If you are a British skier you should ski St Moritz at least once: St Moritz can claim to be the birth place of winter sports holidays.
If you are a British skier you should ski St Moritz at least once: St Moritz can claim to be the birth place of winter sports holidays. In 1864 the owner of the Kulm hotel bet some English tourists a free stay if they dared to spend the winter there. They took him up on this proposition and the rest is history… By 1910 around 2000 guests spent the winter in the resort, most from Britain. Skating remained the most popular winter sport until the 1920s, but then came the 1928 Winter Olympics and a new mountain funicular railway, followed soon after by Switzerland's second ski lift. The fifth Winter Olympics were staged in the resort once again in 1948. Later the rich and famous who flocked to St Moritz helped to develop the possibilities of glacier skiing on the Diavolezza glacier and later heli-skiing. The resort can claim a long list of 'firsts' from opening Switzerland's first tourist board in 1864 and switching on the country's first electric light in 1878, to staging the first ever ice skating, curling and winter sports championships in the 1880s and even Europe's first golf tournament in 1890. Finally, it should be noted that St Moritz's fame as a health resort does pre-date winter sports by several millennia. The first settlements are known to have existed here 3,000 years ago and the resort was also one of the world's earliest spa centres, well known as such by the time the Romans rolled in in 15 BC.
It is now famous for its hotels, the horse racing on the frozen lake, the historic Cresta run down the only remaining natural ice track, the shopping, the World Heritage railway and for the Engadine Cross Country marathon (St Moritz has 150 km of cross country trails in the beautiful valley). Famous also for being the playground of the rich and famous, and for winter holidays for non-skiers with the many attractions, activities and International winter events; World Cup Polo, White Turf, Pond Hockey Championships…. Less famous perhaps, for its excellent skiing and winter walking trails.
While the sunny slopes immediately above St Moritz have extensive lift-served, piste and between pistes at mainly 25 degrees, and even 20 degrees, to enjoy and develop technique, there is extensive higher challenge and vertical: the steep and long off-piste descents direct from Piz Nair, the piste Muntanella, the World Cup and FIS recognised runs, the moguls on Selin used to assess the National ski instructors, the former black run `Lanigiro` now entirely off piste… Traversing East from the top of Trais Flours lift leads to an extensive off piste face with 25-30 degree slopes down to Margun, Celerina or Samedan, and with numerous alternate descents over 30 degrees available.Then there is also the long off-piste descent down the Val Suvretta from Lej de la Pesch to El Paridiso too, and extensive ski-touring options.
Less known are the outlying resorts and off piste areas, moreover little skied areas making freshtracks readily available, with plenty of 30 degree+ pitches if you want them. there’s plenty of off-piste – some marked as itineraries, some strictly backcountry – that doesn’t get tracked as rapidly as in major off-piste destinations. There’s also a rewarding sense of scale – not just significant peaks, but good vertical drop and extensive coverage of whole mountain sides. Indeed the Corvatsch area is regularly home to an extreme freeride competition. Moreover, at `Lagalp`, there are 1000m-vertical piste and off-piste descents with gradients of 30 degrees, and with the backside completely unpisted. At `Diavolezza` there is a whole mountain side of off-piste with varying gradients, where there was once one marked itinerary, and then even a 10km version of the “Valley Blanche”, returning on the world famous Bernina Express.
At the extreme ends of the valley system then there is varied underutilised tree skiing at `Maloja`, plus steep skiing at `Zuoz`, with further bootpacking and skinning potential above the lifts.
Some may imagine St Moritz to be a quaint Alpine village, which it isn't, although the cosmopolitan town`s lakeside setting in the Engadin Valley is stunning, and the outlying villages have ancient buildings. It is also not generally reported that, although a genuine traditional settlement, St Moritz is a high altitude resort with an excellent snow record and glacier skiing.
The latest season started with the resort closed for too much snow and ended in April with successive fresh powder days right down to resort. St Moritz and the Engadin Region have invested in state of the art lifts and are now served by a host of high-speed, covered detachable quad & six seat chair lifts. Oh and the sun shines 322 days a year; Switzerland's sunniest spot.
Why not come and be shown the best the high altitude, Engadine valley has to offer, and how best to make the most of the snow?
Come for the snow, the views, the sunshine, 5 ski areas, the night skiing on the longest floodlit piste in Switzerland, the snow parks, the guiding and teaching, the activities and events, the service ...the quality.
Too cool for school? Then come and be shown the best the valley has to offer you personally, with expert tips on how to ski the terrain and conditions safer and with more fun.
If you are a British skier you should ski St Moritz at least once: St Moritz can claim to be the birth place of winter sports holidays. In 1864 the owner of the Kulm hotel bet some English tourists a free stay if they dared to spend the winter there. They took him up on this proposition and the rest is history… By 1910 around 2000 guests spent the winter in the resort, most from Britain. Skating remained the most popular winter sport until the 1920s, but then came the 1928 Winter Olympics and a new mountain funicular railway, followed soon after by Switzerland's second ski lift. The fifth Winter Olympics were staged in the resort once again in 1948. Later the rich and famous who flocked to St Moritz helped to develop the possibilities of glacier skiing on the Diavolezza glacier and later heli-skiing. The resort can claim a long list of 'firsts' from opening Switzerland's first tourist board in 1864 and switching on the country's first electric light in 1878, to staging the first ever ice skating, curling and winter sports championships in the 1880s and even Europe's first golf tournament in 1890. Finally, it should be noted that St Moritz's fame as a health resort does pre-date winter sports by several millennia. The first settlements are known to have existed here 3,000 years ago and the resort was also one of the world's earliest spa centres, well known as such by the time the Romans rolled in in 15 BC.
It is now famous for its hotels, the horse racing on the frozen lake, the historic Cresta run down the only remaining natural ice track, the shopping, the World Heritage railway and for the Engadine Cross Country marathon (St Moritz has 150 km of cross country trails in the beautiful valley). Famous also for being the playground of the rich and famous, and for winter holidays for non-skiers with the many attractions, activities and International winter events; World Cup Polo, White Turf, Pond Hockey Championships…. Less famous perhaps, for its excellent skiing and winter walking trails.
While the sunny slopes immediately above St Moritz have extensive lift-served, piste and between pistes at mainly 25 degrees, and even 20 degrees, to enjoy and develop technique, there is extensive higher challenge and vertical: the steep and long off-piste descents direct from Piz Nair, the piste Muntanella, the World Cup and FIS recognised runs, the moguls on Selin used to assess the National ski instructors, the former black run `Lanigiro` now entirely off piste… Traversing East from the top of Trais Flours lift leads to an extensive off piste face with 25-30 degree slopes down to Margun, Celerina or Samedan, and with numerous alternate descents over 30 degrees available.Then there is also the long off-piste descent down the Val Suvretta from Lej de la Pesch to El Paridiso too, and extensive ski-touring options.
Less known are the outlying resorts and off piste areas, moreover little skied areas making freshtracks readily available, with plenty of 30 degree+ pitches if you want them. there’s plenty of off-piste – some marked as itineraries, some strictly backcountry – that doesn’t get tracked as rapidly as in major off-piste destinations. There’s also a rewarding sense of scale – not just significant peaks, but good vertical drop and extensive coverage of whole mountain sides. Indeed the Corvatsch area is regularly home to an extreme freeride competition. Moreover, at `Lagalp`, there are 1000m-vertical piste and off-piste descents with gradients of 30 degrees, and with the backside completely unpisted. At `Diavolezza` there is a whole mountain side of off-piste with varying gradients, where there was once one marked itinerary, and then even a 10km version of the “Valley Blanche”, returning on the world famous Bernina Express.
At the extreme ends of the valley system then there is varied underutilised tree skiing at `Maloja`, plus steep skiing at `Zuoz`, with further bootpacking and skinning potential above the lifts.
Some may imagine St Moritz to be a quaint Alpine village, which it isn't, although the cosmopolitan town`s lakeside setting in the Engadin Valley is stunning, and the outlying villages have ancient buildings. It is also not generally reported that, although a genuine traditional settlement, St Moritz is a high altitude resort with an excellent snow record and glacier skiing.
The latest season started with the resort closed for too much snow and ended in April with successive fresh powder days right down to resort. St Moritz and the Engadin Region have invested in state of the art lifts and are now served by a host of high-speed, covered detachable quad & six seat chair lifts. Oh and the sun shines 322 days a year; Switzerland's sunniest spot.
Why not come and be shown the best the high altitude, Engadine valley has to offer, and how best to make the most of the snow?
Come for the snow, the views, the sunshine, 5 ski areas, the night skiing on the longest floodlit piste in Switzerland, the snow parks, the guiding and teaching, the activities and events, the service ...the quality.
Too cool for school? Then come and be shown the best the valley has to offer you personally, with expert tips on how to ski the terrain and conditions safer and with more fun.