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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 meters 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

Lake St Moritz

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 St. Moritz. Trains from Chur to St. Moritz run hourly. The last train from St. Moritz to Chur departs at 9 pm.

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 (www.engadin-airport.ch), which is around 5 kilometres/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. Buses depart from Chur and Lugano. Reservations may be necessary. The last Post Bus from St. Moritz to Chur leaves at 11 pm. 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

Very good Public transport around St.Moritz. Biking is also very good around St.Moritz. St.Moritz itself is sometimes a bit steep. Very few public parking places in wintertime.

See

St.Moritz
  • Leaning tower. It is the symbol of St. Moritz. It dates back to the 12th century. It is opposite the Kulm Hotel.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
Segantini museum
  • Segantini Museum. Built in 1908 by the architect Nicolaus Hartmann, the museum displays works by the painter Giovanni Segantini.
  • 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”.
  • Via Serlas. It is one of the most exclusive shopping streets in the world. Glamour, luxury, and large retail chains door to door.
  • 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 [1].

  • Skiing and snowboarding. There are four ski regions in and around St. Moritz: Corviglia, Corvatsch, Diavolezza, and Zuoz. They offer 350 kilometers 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. Nice starting points for scenic hikes are the famous mountains Corviglia and Muottas Muragl. Visitors in a wheelchair do not fall short since there are 9 wheelchair-accessible hikes. For children, there is the 1.5 km long “Schellenursli” ( a children’s character) trail. It is suitable for pushchairs. The best about hiking in St. Moritz is that the cable cars are included if staying at a hotel for two nights or longer.
  • 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.

Buy

Eat

Drink

Sleep

View of the Maloja Palace, with Alpine peaks in the background

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

  • Youth Hostel St. Moritz, Via Surpunt 60, +41 81 836 61.
  • 1 Casa Franco, Via Sela 11, +41 81 838 59 59, . Cheap hotel (for Saint Moritz standards). Simple and clean rooms with a good breakfast included. This hotel is quite far from the city center, around 10 minutes by bus and 30 minutes by foot. Double room 120 CHF, triple room 165 CHF.

Mid-range

  • Chesa Rosatsch, Celerina, fax: +41 81 837-0100, . 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 CHF122, double room from CHF193 (low season 2009).
  • Hauser, Via Serlas 5, fax: +41 81 837-5055, . Member of Swiss Quality Hotels International. Located 500m from the train station directly in the city centre. Single room from CHF143, double room from CHF285 (Apr 2009).
  • 2 Maloja Palace, Maloja, +41 81 838-2030, . Located 15km 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.
  • La Margna, Via Serlas 5, fax: +41 81 836-6601, . Member of Swiss Quality Hotels International. Located 200m from the train station and the city centre. Parking available. Single room from CHF230, double room from CHF420 (Apr 2009)
  • Quadratscha, Samedan, fax: +41 81 851-1516, . Member of Swiss Quality Hotels International. Located 7km from the centre of Saint Moritz and 250m from the train station Samedan. Single room from CHF175, double room from CHF218 (low season 2009).

Splurge

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