Switzerland is a great country for winter sports, whether it’s skiing, ice skating, snowboarding, or even curling. The Olympic sport has a long tradition in Switzerland, and over the centuries many Swiss people have become champions at international curling competitions.
Curling was first introduced to the Swiss by tourists from the British Isles, and it didn’t take long for the sport to become popular throughout the entire country. This detailed guide will tell you everything you need to know about curling in Switzerland, from how the sport was first introduced in the country to the best places for curling in Switzerland today!
Table of Contents
What Is Curling?
Curling is a team sport associated with the Winter Olympic Games. The main goal of curling is for the players to slide the stones across a sheet of ice into the target area, which is made up of four concentric circles. The amount of points that the team gets for one stone depends on which concentric circle they manage to stop the stone in, and the point is to get the stone as close to the circle in the middle as possible.
The winner is the team with the most points in the end. Each team gets eight stones to throw, and it’s the norm that each player should throw two stones. The game ends when all the competing teams (usually two) have thrown all their stones.
When a player throws a stone, two other players can accompany it and sweep the ice in front of it, but they’re not allowed to touch the stone with the brooms.
Also, players from the other team can aim to kick the opposing team’s stones out of the concentric circles – the points are awarded only at the end of the game when all the stones have been thrown, so if you can’t get your stones to the center of the target, you might as well sabotage the opposing team. Because of this, strategy and teamwork are essential to curling.
History of Curling in Switzerland
Curling has a surprisingly long history in Switzerland. It was first introduced in St. Moritz in 1880, and it was tourists from the British Isles who gave Caspar Badrutt the idea to introduce curling to the region. Bardutt was the manager of the Kulm Hotel in St. Moritz, he ended up liking this idea and opened up the first curling club in Switzerland.
For a while, the only curlers in the Alpine country were British and Scottish noblemen. Curling remained a sport exclusive to the rich for decades, which is a sharp contrast to the tradition of the sport in Scotland, where it was accessible to everyone and very much considered a sport of the people.
This all began to change in the 1920s, when the new St. Moritz curling club opened, with a mission to get as many people into curling as possible. The Swiss Curling Association was founded in 1942 and then in 1952, the first women’s curling club was founded.
Best Places for Curling in Switzerland
Curling is a seasonal sport, so as much as there are best places for curling in Switzerland, there are also best times. The standard curling season in most Swiss cities is from October to March, and the sport is generally not something you can enjoy in warm weather.
If you’re traveling through Switzerland in the winter, when most cities have outdoor ice rinks, you might as well get the opportunity to enjoy open-air curling.
In terms of physical locations, most major cities in Switzerland offer curling. You can do it in Zurich, Bern, Basel, Geneva, Lucerne, Lausanne, St. Gallen, and even in some smaller towns like St. Moritz, Neuchâtel, and Morges.
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When it comes to just the best places for curling in Switzerland, St. Moritz deserves an honorary mention because it’s the birthplace of curling in Switzerland. Bern also has a huge curling hall, as does the Curling Center Wallisellen, just outside Zurich.
Curling Competitions in Switzerland
There have been curling competitions in Switzerland ever since the second curling club was founded in St. Moritz. It’s no different today, with dozens of different curling competitions taking place in Switzerland throughout the winter season.
There are friendly tournaments in which anyone can enroll as long as they have a team, but also professional competitions between players at the various curling clubs in the country. Switzerland also takes part in regional and world championships in curling, and more often than not, the country brings home medals.
In fact, Switzerland won three consecutive championships in 2021, 2022, and 2023 in the women’s category, and it wasn’t even the first time that they managed to snag three wins in a row.
Switzerland is much stronger in the women’s curling championships than in men’s for some reason, and I’m betting it has something to do with those photos from the turn of the 20th century, in which you can see women enjoying curling as much as the men.
Switzerland in Olympic Curling Events
Switzerland has a total of seven medals from Olympic curling events. The country’s athletes have brought home bronze, gold, and silver medals in three different disciplines – men’s tournament, women’s tournament, and mixed doubles.
With a total of seven medals, Switzerland takes the fourth place for the best-performing countries in curling events at the Winter Olympics. The top spot goes to Canada, Sweden is second, and Great Britain is third. It’s worth noting that Great Britain actually has one medal fewer than Switzerland, but it ranks higher because half of its medals are gold.
In the last Winter Olympics that took place in Beijing in 2022, Switzerland did not take home any medals. The country’s best result was fourth place in the men’s tournament.
Famous Curling Players in Switzerland
Around 90% of all curling people are from Canada, but Switzerland has managed to produce some very famous people as well. Probably the most notable is Mirjam Ott, who is one of the very few people who managed to win more than one Olympic medal in curling.
There’s also Carmen Schafer, who came to prominence when she won the World Junior Championships back in 1999 and then went on to win the world championship in 2012.
Sven Michel is another famous curling player from Matten, Switzerland. He’s best known for earning a gold medal at the European Curling Championships in 2013.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a newbie try curling in Switzerland?
A newbie can try curling in Switzerland. Many clubs offer introductory courses for beginners, but be warned – it’s very easy to get hooked on this sport.
What is the equipment needed for curling?
The equipment necessary for curling includes special curling shoes, brooms, and curling stones. You can usually rent the equipment (except the shoes) at places that offer curling.
How popular is curling in Switzerland?
Curling is pretty popular in Switzerland. It’s not as popular as in Canada, but it’s popular enough that there are curling clubs in most cities and small towns in the country.
