It’s a big season in Switzerland’s Engadin region with the return of the Alpine World Ski Championships and the restoration of the 110 year old Olympic Ice centre to the world-famous Kulm Hotel (where the first winter sports holiday took place in 1864 and the second Winter Olympics were staged in 1928).
The Championships take place from 6 to 19 February 2017 when around 600 athletes from 70 nations will compete in six disciplines: It’s the fifth time the bi-annual Championships have been staged in St Moritz, the last time in 2003, the first in 1934.
There are also permanent improvements on the pistes including a new six-seater chairlift designed by Porsche.
The lift, accessing the Curtinella piste in the Corvatsch sector is the second from the famously cool car manufacturer, which previously designed a chairlift for Laax.
At 2.2km long the new lift is one of the longest anywhere in the Canton of Graubünden. It’s 750 metres longer than the previous lift and has double its capacity, now able to carry 2,400 people per hour.
The Curtinella piste is situated in the very heart of the ski area and links the two mountains of Silvaplana-Corvatsch and Sils-Furtschellas. It’s an especially popular run, according to the lift company, because of its sunny location and hilly terrain
The winter season in the Engadin kicks off on the Diavolezza on 22 October 2016.
