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The making of a classic

Since 1930, the company 3R AG has been producing original Davos sledges. Keystone photographer Christian Beutler visited the workshop in Sulgen in canton Thurgau.

Although the classic ‘Davos Sledge’ has its origin in the southeastern resort of Davos, it’s been produced in a less well-known place in eastern Switzerland.

Steam is used to heat the wood of the sledge runners’ to make them bendable, before they are pressed into shape.

There are well over 100 sledge runs in Switzerland.

The other popular traditional wooden sledge is the ‘Grindelwalder’, named after the mountain resort in the Bernese Alps.

There is little difference between the two types but the Davos sledge has wooden slats on the top, while the Grindelwalder has slats that are fitted into cross-sections of wood.

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SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR