St. Moritz claims to have invented winter tourism, a hotelier's 1864 bet that English summer guests would enjoy the Alps in snow just as much turned out to be right, and the resort has hosted the Winter Olympics twice since. It remains, over 150 years later, one of the most prestigious addresses in the Alps, and the starting point for two of the most scenic rail journeys in the world.
Winter Sports Heritage
The Cresta Run, a natural ice skeleton track built in 1884 and still operated by amateur members today, is one of the last places where the sport's original, dangerous form survives largely unchanged, spectators can watch riders reach speeds over 130 km/h lying face-down on a sled with no brakes.
St. Moritz's ski terrain, spread across Corviglia and Corvatsch, offers reliably good snow and some of the most scenic runs in the Alps, with views extending across the Engadin valley's chain of lakes.
The Scenic Trains
The Glacier Express, connecting St. Moritz to Zermatt, and the Bernina Express, continuing south into Italy, both depart from here and are considered among the most scenic rail journeys anywhere, the Bernina route crosses the Landwasser Viaduct and climbs to over 2,200 metres without a single tunnel on the summit stretch.
The Engadin valley's lakes, St. Moritzersee, Silvaplanersee, Silsersee, freeze solid enough in winter for ice-skating, kitesailing, and even polo matches on the frozen surface, a uniquely Alpine spectacle held each January.
Recommended Stay · St. Moritz · Lake Shore
Badrutt's Palace Hotel
A turreted 19th-century palace hotel on the lakefront, one of the Alps' most storied properties, with a history of hosting royalty since it opened in 1896.
