Glamorous Powder

You probably think you know St. Moritz from all the different reports, stories and recommendations quite well. Think again. Apart from champagne, luxury suites and fur coats there is so much more to do than you thought.
St. Moritz, located in the Southern Alps, on the stunning Upper Engadine lakes in Switzerland, is the oldest winter sports resort in the world and the most glamorous Alpine retreat.
Without any doubt St. Moritz takes his impeccably glamorous image very seriously. The Louis Vuitton shop does not feel the economic gloom as it is everywhere else; there is never a shortage of customer. Its chic hotels and gourmet restaurants attract a stream of royal and celebrity visitors.
But people really tend to forget how good the skiing is, amoung the towering ridges of the Swiss Engadine. The main village is at more than 1,800m, the funicular railway takes you straight up to the slopes at 2,500m. Therefore St. Moritz enjoys excellent conditions even though when in the end of the season much of the Alps have been desperately run out of snow. It has played host to two Winter Olympics and offers excellent particularly off-piste.
Other winter sports include dog sledging, snowshoeing, and the famous Cresta Run are common. More eccentric winter activities include polo, horse racing and ice cricket. The resort is also open in summer for horse riding, golf, walking, climbing, sailing on the St. Moritz Lake and biking.

WHERE TO STAY
Badrutt’s Palace
Badrutt's Palace is a magnificent luxury hotel with its impressive interior design, good food and a lot of different activities. This hotel is one of the best addresses all around the Engadine.
http://www.badruttspalace.com/

Kulm Hotel
The Kulm Hotel was founded by Johannes Badrutt, the same family as Badrutt’s palace. Therefore you can imagine that it has the same tradition, glamour and luxury design and a huge selection of different types of restaurants.
http://www.kulmhotel-stmoritz.ch

Kempinski Grand Hotel des Bains
Grand and beautiful hotel which is set in a 19th century palace – it was originally built as St. Moritz’s first Grand Hotel. As a member of the Kempinski chain it is impressive as always.
http://www.kempinski.com/en/stmoritz/Pages/Welcome.aspx

The Piz
If you do not want to spend a fortune on hotel accommodations we have a cheaper version for you. It is well known for its pizza and just includes a few bed and breakfast rooms with it. Simple doubles starts from £60 per person.
http://www.piz-stmoritz.ch/

WHERE TO EAT
Chesa Veglia
Located at Badrutt's Palace Hotel, the Chesa Veglia is a 1658 chalet hideaway with a Swiss restaurant, a pizzeria, a grill restaurant, two bars and a members' club.
http://www.badruttspalace.com/en/enjoy/restaurants/chesa-veglia/

Chamanna
This restaurant is perfect for a lunch break - just below Munt da San Murezzan, which is your best bet for good value, serving Swiss mountain classics such as Roesti and Raclette.
http://www.suvrettahouse.ch/en/gastronomie/chamanna.aspx

El Paradiso
At the bottom of the piste from Chamanna, it is the best and most expensive restaurant on the mountain, but you can still get a cheap lunch, soup or salad and the views from the terrace is wonderful. In both cases (Chamanna and El Paradiso), it's worth booking or you may have to wait.
www.el-paradiso.ch

The Piz:
A good place to get a wooden fired pizza.
http://www.piz-stmoritz.ch/

WHAT TO DO
Skiing
Getting to know Corviglia, the main ski area immediately above the town, and the biggest domain in the immediate vicinity. From the top of the funicular railway, which starts from the centre of town, there is access to a dozen lifts and 37 pistes, mainly reds, but with a handful of relatively straightforward blacks. The best runs are from the top of Piz Schlattain and the Gluna lift. In the right conditions, there is a lot of easily accessible off-piste (though you should always hire a guide) on the mountain sides above the main runs.

Après Ski
Après ski bars are not that popular in St. Moritz as on other parts of the Alps. The socialising in St Moritz is relatively muted – people save their energies for late-night partying.
Some skiers stay up in one of the mountain bars and ski down at sunset. The Roo Bar outside the Hotel Hauser is also an insider tip.

Wintersports
The extreme Cresta Run, which entails tobogganing head-first down an icy tunnel for 1.2km, is exciting to watch and exhilarating to take part in though. As a beginner you can expect to be flung off onto the bone-breaking ice – so do not be too high-spirited.
Alternative winter activities include dog sledging, snowshoeing or curling. Spectator sports include bobsleigh, ski-jumping and, on the frozen lake, horse-racing, show-jumping, polo and even cricket.
www.cresta-run.com

Shopping
Via Serlas is one long line of high-status designer goods from Cartier, Versace, Gucci, Louis Vuitton to Bulgari - with prices more suitable for window shopping

Nightlife
Stay up late at King's Club at Badrutt's Palace, which opens at 11pm and serves drinks until the last guest has left. Or you could try the Kulm Hotel's Dracula Club.

Summer activities
In the summer, you can go walking and picnicking in the mountains. There is also climbing, horse riding, biking and a host of watersports as sailing on the St. Moritz Lake. Summer events include windsurfing and kitesurfing regattas, golf tournaments, music festivals and the British Classic Car Meeting.

WHAT TO WEAR
Fur coats are always welcome. Take your warmest clothes, skiing trousers, gloves, hats and a few nice dresses for the night. Some of the hotel restaurant have a strict dresscode.

HOW TO GET THERE
By plane: the nearest airport is Zuerich, 125 miles away from St. Moritz. Then take the train which takes quite a while but it is one of the most scenic and spectacularly engineered railway lines in the world, so try to make the journey in daylight
Airlines from the UK:
Easyjet from London Luton www.easyjet.com
British Airways from London Heathrow www.ba.com
Swiss from London City and Heathrow www.swiss.com