or a pro, there is somewhere to ski in Switzerland for everyone – you just need to know where to go. Luckily after living in Switzerland for years, I did some research to find out the local’s favourite spots to ski.

Kayaking on Lake Brienz

When we think of an activity like Kayaking, we would usually imagine a sunny day, a clear sky, calm ocean, and all things chirpy. But what if I told you that you can go kayaking during winter in Switzerland?

Snowclad , a lonely lake, cold wind, and hot tea – sounds exciting right? Well, it definitely is.

When we went to Switzerland in winter, we saw an ad in our hostel about winter kayaking and we were instantly excited. We booked our trip immediately.

The kayak trip started in Bonigen, located on the shore of Lake Brienz which is about 30 minutes away from Interlaken by foot or ten minutes away by bus. Once we reached Bonigen, we were surprised to see that we were literally the only people kayaking Lake Brienz.

We kayaked for about three hours and even saw the sunset from our kayaks, in the middle of the lake, the peaks of the snowy turning pink during the finality of the day. We drank hot tea on top of an old castle called Ringgenberg.

It was one of the best and most surreal experiences we had in Europe during Winter for sure.

Author: Parampara and Parichay from Awara Diaries

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Kayaking in Switzerland. Picture: Awara Diaries

Sledging in Champéry

The little town of Champéry, in the francophone part of Switzerland, is a hidden gem. It is the perfect place for you and your family, or a group of friends, to rent out a secluded cabin and spend some internet-free time together.

While many people love to ski and snowboard in Champéry, my absolute favourite activity to do there is sledging. Every incline – from mild ones to steep ones – can be zoomed down on a wooden or plastic sledge (be sure to pack your own!) – it is absolutely exhilarating! Then, at the end of a long day of getting your adrenaline pumping, you can stare off into the magical night sky and see many of the stars of the Milky Way in their brightest beauty.

Author: Sarah from Borders and Bucketlists

Would you try out sledging this winter? Beautiful picture of Champery by Sarah from Borders and Bucketlists.

Snowboarding in Nendaz

Everyone knows that the Swiss Alps is among one of the best places to go skiing or snowboarding in Europe. However, with so many resorts and mountain towns in this small country, it can be hard to pick where to go. We spent last winter gallivanting with our snowboards around Europe and one of our all-time favourite places to snowboard was Nendaz.

The famed 4 Vallées ski resort is known for having some of the best ski terrains in the world, so travelling there just seemed ideal. It’s tough to consider any ski holiday in Switzerland a bargain, especially in comparison to nearby resorts in Austria or Italy, but few resort towns make as many “best of” lists as 4 Vallées, and Nendaz is in the heart of those valleys.

The town of Nendaz lies close to the resorts of Siviez, Thyon, Veysonnaz, and Les Collons. Altogether these resorts make up the 4 Vallées, which have a whopping 412km of ski runs – and most of these are groomed!

If you’re heading to Switzerland in the winter there is no way you can miss heading up the and going for at least one whirl down.

Author: Natasha and Cameron from The World Pursuit Travel

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Portes du Soleil. Credit: Inma Gregorio from A World to Travel

Snowboarding at Portes du Soleil

As a side perk of working five Winter seasons in the Alps, I got to know dozens of ski resorts during my mid-twenties. However, to this day, the ski domain of Portes du Soleil – which comprises 12 ski resorts in the Mont Blanc in France and around the beautiful Lake Geneva in Switzerland – is my favourite and the one I’d recommend to everyone that wants to admire the unique Switzerland landscapes this country is world-famous for.

Not just a stunning spot, Les Portes du Soleil (the doors of the sun, if we were to translate its name) is also a great choice for winter sports – especially snowboarding. It has almost no crowds – unless you decide to visit during public holidays – and there are enough runs to keep you busy for a whole week of exploring and fun.

Les Portes du Soleil has over 650 km of ski pistes to suit all levels, thirty snowparks, 286 ski slopes and 196 lifts in total; which make it one of the largest ski areas in the whole world. Champéry, Champoussin, Morgins, Les Crosets and Torgon – from where you can admire grandiose views of the famous Dents du Midi (3257m) and Dents Blanches (2756m) are in the Swiss part.

It usually opens from mid-December until late April and getting there is the easiest thing ever if you fly to Geneva. Enjoying a shared apartment and package should not break the bank, although rates can quickly increase if you decide to stay in a hotel or choose to travel during Christmas or Easter.

Author: Inma Gregorio from A World to Travel

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Which of these destinations would you first visit? Share your thoughts below and do share this post on social media!

The post The Best Things to do During Winter in Switzerland appeared first on Europe Diaries.

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infinitelytheheartexpands · 2 years

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so everyone, I HAVE to tell you about this egregiously (and utterly hilariously) bad production of Verdi’s I Lombardi alla prima crociata from 2006 in Obersaxen, Switzerland.

“WHERE???” you ask.

Obersaxen, Switzerland, a town with about 800 people. let’s just say there is a reason that this is not an opera hub. nevertheless, there is an opera company in Obersaxen called Opera Viva, and in 2006 the company decided to stage a production of I Lombardi alla prima crociata. and...well, the rest is under the cut because in order to explain how egregiously and hilariously bad it is, it’s gonna take a while:

let us start with the opening.

(for the record, you can watch this whole trainwreck for FREE on YouTube.)

“I don’t remember characters named Elvira or Alvaro in this opera,” you say. and you would be right! (”Abate” just means “abbot”, and that’s what this production calls the Prior of the City of Milan) they just. add two characters named Elvira and Alvaro. anyway.

so here we have Pagano (in blue, and yes he has a manbun), then Arvino (the guy with the yellow cloak), and then on the right with the orange-ish cloak we have Alvaro, who apparently is a Third Brother added for the purposes of...idk, more roles to go around and more voices for parts.

and here is Pirro on the left with Elvira on the right. it will later turn out (thanks to some reassigning of lines) that Elvira is Pirro’s daughter. they sing all of the exposition with the mixed chorus (originally it’s the male chorus telling the female chorus the exposition). this is the beginning of extensive and egregious line reassignment.

courtroom time lol

Giselda (center) and Viclinda (right). for some reason they double up a lot of lines.

here is Pirro auditioning to be the flag-waver in Les Mis

and here is Pirro immediately after bonking the flag into the wall of the set

guys being dudes

Pagano harassing Viclinda while singing his aria. meanwhile Viclinda is staring into the void

in which the assassins are hit with Catholic Guilt

reassigning lines so Giselda tells her mom to go to bed

there is a child dressed as an angel for some reason

they moved the Jerusalem chorus from Act III to here for some reason

Arvino apparently missed his cue to come in here after Pagano thinks he killed him

Alvaro is Here

so the Act I finale is interrupted by a band of Syrian bandits breaking in, holding everyone at arrowpoint, and throwing a net over the 3 girls and dragging them off

reminder: this is still Act I and we are still in Milan. why are these people from Antioch in Milan

we randomly switched the choruses at the beginnings of Scenes 1 and 3 of Act II because why not also there is one (1) belly dancer also they gave a bunch of random people small solos apparently

Viclinda is still very much alive

Oronte and Sofia, lads

random a cappella singing not in the score as scene change music

so the Pagano/Pirro scene goes as normal here but then Pirro comes back 30 seconds later and sings Arvino’s part even though Pirro is a bass and Arvino is a tenor

can’t tell if they changed the words here or if everyone’s diction is just that bad lol

“‘kay everyone time for the lead soprano to sing her big solo number where she’s supposed to be alone onstage so...everyone just pretend like you’re asleep or something idk”

“except Sofia ig”

they reassigned “No, non giusta causa” to SOFIA WHY??? also she only sings like a fourth of it lol and then they just cut to Act III

at this point I’m starting to think they just assigned lines at random because none of this makes sense

not even sure what happened here they just need to get a way to get everyone who isn’t Giselda or Oronte offstage

they cut the scene where Arvino yells at everyone for a while and here during the violin prelude the Crusaders are having a picnic

purple light means heaven

OH THIS IS THE FUCKING FUNNIEST PART

so the directors decided, in their infinite wisdom, to have a bunch of angels bear Oronte’s soul away to heaven by dressing up three little kids as angels and giving them a net and telling them to drag Oronte away

and the kids. are. STRUGGLING:

so they send out two more kids:

one of whom has just very clearly had it with this whole godforsaken idea:

meanwhile, Sofia is here for some reason:

and they turned Giselda’s solo here into a quartet

AND THEN ONE OF THE KIDS’ WINGS FELL OFF:

angel kids are now taking a break:

someone then proceeded to give the kids ropes to tie onto the net blanket thing and pull those to get Oronte offstage:

which did not work either:

and then finally it was time for Oronte’s solo from the afterlife, so Oronte just fucking GOT UP and the kids, presumably exasperated by this point, noped right out of there:

but then they came back:

and then Oronte waved the kids off and they went off in opposite directions:

whoever cast this must have really liked their Pirro because they gave all of Giselda’s lines here to Pirro for some reason (also they cut Giselda’s cabaletta after Oronte left):

Elvira and Viclinda are here for some reason, still very much alive:

also somehow Sofia and Oronte are here:

annnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnd...THE END!!!

yup. egregiously and hilariously bad. not even sure I hit all the big points lol

#opera #opera tag #egregiously bad production work #I Lombardi alla prima crociata #whoever directed this really said 'assign lines at random'#I Lombardi #Verdi #Giuseppe Verdi #I will never be over the kid angel fail #theatre fails #theater fails

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peterslefreak · 4 years

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Last snowboarding day for this #winter, until then! El fin de una temporara, ...¿Y después? . . . #lastday #ultimodia #untilnexttime #thankful #snowboarding #panorama #berge #snow #pow #selfie #rasta #dreadlocks #travel #ferien #theend (en Obersaxen, Switzerland) https://www.instagram.com/p/B8qLQoVgi4s/?igshid=1wf0uzrtg3488

#winter #lastday #ultimodia #untilnexttime #thankful #snowboarding #panorama #berge #snow #pow #selfie #rasta #dreadlocks #travel #ferien #theend

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drjpresents · 3 years

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Mountains, forests, family & friends. (at Obersaxen, Switzerland) https://www.instagram.com/p/CQ9bB6tDrrt/?utm_medium=tumblr

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authorgabrielle · 4 years

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The angle of the jaunty shutters and the verdigris of the window box speak to me. (at Obersaxen, Switzerland) https://www.instagram.com/p/B9m4jfcHCZr/?igshid=sdjvc29ijqcj

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babajeza · 3 months

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Thankful Thursday – All Is Good

Today is a wonderful day! What a view from the kitchen. Heute ist der sonnigste Tag der Woche. Was für eine Aussicht aus der Küche. Da drüben liegt Obersaxen. Cooking from scratch. The food is delicious if I may say so. Wir verwenden nur frische Zutaten. Das Essen schmeckt leckerst. Hours of cutting vegetables. Fresh herbs. Brot vom Beck. I’m thankful for the company and the many good laughs.

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#Andiast #Graubünden #Lagerleben #Skilager #Surselva #Swiss Alps

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roli-we · 4 years

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Good night... . . #instagood #instadaily #beautiful #travel #love #happy #followme #follow #me #switzerland #swissalps #swissmountains #summerday #sunnyday #bluesky #photography #picoftheday #photooftheday #landscape #nature #usa #roadtrip #justgoshoot #makemoments #tacolorstory #sunset #blauestunde #abendrot #winter (hier: Obersaxen, Switzerland) https://www.instagram.com/p/B6qZOXKgl3I/?igshid=4vgm6agwwfb3

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en24news · 4 years

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At least seven packs: Swiss wolf population is growing rapidly

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A biological year lasts from early May to late April. With the presence of at least seven wolf packs, there is a wolf population of around 60 to 70 wolves, as the organization Group Wolf Switzerland writes in a message published on its website overnight on Sunday. The pack lives in the cantons of Graubunden (Surselva, Obersaxen, Beverin), Valais (Val d «Anniviers, Val d» Entremont,…

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#growing #packs #population #rapidly #Swiss #wolf

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toldnews-blog · 5 years

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New Post has been published on https://toldnews.com/sports/skiings-bucket-list-party-even-arnie-cant-miss/

Skiing's bucket-list party even Arnie can't miss

This merry band of Swiss ski racing fans draws crowds like the pied piper and sets a new benchmark in an already unique alpine scene.

It’s a veritable ski cocktail of Euro flag-waving, horn-blowing, bell-ringing revelry — Italians in matching ski jackets with painted faces, Slovenians draped in national flags, plenty of French, Swiss and Germans, some Americans, some Brits and so on. Plus, of course, Austrians in their thousands, including a raucous group of lads in retro 80s ski gear.

All have come to savor the thrills and spills — both during racing and later among the bars, cafes and pop-up stalls — of Kitzbuhel’s infamous Hahnenkamm downhill. It’s earned the reputation as skiing’s toughest test, and, long into the night, its biggest party.

“I wanted to see the race live,” says Norwegian Sture Norevik, clutching a plastic cup of beer. “It’s one of those things I wanted to feel live — not sitting back home on my sofa.” Sture and his three friends arrived from Bergen Wednesday for “one day skiing, the rest fun.”

READ: Why Kitzbuhel downhill is skiing’s wildest race

Smell of gluhwein

Like the scene outside a soccer stadium, stalls sell Austrian scarves and hats and plastic music horns. Men stand outside the ticketed area with signs saying “Suche karten / tickets wanted,” like alpine scalpers. The smell of gluhwein in the morning hangs over the steadily building throng lining the finish area of the legendary Streif track, which snakes down a crest of the Hahnenkamm — literally, “rooster’s comb.”

READ: Kitzbuhel resort guide

The inclement weather forecast in this part of the Tirol, east of Innsbruck, forced organizers to move the race from its traditional Saturday slot to Friday, meaning attendance is down slightly from the usual 30-40,000 revellers.

“In Kitzbuhel, it’s always about the sport,” said a spokesman for the Kitzbuheler Ski Club, hosts since the first official race down the mountain in 1931.

But still they stream in from the railway station next to the Hahnenkammbahn gondola, or from the car parks and packed guesthouses and hotels in town, like an expectant crowd before a big match. In all, nearly 80,000 will arrive over the course of the weekend for the re-arranged Saturday slalom and Sunday super-G. But the downhill is the highlight because of the extreme course, the history, and the seat-of-your-pants racing. No one wants to see a huge crash, but all know it’s part of the deal.

Visit CNN.com/Sport for more news, features and video

‘The people, the atmosphere’

From Chamonix in France comes Liam Giezendanner and his father Eric, carrying a 10 feet tall banner emblazoned with a picture of Blaise Giezendanner — brother and son, respectively. Blaise was fourth in super-G at the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics, and they’ve also followed him to Beaver Creek and Wengen, but for them Kitzbuhel is “beautiful, the best place” to watch him compete.

Among the masses awaiting the start is Claudia Janka, from Obersaxen in Switzerland. She’s there with friends from the fan club of hometown racer Carlo Janka. Her husband’s cousin is Carlo’s dad. “It’s complicated,” she laughs. She follows the circuit to venues such as Garmisch, Bormio, Alta Badia, but Kitzbuhel is her favourite for “the people, the atmosphere.”

From the finish area, spectators can only see as far up as the huge Hausbergkante jump, framed by a sponsor’s banner, so when a bell tolls to begin the 10-second countdown to the 11.30 a.m. start, all eyes switch to the big screen. There, somewhere high above in the clouds, is the sight of Austria’s Hannes Reichelt, wearing bib number one, settling in the starting gate. The crowd joins the count and then roars Reichelt down the track towards the mighty Mausefalle jump.

Only when he approaches the Hausbergkante do eyes switch to the hill to pick up the small dark speck streaking down the white track. He flies the jump and bounces across a horizontal traverse section, before plunging into the finish. An explosion of powder snow denotes Reichelt has come to some sort of stop in front of the grandstands and he gets the green light for race leader. Rock music pumps out, and the racers follow in quick succession.

Groans or roars burst out depending on whether split times are in green, meaning the racer is ahead of pace, or red, meaning they are slower. Germany’s Josef Ferstl beats Reichelt by 0.01 seconds, greeted with equal parts groan and roar depending on local allegiances.

Swiss hero Beat Feuz, a frequent podium finisher without a win at Kitzbuhel, is the seventh man down and takes over the lead before crashing in the finish area. The cow bell band chimes loud and long as massed Swiss flags wave furiously in the snowy air.

READ: How getting fit to ski can help tap into your sixth sense

READ: How to hit 100mph in skiing’s oldest, longest, fastest race

Two racers later Austria’s Vincent Kriechmayer, the winner of the Lauberhorn classic in Wengen last week, pulls off the recovery of a lifetime — and the collective gasps to go with it. He gets twisted off the Hausbergkante and lands awkwardly on one ski, which propels him towards the red safety net at high speed before he gets the other foot down and pulls away with inches to spare. Wonder and awe ripples through the crowd. But behind him, countryman Max Franz takes a heavy fall and ends up with a broken heel bone. Sweden’s Alexander Koell also endures a serious crash and must be helicoptered from the course. He’s later reported to be OK.

Feuz’s time looks more and more impregnable, but then Italian maestro Dominik Paris storms home 0.20 seconds quicker.

There’s still more than 30 racers to come, like lemmings leaping out of the start hut, and the crowd watch with half an eye on emptying glasses. The big screen pics out famous faces, such as former F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone, four-time champion Franz Klammer — known as “The Kaiser” — and Canadian Ken Read, one of the original “Crazy Canucks,” who won in 1980.

Hollywood star and Austrian strongman Arnold Schwarzenegger is a regular visitor, but he’ll appear Saturday for a front-row seat at the rearranged slalom.

The cloud is lifting to allow shafts of sunlight, if not the actual sun, to make an appearance. Aided by an improvement in visibility, Austrian Otmar Striedinger, from start number 27, ratchets up the energy levels again by threatening Paris’ split times before finishing 0.37 seconds back in third.

The crowd seems to breathe a sigh of relief. Former US racer Daron Rahlves tells the story that when he won in 2003 there were no Austrians on the podium and a national newspaper proclaimed it “Black Saturday.”

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Despite Striedinger’s efforts, once the top 30 have gone the result is more or less set. Remarkably, that makes the 29-year-old Paris only the sixth man to win three times or more at Kitzbuhel. It leaves him just one behind Klammer and countryman Karl Schranz, and two adrift of record holder Didier Cuche of Switzerland. It also earns Paris a tidy $84,000.

“I’ve no words to describe this emotion, it’s very special,” he tells reporters later. “It’s not normal to win on this hill three times. It’s just amazing.”

While Paris is talking to the media, the massed ranks of fans — later put at a “very positive” 25,000 — troop towards the bars of Vorderstadt and surrounding streets at the heart of Kitzbuhel’s medieval center. For some the epicenter is The Londoner pub, the spiritual home of the post-race party where in days gone by the winning racers would get behind the bar and pull pints.

And so another layer is added to the Kitzbuhel legend and another raft of ski racing fans can say “I was there.”

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