Ultimate Edition

St. Moritz, Switzerland

Published for the Engadin, the Corviglia and the frozen lake

CH Monday, October 12, 2026

Guides › Switzerland › St. Moritz, Switzerland

Where winter tourism was invented, and it has never been cheap since

St Moritz claims to have started Alpine winter holidays on a bet in 1864, has hosted two Winter Olympics, and still runs horse races and cricket matches on its frozen lake. The skiing is excellent and almost beside the point.

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The story is that in 1864 the hotelier Johannes Badrutt bet four English summer guests that they would enjoy the Engadin in winter, and would get their travel refunded if they did not; they came at Christmas, found sunshine and snow, and winter tourism began. Whether or not the detail is exact, St Moritz has been the template for the expensive Alpine winter ever since, and it hosted the Winter Olympics in 1928 and again in 1948.

The valley's real asset is light. The Upper Engadin sits at around 1,800 metres on a high, dry, south-facing shelf, and it records an unusual number of clear days — which is why the sanatoria came in the nineteenth century and why the skiing feels different from the damp western Alps. Corviglia above the town and Corvatsch across the lake are the two main areas, with Diavolezza and Lagalb further up the valley; the terrain is broad, sunny and above the treeline, with long cruising descents rather than tight tree skiing.

The eccentricities are the local colour and they are genuine. The Cresta Run, a natural-ice skeleton track dating from 1885, still operates on a members-and-guests basis. White Turf stages horse racing on the frozen lake in February, there is a cricket tournament on the same ice, and the Engadin Skimarathon in March draws many thousands of cross-country skiers down the valley. The Glacier Express and the Bernina Express both run from here, and the Bernina line is a UNESCO World Heritage railway.

Where People Live

The neighbourhoods

St Moritz Dorf

The village on the slope above the lake: the Badrutt's Palace, the luxury shopping on Via Serlas, and the funicular up to Corviglia.

St Moritz Bad

Down by the lake: the spa origins of the resort, the Nordic trail network, and generally more affordable accommodation.

Celerina & Pontresina

Down-valley and up the Bernina road: quieter Engadin villages with their own lifts, sgraffito houses and much better value.

Sils, Silvaplana & the lakes

Southwest along the chain of lakes: Corvatsch's base, the best windsurfing in the Alps in summer, and Nietzsche's house at Sils.

Airports

Engadin Airport (SMV) 5.3 km to the centre

Samedan, GR, CH — Indoor waiting areas, but some gates board by bus or on foot across the apron — plan for the weather on the day.

Indoor | Outdoor

Caiolo Sondrio Airfield 38 km to the centre

Caiolo (SO), 25, IT

Outdoor

Getting there by ferry

Chastè

Ferry terminal · 10 km from the centre

Sils/Segl Maria Barchiröls

Ferry terminal · 11 km from the centre · Schifffahrt Silsersee

Plaun da Lej (See)

Ferry terminal · 12 km from the centre · SS

Isola (See)

Ferry terminal · 13 km from the centre · SS

Maloja (See)

Ferry terminal · 14 km from the centre · SS

Coaches & shuttles

PostBus

Intercity coach

Living Here

Practical notes for residents

The season

The Alpine ski season runs roughly from December to April, with glacier and high-alpine terrain holding later. Exact opening and closing dates move with the snowpack every year — check the lift company before booking travel around them.
St Moritz typically runs from late November to early April, with Diavolezza and the higher terrain holding later. The altitude and the dry climate make it comparatively snow-reliable.
February is the social season — White Turf, the polo on snow when it is held, and the highest prices of the year. January is quieter and colder; March brings the best light and the Skimarathon.

Getting there

There is no nearby airport of consequence. Zurich is about three hours by road or three and a half by train, and the rail journey over the Albula line is one of the best in Europe.
The Bernina Express runs south to Tirano in Italy and the Glacier Express west to Zermatt — both are scenic services worth taking as an end in themselves.
The valley has good local buses and you do not need a car if you are staying in the resort.

When the snow goes

The Engadin is arguably better in summer than winter and far cheaper: high-altitude hiking on marked trails, the Segantini museum, and the lakes.
Silvaplana is one of Europe's premier windsurfing and kitesurfing spots thanks to the reliable afternoon Maloja wind.
Mountain biking on the Corviglia and Corvatsch lifts, and the Via Engiadina traverse for walkers.

Practicalities

This is one of the most expensive resorts in the Alps. Staying in Celerina, Pontresina or Samedan and using the valley buses costs a fraction and skis the same mountains.
Romansh is still spoken in the Engadin alongside German, and the sgraffito decoration on the older houses is the regional signature.

Sources