skip navigation
Sunny shot of Graubünden [Swiss Epic]

Welcome to Graubünden – where Swiss Epic takes place for the first time in its

By Epic Series, 12/17/18, 1:00PM HST

Share

Swiss Epic is exploring uncharted territory and there couldn’t be a better place for it than the home of trails – Graubünden.

Beautiful sunny landscape of Graubünden

Swiss Epic is exploring uncharted territory and there couldn’t be a better place for it than the home of trails – Graubünden. Over five days you’ll be able to enjoy the seemingly endless course network and the most flowing trails you can expect in Europe. But Swiss Epic is more than just biking – in addition to socializing with mountain bikers from all over the world, it’s an all-around adventure for you and your mate. Without any doubt the race will be the highlight of your adventure, however Graubünden offers you the cherry on top of the Swiss Epic cake.

Graubünden – the biggest region in Switzerland – guarantees spectacular views with 1000 peaks, 615 lakes and 150 valleys. Everyone needs a bit of tranquility in their lives and mountain biking in this region certainly delivers a certain peace of mind.

Graubünden mountain shot

The region also boasts two world-renowned icons. Back to our childhood days, we remember rainy weekends in front of the TV with numerous films and TV shows where we admired the happy life of “Heidi”. She is well known all over the world and the story has lost nothing of its magic to this day. Heidi symbolizes the values of home, truth and good deeds, and she has been doing this for 120 years. Finally, the time has come to make dreams come true and experience five days in Heidi’s homeland. Like Heidi, the ibex and Graubünden are a perfect match. Whilst you’re on the course, you can expect plenty of support from Graubünden’s emblematic animal. It’s legendary along the whole country and can even be seen on Graubünden’s coat of arms.

As you can see Heidi and the ibex will warmly welcome you at Swiss Epic and with three official languages spoken, you don’t have to be worried about communicating with other athletes, race officials or locals. You may ask yourself what that has to do with the race, but we need to make sure that you also get your well-deserved reward and recuperation after you have pedaled hard all day long. Therefore, what could be better than cracking a cold one with your teammate after an epic day. Because one thing is proven: Beer is an isotonic drink and aids recovery so that’s how you order a beer in Graubünden:

– Eau vess gugent una biera (Rhaeto-Romanic)
– Vorrei una birra, per favore (Italian)
– Für mich bitte ein Bier (German)

Well then: Viva, salute, prost, cheers.

With this cultural diversity comes the desire to travel and as we know all roads lead to Rome. We’ve never had the time to visit Rome, but we always wanted to see the historical Viaducts. Rome can still be on your bucket list, but viaducts can also be seen at Graubünden and the Swiss Epic. Over 100 years ago, the railway pioneers of the Rhaetian Railway in Graubünden asked themselves how they could get across a gorge. The answer is simple; build a bridge. Yet the results are so much more than simple bridges – viaducts are bold structures of the Rhaetian Railway and engineering masterpieces.

Let us not forget why we are here. Legend has it that Graubünden’s inhabitants have been trail building since centuries, since they had to move somehow before the Rhaetian Railway was in existence and it’s impossible to weave a network of paths 17,000 kilometers long overnight. And the good news for all bikers is that in Graubünden any path is a bike trail too – all of them are rideable. Together with an impactable race organization, the influence and experience of Swiss Epic, the event and Graubünden are an unbeatable combination which promises an unforgettable Alpine experience with a lot of flow and impressive mountain panoramas. Don’t take our word for it: Watch Danny MacAskill and Claudio Caluori rip through the trails:

Despite of this full of highlights packed region and the Swiss Epic on top, we have teamed up with Graubünden to find out what else it needs to feel at home. After a good deal of thought and a hint from our diligent friends of the Rhaetian Railway, we’ve found out: The answer is simple, it’s you. And guess what? The result will be so much more than a simple MTB stage race, it will be the thrill of your lifetime.

Experience Graubünden with us