Exploring the Winter Wonderland of St. Moritz

For those who love winter, there’s nothing like the fresh air and the pristine white blanket of snow covering Alpine mountains  that you’ll find in Switzerland. St. Moritz has always been a top jet-set destination full of ski trails, frozen lakes ready for dynamic horse races and snow polo games. The posh crowd is there to see and be seen in  fabulous fur coats, sipping on cinnamon mulled hot wine, or nibbling on thick rich cheese fondue and of course indulging in the best chocolate in the world.  Beyond some of the world’s best ski slopes, the season is full of events and activities to explore as well as exceptional places to stay, play wine and dine.

St. Moritz is in a unique location in the spectacular Upper Engadine Valley.  It sits 1856 meters above sea level.  Its climate is dry and pleasant year-round with sunshine 322 out of 365 days.  Its location is ideal as a winter playground and is the birthplace of Winter Tourism and Winter Sports in 1864 and 1884.  Here they have hosted two Winter Olympic Games. In 1907 the first horse races were held on the frozen lake of St. Moritz and in 1985 the first ever snow polo tournament in the world took place here.  Cresta Run, another big spectator sport here founded in 1888 puts bobsledding to the test.

The last weekend of January is a special time to be there for the annual Snow Polo weekend founded in 1985 by Reto Gaudenzi.  It is a festive time with a full schedule of social activities day and night.  Fur coats line the frozen lake while polo ponies strut their stuff with polo patrons and top players battling it out for the winning prize of the Snow Polo World Cup St. Moritz.

Another super cool equestrian event happens every February for three consecutive weekends on the frozen lake of St. Moritz called White Turf that started in 1907.  What a variety of races there are from gallop and trotting races to the main attraction of skijoring where drivers on skis are pulled by thoroughbreds. There are plenty of hospitality tents for toasting with bubbly or fine wine and indulging in gourmet goodies.  It is truly a merging of sport, gastronomy, art and entertainment in an incredible outdoor setting surrounded by the Swiss Alps.  This year will be the 112^th anniversary of what started as a visionary concept of horse races on the frozen lake.

There are plenty of options for luxurious accommodations from old world heritage hotels to contemporary and ultra-chic resorts.

Suvretta House

Suvretta House, an elegant old world heritage hotel, standing castle-like for more than 100 years.  It is a  fairy tale-like place in the Upper Engadin alpine area of St. Moritz.  It was founded by hotel pioneer, Anton Sebastian Bon as a tranquil retreat set apart from the buzz of St. Moritz. .  It sits above the town overlooking the lake below and the mountains surrounding it with direct access to the ski slopes.  A forest green vintage vehicle is on hand for shuttling guests down the mountainside for exploring the village full of designer shops and gourmet restaurants as well as attending the marquis events on the lake.

Over the years, royalty and celebrities have visited Suvretta House. A recent refurbishment of the century old hotel has given it a fresh face lift done by U.K. designer, Sue Freeman.

Grand Hotel Suvretta maintains traditions like tea-time with piano music in the lobby plus men wearing dark suits and ties required for dinner at the Grand Restaurant.  There is also the more relaxed Suvretta Stuba and Anton’s bar for an aperitif or after-dinner drink.  Or if gin is your libation of choice, then Suvretta House’ Gin’ius Club is waiting with 39 gins including 2 signature varieties; Suvretta House Lady’s and Gentleman’s gin.  For the under agers, there is the Teddy Club where kids can wine and dine away from their elders. Suvretta Sports & Pleasure Club keeps guests of all ages healthy and happy throughout their stay. The Suvretta Ski School Center is conveniently located on the hotel-premises where you can get fitted for your gear and hire a private instructor to assist you in swooshing down the slopes. Suvretta’s mountain dining options include Restaurant Chasellas and Bergrestaurant Trutz overlooking the ski slopes.

Winter activities at Suvretta House are endless with ice and curling rinks, bobsledding, tobogganing, snow yoga, snowshoe tours, telemark skiing, cross-country skiing as well as of course downhill skiing with ski-in, ski-out convenience right at the hotel doorstep.  The spa is a year-round treat for the body and soul.  Summer serves up tennis, golf, mountain biking, Nordic walking, hiking, hang-gliding, mountain climbing, paddle-boarding, wind surfing, river rafting, kite surfing and more.

Badrutt’s Palace

Badrutt’s Palace Hotel is an iconic institution founded in 1896.  The St. Moritz Palace is the first to be created. Casper Badrutt, son of Johannes Badrutt, purchased the St. Moritz Hotel Beau Rivage and renamed it the Palace.  And the rest as they say is history with an endless array of legendary parties and guest over its 122 years with 120 rooms.  On-premise restaurants include: Le Restaurant, GNIV by Andreas Caminada, La Coupole – Matshisa &  King’s Social House. A dining must owned by Badrutt’s Palace is Chesa Veglia, an historic farmhouse flourishing with Alpine charm and epicurean delights.  Chesa Veglia has three restaurants (Patrizier Stuben, Pizzeria Heuboden & Grill Chadafo) and two bars (Bar Carigiet & Polo Bar).  The Palace Spa and pools are ready and waiting to pamper all the VIP guests… or just sitting and people watching is practically an Olympic sport in Badrutt’s Palace.

Kulm

Five-star service is delivered with a smile by Kulm Directors, Jenny and Heinz E. Hunkeler. Yet another historic hotel founded over 160 years ago, Kulm offers the convenience of being right in the village of St. Moritz while providing panoramic lake views.

The hotel has 164 rooms and suites and a wide variety of culinary cuisine to choose from including Grand Restaurant, The Pizzeria, Chesa al Parc, The K by Tim Raue, Bob Restaurant, Sunny Bar by Claudia Canessa and Kulm Country Club.  Of course there is a top notch spa for relaxation, detoxification and regeneration in a scenic setting.  Watching the crowds pass by here is also fun.

HAPPENING NIGHTLIFE

After the sun goes down, St. Moritz offers a happening nightlife to party until the sun comes up. The Dracula Club Disco, created by Playboy Gunter Sachs in 1974,  remains a glitzy grown up playground for the rich and famous.   Gunther’s son, Rolf  took over the reins to this social society spot and keeps the party going.

Balthazar

In the heart of St. Moritz, Balthazar is the newcomer on the block and has quickly become  a social gathering spot for good food and drink in a lively atmosphere. It’s an ideal place to come for a drink, stay for the food and meet new and old friends while in St. Moritz.

BUCKET LIST TRAIN RIDE

 Glacier Express

There are many ways to get to and from St. Moritz, but one of the most memorable is the Glacier Express train.   Founded in 1889, this train travels on one of the most beautiful railway lines in the world and links the famous holiday areas of St. Moritz, Davos and Zermatt.  It also stops at Andermatt, a ski town going through a renaissance of growth and development with The Chedi Andermatt as its centerpiece. The panoramic train ride goes over 291 bridges and through 91 tunnels along the Swiss Alps winding past remote valleys, sheer rock faces, deep gorges, idyllic mountain villages reaching the highest point at Oberalp Pass at 2033 meters above sea level.  The oversized train windows offer a clear view of all the sites including two UNESCO World Heritage sites.  A three course gourmet menu is served along with a fine wine list to choose from.  Headphones are provided at each seat with a selection of languages describing the sights along the way.  A bell rings in the train car every time there is a point of interest to tell passengers about.  Service is friendly and hospitable along this super scenic journey.   In 2019 a Glacier Express Premium Class is being added to top what is already an amazing visual and gastronomic experience.

 So why not hurry up and plan your trip to Switzerland? With plenty of slopes to explore, a smorgasbord of winter sports to see and the glitz and glamour of St. Moritz to experience, there’s no place else like this winter wonderland which make it more than worthy of your must do travel list.