Davos Nordic 2025: Highlights, insights and tips

During Davos Nordic, the entire cross-country skiing world's attention is focused on the Alpine town. Six FIS Cross-Country World Cup races are on the program for the weekend of December 12th to 14th. Around 10,000 spectators are expected at the Bünda Stadium over the three days. For the first time in the event's more than fifty-year history, the competitions will be broadcast live on ARD: "We were happy to move the start times forward by 15 minutes for German television," says Organizing Committee President Peter Engler. A first highlight is already scheduled for Friday: Starting at 5 p.m., the finals of the women's and men's team sprints will take place. This discipline was introduced last year and was extremely well received by the public. Further tips and information about Davos Nordic can be found in the following five facts.

Five Facts about Davos Nordic

Weather and Snow
Thanks to snow farming on the Flüela Pass road, 4.5 kilometers of cross-country ski trails are guaranteed in mid-December; the rest will be covered with artificial snow. This reliable snow cover is a particular strength of Davos. Other organizers in Central Europe have had to hold their races on very short courses in recent years due to a lack of snow. The organizers are hoping for blue skies and 10 to 15 centimeters of fresh snow. "That will provide the best pictures," says organizing committee president Peter Engler. Ideal temperatures for the event are -2 to -3 degrees Celsius during the day and -6 to -7 degrees Celsius at night. It will be uncomfortable for the athletes at temperatures below -15 degrees Celsius – at which point the FIS no longer permits races.

The Course
The distance course is five kilometers long and traditionally leads into the Flüela Valley. Spectators can position themselves at the snow farming area in the Flüela Valley and cheer on the athletes from there. The so-called "Cologna-Stutz" also offers a short but exciting glimpse into the race. However, the most attractive viewing spot is the start and finish area in the Bünda Stadium – not least because of the atmosphere.

The Athletes
The athletes are very happy to come to Davos for the Cross-Country Skiing World Cup: They spend the weeks leading up to it in Sweden, Norway, and Finland, where the days are very short at this time of year. They look forward all the more to the light and sun in the mountains – some of them even stay in Davos until the end of the year. This year, athletes from 51 nations will be competing, around 250 per race. The Swiss team, which delivered a strong performance at the Cross-Country Skiing World Championships in Trondheim, is sure to be a highlight. A particular highlight is the appearance of American cross-country skiing icon Jessie Diggins, who loves the night sprint in Davos – she will end her career after this season.

The Most Successful Nations
Among the most successful nations at Davos Nordic are Sweden and Norway – as well as Russia, which, however, has been banned from competitions by the FIS since the war in Ukraine. Nadine Fähndrich from Switzerland won the sprint two years ago. For the men, a victory is a bit further back: Toni Livers won the 15 km individual race in 2007. Incidentally, Dario Cologna has never stood on the top step of the podium at Davos Nordic – a fact that apparently still bothers him to this day.

Failures, Bad Luck, and Mishaps
In the 1980s, Davos Nordic had to be canceled once due to rain – at that time, there were no technical means of snowmaking available. The event in 2024 – which also marked its 50th anniversary – was a resounding success, but also a huge organizational challenge. Davos Nordic took place during the first week of January as part of the Tour de Ski. Finding enough hotel rooms in the middle of peak season proved difficult. The hotels, the mountain railway, and the ski school were also unhappy with this date.