Sweetness on the slopes

Seventeen-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer took on Olympics gold medallist skier Lindsey Vonn on a tennis court amidst snowy mountains last week to celebrate the opening of the highest chocolate shop in the world.

The unorthodox tennis exhibition was part of the official opening of Lindt Swiss Chocolate Heaven at the Jungfraujoch “Top of Europe,” 3,454 metres above sea level, in Interlaken, Switzerland.

Through a collaboration between Chocoladefabriken Lindt and Sprungli (Schweiz) AG and Jungfrau Railway Holding AG, the chocolate shop offers a wide range of the finest Lindt chocolate, and the adjacent Master Chocolatiers parlour gives visitors a fascinating insight into how chocolate is made.

“With the themed chocolate shop at the Jungfraujoch, we have positioned our brand at a lofty height. Our aim is to introduce tourists from abroad to our chocolate up there,” says Ernst Tanner, chief executive and chairman of Lindt and Sprungli, the Swiss premium chocolate and confectionery company, which was founded more than 165 years ago in Zurich.

Apart from shopping for sweets, passengers on board the Jungfrau train can receive free Lindt chocolate as souvenirs on their way back between the Jungfrau and Kleine Scheidegg stations.

“It’s been the goal for a long time to offer more value for our customers. We were looking for free chocolate on the way down from the Jungfrau to Kleine Scheidegg, So we asked several companies and received an offer from Lindt and Sprungli,” says Urs Kessler, chief executive of the Jungfrau Railway, the largest mountain railway company in Switzerland.

However, the highlight of the official opening was the tennis friendly between Lindt brand ambassador Federer and American Vonn, which was played on the Aletsch Glacier against the backdrop of the Alps, overlooking the Sphinx.

“This is the highest level we could play. As a Swiss, I’m used to the Swiss mountains but being here is very special as the last time I was here was 25 years ago,” said the world No 3 who recently finished runner-up at Wimbledon, losing a tough five set final match to Novak Djokovic.

“We are so proud about what we have in Switzerland. We love our mountains, chocolates, alleys,  lakes and everything we have, It’s a beautiful country , so to come today at this site is something I don’t do often in Switzerland. I grew up eating a lot of chocolates and sometimes I had to control myself. And I’m proud to be the ambassador of Lindt chocolate,” added Federer, a long-time friend of the 2010 downhill Winter Olympics winner Vonn.

“I’ve never played tennis on a mountain before so this is special for me. I’m a big fan of Federer. He’s amazing, a great champion. It’s an honour not just being his fiend but also playing tennis with him,” said Vonn.

 

On the Web:

www.Lindt.com

www.Jungfrau.ch.