St. Moritz
St. Moritz is located in the Upper Engadin in the canton of Graubünden in Switzerland. It is one of the best-known vacation spots in Europe. It is chic and famous for its ambiance, and is situated next to Engadine's lakescape at 1,856 metres above sea level. The bubbly "champagne atmosphere" is as legendary as the St. Moritz sun, which shines on an average 322 days a year!
Get in
You can get to St.Moritz by train, bus, car, or air.
By train
If you arrive at the International Airport Zurich take the SBB train to Chur and from there the Rhb train over the famous Albulapass to 1 St. Moritz train station. Trains from Chur to St. Moritz run hourly. The last train from St. Moritz to Chur departs at 21:00.
Furthermore, St. Moritz is the starting point for the famous Glacier Express and the Palm Express.
By car
If you are coming by car from Switzerland the only pass which is open in winter is the Julierpass. If you come from Davos or Klosters you can take the cartrain from Klosters through the Fluelapass. From Italy you drive over the Bernina or the Maloja.
By plane
There is a small airport in Samedan (SMV IATA), which is around 5 km (3.1 mi) 20 minutes away from St. Moritz. It provides flights to the international airports of Zurich, Geneva, Basel, Milan, and Munich.
By bus
St. Moritz is served by the Post Bus, departing from right next to the train station. Buses depart towards Chur and Lugano (and back). Reservations may be necessary. The last Post Bus from St. Moritz to Chur leaves at 23:00. Later there are not any bus or train connections from St. Moritz to Chur. On the way, you can admire a lot of Swiss villages and spectacular mountain views.
Get around
St.Moritz has a good public transport network. Biking is also very good around St.Moritz, however it is sometimes a bit steep. There are very few parking places in wintertime.
See
- 1 Berry Museum, Via Arona 32, 7500 St. Moritz, ☏ +41 81 833 30 18, info@berrymuseum.com. 10:00–13:00/16:00–19:00. The Berry Museum, which is housed in the 100-year old Villa Arona in the heart of St. Moritz, is dedicated to the spa physician and painter, Peter Robert Berry (1864–1942). The majority of his oil paintings, pastels and drawings produced over a period of forty years are still in family ownership. Fr. 15/10.
- 2 Chesa Futura. Designed by the English star architect, Lord Norman Foster, Chesa Futura houses ten private apartments with a beautiful view of the St. Moritz lake. Its façade is made of local larch clapboards.
- 3 Chesa Veglia. Dating from 1658, it is one of the oldest farmhouses in St. Moritz. Now it houses three restaurants and two bars. The grill Chadafö provides the perfect setting for elegant dining with classic French cuisine. The two bars – the Polo Bar and Carigiet – are the perfect places to enjoy pre- and after-dinner drinks and are ideally suited for a get-together.
- 4 Cresta Run. Cresta run is the only natural skeleton downhill course. The first race was held in 1884/85. Spectacular races or training runs take place every day from the end of December to the beginning of March.
- 5 Heidi hut. The well-known story of the Swiss Heidi was filmed in the Engadin. The Heidi hut is located above St. Moritz and is among the most famous sightseeing attractions.
- 6 Leaning tower. It is the symbol of St. Moritz. It dates back to the 12th century. It is opposite the Kulm Hotel.
- St. Moritz 5-star hotels. St. Moritz is very well-known also because of its “Big 5”. The “Big 5” are the 5-star hotels including Badrutt’s Palace, Kempinski Grand Hotel des Bains, Carlton, Kulm and Suvretta House.
- 7 Segantini Museum. Built in 1908 by the architect Nicolaus Hartmann, the museum displays works by the painter Giovanni Segantini.
- The St. Moritz “Trambänkli”. The St. Moritz tram was one of the first electric trams in Switzerland. The “Trambänkli” is a waiting station for passengers. In the 19th century, it was a tram station. Now, it is a bus station.
Do
There are a lot of events in St. Moritz such as operas in all seasons, the British Classic Car Meeting, the surf marathon, the city race, the gourmet festival, etc. For an overview of the upcoming events, take a look at the event calendar of the Engadin .
- Mountain biking. A true bikers’ paradise exists between the highest peaks of the eastern Alps. There are 400 km of pure riding pleasure with routes for all levels of difficulty.
- Skiing and snowboarding. There are four ski regions in and around St. Moritz. They offer 350 kilometres of prepared slopes and 34 cosy restaurants. Moreover, there are a number of snowsports schools in St. Moritz.
- Ice-skating in summer. There is an artificial ice-rink that is open from mid-July to mid-April. The following activities and services are available: ice skating for everyone, curling, ice rental, and special events on request.
- Walking and hiking. In St. Moritz walking/hiking is always a spectacular experience. There are over 580 km of hiking trails. Visitors in a wheelchair do not fall short since there are 9 wheelchair-accessible hikes. The best about hiking in St. Moritz is that the cable cars are included if staying at a hotel for two nights or longer. Good starting points is e.g. Corviglia or one of the following:
- 7 Windsurfing at Silvanplana. The lake is well known for its predictable winds and is therefore a popular venue for water-sailsports including particularly windsurfing, kitesurfing and dinghy-sailing. There is a major watersports centre on the SW shore.
Buy
- 1 Via Serlas. It is one of the most exclusive shopping streets in the world. Glamour, luxury, and large retail chains door to door.
Eat
- 1 Restaurant Engiadina, Via Dimlej 1 (50 metres behind the railway station.), ☏ +41 81 833 30 00, info@restaurant-engiadina.ch.
Drink
Sleep
People in St. Moritz are very hospitable and its hotels brought St. Moritz to the top of the world. Here, you can find all types of accommodation from luxurious hotels over holiday apartments, mountain lodges, a youth hostel, to a camping place. The best-known hotels are the Kempinski Grand Hotel des Bains, Badrutt’s Palace, and the Kulm Hotel.
Budget
- 1 Youth Hostel St. Moritz, Via Surpunt 60, ☏ +41 81 836 61.
- 2 Casa Franco, Via Sela 11, ☏ +41 81 838 59 59, hotel@sonne-stmoritz.ch. Cheap hotel (for Saint Moritz standards). Simple and clean rooms with a good breakfast included. This hotel is quite far from the city centre, around 10 minutes by bus and 30 minutes by foot. Double room Fr. 120, triple room Fr. 165.
Mid-range
- 3 Chesa Rosatsch, Celerina, fax: +41 81 837-0100, hotel@rosatch.ch. Member of Swiss Quality Hotels International. Located 3.4km from the centre of Saint Moritz and 1km from the train station Celerina. Single room from Fr. 122, double room from Fr. 193 (low season 2009).
- 4 Hauser, Via Traunter plazzas 7, fax: +41 81 837-5055, relax@hotelhauser.ch. Member of Swiss Quality Hotels International. Located 500m from the train station directly in the city centre. Single room from Fr. 143, double room from Fr. 285 (Apr 2009).
- 5 Maloja Palace, Maloja, ☏ +41 81 838-2030, rsvp@malojapalace.com. Located 15 km from the centre of Saint Moritz. Opened in 1884, it was the biggest and most modern hotel in the Alps and the first hotel to bear the name "Palace". Every winter, on the second Sunday of March, the Engadin Skimarathon competition, the biggest skiing event in the Alps, attracts between 11,000 and 13,000 cross-country skier participants. The competition starts at the entrance of the hotel, which offers direct access to the cross-country skiing tracks starting from its doorstop. Ski slopes of Piz Aela are within walking distance. €110-150/night.
- 6 La Margna, Via Serlas 5, fax: +41 81 836-6601, info@lamargna.ch. Member of Swiss Quality Hotels International. Located 200 m from the train station and the city centre. Parking available. Single room from Fr. 230, double room from Fr. 420 (Apr 2009)
- 7 Quadratscha, Samedan, fax: +41 81 851-1516, info@quadratscha.ch. Member of Swiss Quality Hotels International. Located 7km from the centre of Saint Moritz and 250 m from the train station Samedan. Single room from Fr. 175, double room from Fr. 218 (low season 2009).
Splurge
- 8 Badrutt's Palace, Via Serlas 27, ☏ +41 81 837 10 00.
- 9 Kempinski Grand Hotel des Bains, Via Mezdi 27, ☏ +41 81 838 38 38.
- 10 Kulm Hotel, Via Veglia 18, ☏ +41 81 836 80 00.
Camping
- 11 Camping Silvaplana. A huge camping with all needed facilities, used as base for the watersport activities on the lake.
Go next
Livigno is just behind the borders, accessible via Bernina Pass.