St. Moritz, the famous holiday resort is nestled 6000 feet high in the Swiss
Alps in a valley confining beautiful lakes, pine forests and an enigmatic deep
blue sky.
The city hosted the Olympic Winter Games in 1928 and in 1948 and since then
it has become one of the renowned ski resorts in the world. Today the name
'St. Moritz' stands for a 'chic, vibrant and elegant' town, second home to
the rich and famous, enjoying a special atmosphere!
St Moritz is the ultimate destination for all those who have an interest in
adventure sports like skiing, bobsledding or trekking and is famous world
wide for its ski resorts. The area has slopes for both the beginner and the
expert and thus gathers ski lovers from all over the world every year. There
are good accommodation facilities and something of interest for everyone is
available here.
Fact File
Country : Switzerland
Population : 185700
Area : 7105 km
Languages : German, French, Italian & Romansch
Official Currency : Euro; 1 Euro = 52.443 Indian Rupee = 1.2047 US $
= 0.678141 GBP(subject to change)
Location : St. Moritz is situated in the heart of the Engadin Valley
in Graubunden and is influenced by three cultures: those of the
German-speaking majority of its residents, the Romanish-speaking population
of the Engadine and the nearby Italians.
Getting There
By Train : One can take an international train to Zurich and then
change for St. Moritz. There are connections from Zurich to St. Moritz every
hour with changing trains in Landquart. Intercity trains connect St. Moritz
to various cities in the country.
During the winters it is recommended to travel to St Moritz by train.
By Air : St. Moritz has its own little airport and is 126 km (79
miles) from Lugano, the nearest city. The resort is 194 km (121 miles) from
Zurich and 424 km (264 miles) from Geneva. Thus, if one lands in either of
the cities then a flight can be taken to St. Moritz.
By Road : If one love driving, then the easiest route is from Zürich
to Chur toThusis. Then lies a 30-mile stretch over the Julier pass but when
the pas is closed one can go through the Thusis-Samedan car-train tunnel.
Getting Around
By Road : Cars and taxis are available on hire in the city to
provide a convenient way to get around the city.
Accommodation
The city of St Moritz offers a wide range and variety of hotels and here is
a list of some of them:
5 Star hotels in the city:
Best Western Steffani hotel
Badrutt’s Palace hotel
Waldhaus am see hotel
4 Star hotels in the city:
Hotel Crystal
Hotel Schweizerhof
3 Star hotels in the city:
Suvretta house
Major tourist attractions
Winter Sports :
Downhill Skiing
Snowboarding
Cresta Run : This a unique sport in the world where
participants speed up to 85 mph down the ice canal sleds. There are races or
training are organised daily. Main events: Heaton Gold Cup, Curzon Cup,
Grand National, Gunter Sachs Challenge Cup. (from December 22 to the end of
February)
Bob Run : It is the only remaining natural ice bobsled run
in the world. Main events include Swiss and European championships, bobsled
world championships. Instructions for beginners & Bobsled taxi rides for
guests are available but an advance registration is mandatory. (from.
December 22 to the end of February)
Curling : The venue for the game is the Curling Center Al
Parc which has 8 to 16 natural ice rings. Here training sessions, matches
and tournaments are conducted daily.
Polo on snow : This is the oldest and most popular game in
the world. It is played with red balls on the white turf on the frozen St.
Moritz lake.
Cricket on snow : The first cricket tournament in history
to take place on a frozen lake was staged in St. Moritz in February 1989.
Since then it has become the most sought for game during winter season.
Summer Sports :
Sailing (July / August) : Sailing on the St. Moritz lake -
6000 feet above sea level is very popular during the summers! International
champions meet every year annually for thrilling competitions.
Wild water river rafting : Exciting river rafting
adventure on the Inn River, the "King of the Alpine Rivers" is a
thrilling experience. Certified guides are available for adequate guidance
during rafting..
Inline Skating : Engadin Inline Skating Marathon is very
popular. Various training schedules are available.
Golf : 18 hole golf course in Samedan, St. Moritz is
present. Over 40 tradition-rich tournaments are on the program every summer.
Main events: St. Moritz Gold Cup, Heineken Cup. Since summer 2001 new 9-hole
executive golf course situated at the Kulm Hotel and since 2003 new 18-hole
course in Zuoz.
Other Attractions
Shopping : Many exclusive boutiques with the latest
creations of leading designers from Paris and Milan can be bought from St.
Moritz. Other shops include Swiss watches and knives, souvenir stores and
also traditional cake cafes are located in the small center of town.
Segantini Museum : About 1km west of St. Moritz Dorf on
Via Somplaz, the terrace road, is a curious domed church-like structure
which holds the excellent Giovanni Segantini Museum displaying the beautiful
work of a painter who spent the twelve years before his sudden death at the
age of 41 working to portray the clear mountain light of the Upper Engadin.
