Azorcan Tours Podcast

Bryn: 00:12

Hey, everybody, and welcome to the Azorcan Tour Podcast. Today, we're talking about bucket list hockey tour. For a lot of people, it's the Spengler Cup. It's kind of a new adventure for everybody at Azorcan Tours. I'm Bryn Griffiths.

Bryn: 00:26

This is Paul Almeida. How are

Paul: 00:27

you doing? Good, Bryn. How are you?

Bryn: 00:28

Fine. Thank you. So you've done

Paul: 00:30

a Spengler Cup already. Yes. And it's, you know, a truly magical hockey adventure. The snowy Alps, the town of Davos, and one of the most exciting times of the year, New Year's, Christmas, and on top of that, you get the legendary Spengler Cup tournament.

Bryn: 00:47

Let's talk about the Spengler Cup. I've only seen it on television and I've always said that looks like that'd be a fun place to go.

Paul: 00:56

Well, let's talk a little bit about the history of the Spengler Cup because this tournament isn't just any hockey event. It's actually the oldest invitational ice hockey tournament in the world. It was first held in 1923 and founded by doctor Carl Spengler, therefore Spengler Cup. Yep. His idea was to bring European teams together in the aftermath of World War one, promoting friendship through sport.

Paul: 01:21

And honestly, you can still feel that spirit today. The tournament's hosted every year by H. C. Davos, the local team, and it takes place right after Christmas between December 26 and New Year's Eve. So imagine this.

Paul: 01:35

Festive lights still glowing, snow everywhere, mountaineer crisp and clean, and world class hockey inside a packed arena. Unlike the NHL or the Olympics, the Spengler Cup is an invitational tournament. That means teams are specifically invited to play. Every year, six teams compete. The host team, HC Davos.

Paul: 01:55

Team Canada, made mostly up a year Canadian players who play professionally in Europe. Right. The US College Selects, which are a group of players from the NCAA, their best players, but they can be Canadians, Americans, or players from other nationalities.

Bryn: 02:09

But NCAA driven. Right?

Paul: 02:12

That's right. Okay. And then three other top clubs from Europe. And the games are played at that famous arena that we all know from watching on television. Yes.

Paul: 02:21

Right in the center of town, which is great. And the arena is small compared to NHL stadiums, it makes the atmosphere incredible. Fans sit close to the ice, wave flags, sing songs, and it's a festival like atmosphere for sure.

Bryn: 02:34

Can I can I jump in here? What what's what's Davos like during this event? Because we've seen what goes on in the arena and goes on on the ice, but what what's it like in Davos?

Paul: 02:43

Well, Davos is like a picture postcard, really. It's high altitude town in the canton of Graubunden surrounded by dramatic alpine peaks. Snow covered rooftops, the streets are lively, but not super chaotic. There's excitement, but it's very Swiss. Organized, cozy, welcoming as you would expect.

Paul: 03:04

Right? Yeah. And then you see fans wearing jerseys from their teams in the tournament. You'll hear German, French, English. And then depending on the teams that are there, you might hear Czech, Finnish, Swedish, or other languages.

Paul: 03:17

But everybody shares one thing, a love for hockey and winter. And during the day, people ski, enjoy going up the cable cars, walk through the town, enjoy the shops. And then after the games, they fill the restaurants and bars talking about the games. It's festive without being overwhelming. It feels special, like you're on a tradition that's been quietly happening for over a century.

Bryn: 03:41

Okay. Let's, let's talk about some of the best sites in Davos. So where where do you wanna start about this? Like, you're gonna have some free time. There's hockey.

Bryn: 03:48

But what do you do when there's no hockey?

Paul: 03:52

Well, the most easy thing to see is the mountains, obviously. Yep. And Davos is a paradise for skiers and snowboarders. There's no doubt about it. That whole Parson area is especially famous.

Paul: 04:03

Wide slopes, long runs, incredible views. And if you don't ski, take the Jacob Shorn cable car from Davils Platz, and within minutes, you're rising above the valley. As you climb, the town gets smaller, the mountains get bigger. Yeah. Halfway, you gotta change the cable cars.

Paul: 04:21

And there's a Berghaus J. Schlapp restaurant at that stage where you want may want to visit for lunch along the way or maybe on the way back down and then at the top you're 2,590 meter meters above sea level and the postcard views are amazing. You could have a drink on the patio of the restaurant Sun Peak, enjoy the panoramic views of the jagged peaks, the wide valleys and the endless snow. It's really breathtaking and you'll understand why people fall in love with the Alps. But the Jacob Schorcan is also famous for its apres ski.

Paul: 04:54

Up on the mountain play places like the Jats Hoot turned into a full on dance spot in the afternoon. Music pumping, people cheering, drinks flowing. It's quite a play sprint. With their ski boots still on? Ski boots still on.

Bryn: 05:08

Love

Paul: 05:08

it. Just they actually ski right into the to the place right on the top of the mountain. It's unbelievable. Hey. Can I

Bryn: 05:15

ask you about Davos Lake?

Paul: 05:17

Yeah. The lake Davos Sea as it's called in in German freezes over and the whole area looks like something from a snow globe. It's peaceful especially in the morning when the light hits the mountains. You could take a peaceful stroll or a longer winter hike. There's numerous marked winter hiking trails and snowshoe trails all around Davos.

Paul: 05:38

The paths that loop around the lake and the nearby forest are perfect for exploring without needing skis. They're ideal for a slow wander with breaks at benches and scenic views along the way. Fantastic walk.

Bryn: 05:49

I gotta ask you too about a historic mountain hotel. It's like stepping back in time. What what is this place?

Paul: 05:55

Yeah. The Schatzlapp. I gotta watch my language there. Yes, please. You know, there's a funicular in town as well that goes up to the from the center of Davos Platz.

Bryn: 06:05

Right.

Paul: 06:05

It takes only four minutes, but once you get up there, it feels like you're leaving the whole town and the busy hustle and bustle of the town behind, and you're in another world. There's a historic hotel there that was originally a luxury sanitaire a sanitarium. Sanatorium.

Bryn: 06:21

How is that even possible you could have a sanatorium that's a luxury place? But this would have been a long time ago.

Paul: 06:27

Nineteen hundreds. And it became famous because of Thomas Mann's novel, The Magic Mountain. And the nice thing about up there is you can walk the winter trails, you can enjoy a coffee at the hotel restaurant, and here's the fun thing. You can take a toboggan run that takes you all the way back down to Davos. And it's fast, snowy, a little bit wild, but a lot of fun.

Bryn: 06:50

Alright. The other thing too, every time I go to Europe, food is a very important factor for me. So what about, in this particular situation?

Paul: 06:58

Well, outside the arena, there's a hockey gastral zone, they call it, and the fan tent. And they're set up, where visitors can grab street food, snacks, drinks, and regional classics like raclette along with sausages, pizza, and a whole bunch of different options. The festive fan tent is an experience in itself. It's usually packed before games. It's a wild atmosphere.

Paul: 07:21

And, you know, they have live music, DJs, and that crowd is buzzing before and after games, and it is packed in there. And during the games, it clears out when everybody goes to into the stadium. Right. But they also have big screens there. So if you don't have a ticket, you can still watch the games.

Bryn: 07:38

Oh, I love that. We're talking no food, so I'm gonna think that, fondue is kind of on the agenda.

Paul: 07:45

Well, you can't come to Switzerland and not have fondue. Absolutely. Melted cheese, bread cubes, maybe a glass of white wine. It's social, it's warm and it's perfect for winter.

Bryn: 07:55

Paul, there's a bit of a cheese thing going here. Right?

Paul: 07:58

Well, raclette is the other one. It's another classic, melted cheese, and they scrape it over potatoes, pickles, onions. Simple but very satisfying. One of the other specialties they have there is rosti. Right.

Paul: 08:11

And rosti is traditional Swiss, a traditional Swiss dish of grated potatoes pan fried into a crispy golden cake. And you can get it either served on its own or they can put cheese on it, onions, herbs, bacon, ham. You could have it many different ways.

Bryn: 08:28

Okay.

Paul: 08:29

And then the other thing is you're in Graubunden. So Bunderfleisch, air dried beef sliced thin, is a local specialty. Or Kapoons, where our little dumplings wrapped in Swiss chard leaves, they're rustic, hearty, very delicious. After the game, bars fill up quickly, people order to the local beers, maybe have a schnapps, talk hockey all night long.

Bryn: 08:54

What about souvenirs to bring home? I I I you know, I'm thinking about, jersey, scarves, that kind of stuff.

Paul: 09:00

Yeah. Right outside the arena, they have the shop, where they sell, Spangler Cup jerseys, Spangler Cup scarves, but you could also get HC Davos. The local team has their shop there as well.

Bryn: 09:10

That'd be fun.

Paul: 09:11

A few things. And if you're not a huge hockey fan, it's such a unique sports history to have one of those jerseys or something from the event itself. But the other thing is through town, Swiss chocolate are a safe bet. You'll find beautiful gift boxes throughout town, beautiful, chocolatiers, and, of course, Swiss army knives. They have those everywhere.

Bryn: 09:32

Do they actually have an army?

Paul: 09:34

I don't know.

Bryn: 09:35

I don't know, but they have Swiss army knives. We know that. Very practical, very Swiss. So that sounds pretty good. And, of course, the other thing too, hey.

Bryn: 09:43

Everybody's got a camera on their phone. Absolutely. Gotta take pictures.

Paul: 09:46

And the pictures are your best souvenirs, really. Yeah. You know, pictures of the event when you're in the arena, the mountains, of course,

Bryn: 09:56

you know, everything. Sounds great. But but I'm kind of concerned about the well, I'm not concerned. I'm curious about the general vibe because I gotta think this is a small location with an event that's monstrous, and the energy level's gotta be

Paul: 10:09

off the charts. Well, you have Christmas, you have New Year's there at the same time, you have people skiing, so there's a lot of things going on in the town. But there's also the excitement for the tournament. Right. And, you know, there's people cheering, there's loud music, the stands are packed, but as soon as you step outside, you get that nice calm alpine feeling.

Paul: 10:29

Right? Right. But unlike big sporting events, you know, the Spengler Cup feels a little bit more intimate because you can walk everywhere, you see the faces that you see at the arena, and you see them at the restaurants. You might even see players because the players stay at the same hotels you do. So you might be out for dinner and see the players sitting right next to And one time I ran into coach Michelle Terian who was their coaching Canada.

Paul: 10:53

Where did I see him? At the top of the mountain having a coffee and I walk, I turn around and there's Michelle Terian. So you know again because it's between Christmas and New Year's people are in a festive mood and, you know, with the winter surroundings, it feels like a celebration in itself.

Bryn: 11:11

Okay. So why visit during the Spengler Cup? Because you could visit Davos anytime.

Paul: 11:15

Well, during the Spengler Cup, there's that extra vibe. Right? You know? And people it's you know, what they say there, it's ski, eat, hockey, repeat. Ski, eat, hockey, repeat.

Paul: 11:26

Yeah. And enjoy the mountains. You know? You're not just watching the games. You're experiencing a tradition that connects generations of fans.

Paul: 11:32

And there's something really special about sitting in a historic arena in a mountain town, snow falling outside, watching teams from different countries compete in a tournament that's been running for over a hundred years. It's an authentic experience.

Bryn: 11:46

Okay. To sum this up, a great trip to the Spengler Cup in Davos, Switzerland. I guess you gotta love winter. That's gotta be a big thing because it's gonna be winter.

Paul: 11:55

Yeah. You gotta love winter. You gotta love hockey. Gotta love cozy mountain towns with deep traditions. Yep.

Paul: 12:02

And I guarantee it'll be one of the most memorable trips you'll ever take. You get the alpine beauty, world class hockey, comfort food, and that unmistakable feeling of being somewhere that truly comes alive once every year.

Bryn: 12:16

Paul, talk about Azorcan Tours. Where can they find you? Although I'm guessing they found you because they're listening to us now.

Paul: 12:22

That's right. Azorcan.net is our website. We can get on our priority list. The priority list again gives you first opportunity to register for any of our tours. You get tour announcements emailed to you.

Paul: 12:35

You get updates emailed to you as well. And one of the best ways to follow us as well is on our Facebook page at Azorcan Tours. You get to tour announcements, destination information, and you can follow us when we're on tours. So when we're at the Spengler Cup or another one of our tours, you can see what we're doing every day and get information that way and see if it's something that you would like to do on our next trip.

Bryn: 12:59

And, of course, you can catch all the podcasts right here. Subscribe to the podcast. That way when new one drops, you'll be informed and you can be up to speed on everything. And maybe maybe you can come and join us at the Spengler Cup.

Paul: 13:11

That would be fantastic. Have yourself a great day.