Geneva: Gateway to the 2010 FIFA World Cup!

Things to Do, What's New — By Sonja Holverson on May 30, 2010 at 8:01 pm

Can’t make it to the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa? Then head for the Swiss Alps! Yes, you read correctly. The 2010 FIFA World Cup action is going on right now in Switzerland. Just hop a train on the Swiss Federal Railways from the Geneva International Airport or other points in Switzerland and head towards the Rhône River Valley (called the Canton of Valais in French or Wallis in German).

In order to acclimate to the higher altitudes of some of the host cities in South Africa and still stay in the same time zone, some of the World Cup teams including the Swiss team selected the Swiss Alps for training. Altitudes at the 2010 FIFA World Cup host cities in South Africa range from about 4’266 feet to the finals in Johannesburg at 5’741 feet.

But hurry, because some teams that were here such as Algeria, North Korea and Greece are already on their way to South Africa. However, The Swiss National Football team is still here and leaving for South Africa on Friday, June 4. Also later departures for the World Cup matches include the Japanese National Football team that leaves on June 6 and the Ivory Coast National Football team team that leaves on June 9.

The Swiss National Football team is clearly planning to place in the 2010 FIFA World Cup finals in Johannesburg because altitude is certainly not an issue for them but rather, their competitive advantage. Since their first game is with the Spanish National Football team which takes place at sea level in Port Elizabeth on June 21, the Swiss National team must be in the Alps working towards their very best performance in the higher altitude for the World Cup finals in Johannesburg. Why else?

The first 2010 FIFA World Cup spectators

So how can you find the 2010 FIFA World Cup national football teams training in Switzerland?

First stop from Geneva International Airport in Montreux, famous for its Jazz Festival that begins early July. The 1 hour 30 minute ride from the Geneva International Airport with a stop in Geneva downtow where others can board, is along the shores of the gorgeous Lake of Geneva (Lac Leman) with views of the French Alps including Mont Blanc, the highest Alp in Western Europe at 17’100 feet. Since the middle of May the “Elephants” from the Ivory Coast have been adjusting from sea level to 1’230 feet on the shores of the Lake of Geneva at Montreux. Now they have moved upwards to practice in Sannenmoeser at 6’233 feet, not far from the famous village of Gstadd. You just need to change trains in Montreux to the direct GoldenPass Panoramic train and arrive in Sannenmoeser in only 1 and a half hours of enjoying beautiful alpine pastures and pristine mountain scenery.

Next stop Crans-Montana in the Canton of Valais at 4’920 feet in the chic villages where the Swiss National Football team will practice. You exit the train from Montreux at Sierre after about a 50-minute ride and then connect to a charming 15-minute climb on a funicular that takes you straight up to the villages with new a vista at every few minutes upward that is breathtaking of the valley below and more magnificent Swiss Alps just across the valley. Since Crans and Montana are twin ski resorts, the Swiss National Football team also have the possibility of experiencing altitudes up to 9’843 feet! Although the Swiss National Football team refers to this as training “camp”, they are staying at the 5* Hotel Royal with wellness facilities including an indoor pool!

After descending the funicular down to Sierre, you can get back on the train which continues on a 20-minute ride to Visp, a small village just before Brig which is on the border with Italy. From there board a bus that is organized by Swiss Federal Railways and climb the thrilling hairpin curves for 50 minutes to the quiet, traffic-free ski and hiking resort of Saas-Fee where the language will change to Japanese! This delightful but lesser-known ski resort where the Japanese National Football team is training is just on the other side of a mountain from Zermatt, famous village just below the Matterhorn.

So what are you waiting for?

[Photo courtesy of Olly Boyo, flickr]