FOR NON- SKIERS
Bergün, Switzerland
The destination: In southeastern Switzerland, the little village of Bergün sits roughly halfway between St. Moritz and Davos by train ( 40 minutes each way), and less than three hours by train from Zurich. ( Train travel in Switzerland is both über-punctual and pleasurable, worth ditching the rental car for.) Its snow- covered streets are lined with Engadine houses, decorated with frescoes and the decorative scratching technique known as sgraffito, and its 800-year-old church is an official heritage site of national significance.
The must- dos: Bergün offers a small ski area as well as skating, cross- country skiing and winter walking, but its claim to fame is “sledging” — and we’re not talking about a little local toboggan hill. Rent a wooden sled with runners (newbies should avoid the fast “sport” models and request some instruction on turning and stopping) and take it on one of two mega sled runs. Start on the sixkm trail from the nearby station of Preda, a 15- minute train ride uphill via three corkscrew tunnels through the mountains — lit up after dark, it’s Europe’s longest nighttime sledding route. For a change of pace, ride the chairlift on the local ski area for the fourkm zigzag back to the village. Be prepared to have so much fun, you’ll want to do laps.
berguen-filisur.ch