Wengen

Where Is Wengen?

Wengen is a small village in the canton of Bern, in the central area of Switzerland. Switzerland has 26 cantons, and the Canton of Bern is the 2^nd biggest of the 26 cantons by both population and surface area. Wengen is located roughly 4,000 feet above sea level. It is within the Jungfrauregion, and it has about 1,300 annual residents, which goes up to 5,000 in the summer and up to 10,000 people in the wintertime.

History

Wengen was initially mentioned in official records in 1268. No one knows the origin of the name.

Wengen is well known as an alpine farming community, and tourists have visited the village since the early 1800s. Major Romantic poets and authors described the scenery of the area. Their writings helped usher in the tourism industry in Wengen.

Hotels and guesthouses started being built in the mid-1800s, when the Launerhaus was opened in 1859, and it accommodated 30 guests. In 1880, the Pension Wengen was opened with availability for 100 guests.

In the early 1900s, British tourists founded ski clubs in the area, starting in the nearby village of Murren.

The first ski races were organized in the early 1920s with the downhill championship in 1921. A ski race was set up between Cambridge and Oxford in 1921. These races were the first to have downhill races instead of Nordic races, which were held in most Swiss resorts.

The events at Wengen were considered the start of Alpine skiing and modern ski racing.

Wengen has a unique history in Switzerland as far as the history of skiing, and it has been a major tourist destination for the last 200 years.

Leisure & Recreation

Wengen is the site of the internationally famous Lauberhorn ski races, and it is part of the Jungfrau Marathon. It goes along that path.

The Lauberhorn ski races have been held in the village since 1930. The races usually consist of a slalom, a downhill run, and a combination event. It is one of the toughest downhill races, and it is the longest race in the FIS World Cup, and the most beautiful and scenic one too. The top racers finish the run in about two and a half minutes and top speeds can reach up to 100 mph.

Wengen is also the site of the Downhill Only Club, which is one of the oldest alpine ski clubs, established there in 1925.