Wengen, Switzerland

Ski Sunday will be in Wengen on 13 January at 1630 GMT on BBC Two.

Elevation area: 1400m - summit: 2700m

The Swiss holiday resort sits at the foot of the imposing Eiger mountain range, in the heart of the Bernese Oberland.

There are 213km of perfectly prepared pistes, 100km of winter walking paths, and 50km of thrilling toboggan runs, all of which are guaranteed to set your pulse racing.

There are no roads leading to Wengen, and public cars are not allowed.

The historic Wengernalp Railway (WAB) offers the only route into the resort.

Built in the 1880s, the railway was the most up-to-date form of transport of the day.

Since the railway was built, Wengen, once a sleepy farming village, has grown into a beautiful holiday destination, which has been able to maintain its character and charm.

This amazing resort offers family fun, hiking, and superb skiing at Männlichen-Kleine Scheidegg and Eiger Glacier.

The World Cup event has been held at Wengen since 1930, and the men's downhill race is one of the great Alpine skiing classics.

Tens of thousands of spectators gather here every year, to watch the thrilling, fast and furious races, and to savour the unique ambience surrounding this special event.

Hazardous jumps

The extremely demanding course, more 4200m long, has an altitude difference of 1028m, and is the longest and oldest downhill ski race on the World Cup calendar.

Competitors not only have to overcome gradients of between 10.5% and 90%, but also take on numerous hazardous jumps at high speed.

One of the most spectacular, and the most dangerous, is the Hundschopf.

The whole race can be followed on large screens, erected at the most exciting points along the course.

There are 28 hotels in the resort, offering about 2700 beds. There are also more than 500 apartments in Wengen.