St. Moritz built its reputation as a winter resort before downhill skiing was popular, and many of its best-known traditions have nothing to do with skis. If you are travelling with skiers, or simply prefer to stay off the pistes, there is plenty to fill a winter week in the Upper Engadine.
Ride the Olympia Bob Run
The Olympia Bob Run St. Moritz–Celerina is the world's oldest bobsleigh track and the only one still built from natural ice; it is rebuilt by hand every winter. It hosted the bobsleigh events of the 1928 and 1948 Winter Olympics and continues to host World Cup races.
During the season, the bob run offers guest rides in a four-man bob steered by an experienced pilot and brakeman, with two passengers in the middle seats. The run lasts about 75 seconds and reaches speeds of around 130 km/h. No sporting experience is needed, but rides must be booked in advance through the Olympia Bob Run office (olympia-bobrun.ch), and they are scheduled around training and races, so availability depends on the day. The cost is high; check current prices directly with the operator. Watching from the track side is free and gives a good sense of the speed.
Watch (or try) the Cresta Run
The Cresta Run is a natural ice toboggan track built in 1884, running about 1.2 kilometres from St. Moritz down towards Celerina with a drop of 157 metres. Riders go head-first on a skeleton-style toboggan. The track is operated by the St. Moritz Tobogganing Club and is open from around Christmas to late February, depending on conditions. Women were barred from riding between 1929 and 2018; the club voted to readmit them as active members in 2018.
Non-members can arrange a limited number of novice rides through the club during the season, subject to conditions and availability — contact the club well in advance if you are serious. Most visitors simply watch from the side of the track, especially at famous corners such as Shuttlecock.
Events on the frozen lake
When Lake St. Moritz freezes solid, it becomes a venue for international events:
- Snow Polo World Cup St. Moritz — high-goal polo on the frozen lake, held since 1985. The 2027 edition is scheduled for 22–24 January 2027, with play from 10:30 to 16:30 each day.
- White Turf — international horse racing on the frozen lake, held since 1907 and attracting more than 35,000 visitors. The 2027 race days are 7, 14 and 21 February 2027, with family days on the preceding Saturdays (6, 13 and 20 February). The programme includes flat races, trotting and skikjöring, in which a skier is towed by a riderless galloping horse.
Both events depend on the ice being thick enough, so check the official sites (whiteturf.ch and the St. Moritz events calendar) shortly before travelling. Spectator areas are usually ticketed, with grandstand and hospitality options at extra cost.
Winter walks and the lake
The Engadine has an extensive network of prepared winter walking trails, many of them flat routes along the valley floor and around the lakes. A loop around Lake St. Moritz takes about an hour and is the obvious first walk. Longer flat walks follow the chain of lakes towards Silvaplana and Sils, and the walk from St. Moritz towards Pontresina through the Stazerwald forest is a popular option. Trails above the valley are reached by funicular and cable car; many lift companies sell pedestrian tickets.
Other non-ski options in the area include:
- Ice skating on natural and artificial rinks in the resort.
- Tobogganing, with marked toboggan runs in the Engadine; the long run from Preda to Bergün on the Albula line is a classic day trip.
- Snowshoe trails, marked and graded, with rental available in the resort.
- Cross-country skiing lessons, if you want to try skis on flat terrain — the Engadine's valley floor is one of Switzerland's best-known cross-country areas.
Culture and indoor options
On bad-weather days, the Segantini Museum displays works by Giovanni Segantini, the painter of Alpine landscapes who worked in the Engadine. The Engadine Museum shows traditional interiors and furniture from the region. St. Moritz Bad also has an indoor pool and spa complex. Check opening days in advance, as hours change between seasons.
Getting there and around
St. Moritz is the terminus of the Albula line of the Rhaetian Railway, part of a UNESCO World Heritage site, and the Glacier Express and Bernina Express both serve it. A ride over the Bernina Pass to Alp Grüm or Tirano is a good winter outing in its own right, with the train running through deep snow and past glaciers.
Overnight guests in many Engadine hotels receive benefits such as free local bus travel; ask your accommodation what is included. In the main event weeks — particularly January and February — book accommodation early, because prices and demand peak.
