St. Moritz in Winter
St. Moritz claims a central place in the history of winter tourism. In 1864 the hotelier Caspar Badrutt bet a group of British summer guests that they would enjoy the Engadine in winter, and their return is often cited as the beginning of Alpine winter holidays. The town later hosted the Winter Olympics in 1928 and 1948, as well as several Alpine Skiing World Championships, most recently in 2017.
Sitting at around 1,800 m in a wide, sunny valley, it has cold, dry winters and long stretches of clear weather, which suits a weekend visit well.
Day 1: The Ski Areas
The Upper Engadine has several separate ski areas, linked by bus and train rather than lifts:
- Corviglia: the home mountain above St. Moritz, reached by funicular from St. Moritz Dorf or by lifts from St. Moritz Bad and Celerina. It has wide, sunny pistes and the run down from Piz Nair.
- Corvatsch: above Silvaplana and Surlej, higher and often colder, with views over the frozen lakes.
- Diavolezza and Lagalb: near the Bernina Pass, with high-altitude runs and a long descent towards the Morteratsch glacier in good conditions.
Lift passes are sold for the whole region, so you can switch areas on the second day. Check current prices and pass rules on the ski area websites, as pricing can vary by date.
Day 2: Bob Run and Cresta Run
St. Moritz is home to two famous ice tracks:
- The Olympia Bob Run St. Moritz–Celerina opened in 1904 and is the oldest bobsleigh track still in use, and the only one in the world built from natural ice. It is rebuilt by hand each winter from snow and water. Visitors can book a guest ride in a bobsleigh with a professional pilot. These are popular, so book well ahead.
- The Cresta Run, run by the St. Moritz Tobogganing Club since the 1880s, is a natural-ice skeleton run where riders go head-first on a toboggan. Spectators can watch from points along the track, and the club offers rides for beginners under its own rules and conditions.
Both depend on cold weather and operate only during the core winter season, usually from around Christmas to early March.
Events on the Frozen Lake
When Lake St. Moritz freezes solid, it becomes a venue:
- Snow Polo: a polo tournament on the snow-covered lake, held in St. Moritz since 1985, usually in late January.
- White Turf: international horse races on the frozen lake on Sundays in February, with flat racing, trotting and skikjöring, in which riders on skis are pulled by galloping horses.
Event dates change from year to year, and events are cancelled if the ice is not thick enough. Confirm dates on the official event websites before planning a trip around them.
Cross-Country Skiing and Winter Walks
The Upper Engadine is one of Switzerland's main cross-country skiing regions, with prepared trails along the valley floor and over the frozen lakes when conditions allow. The Engadin Skimarathon, held each March, runs 42 km from Maloja to S-chanf and is one of the largest cross-country ski races in the world.
If you do not ski, prepared winter walking paths run around Lake St. Moritz and along the valley, and Muottas Muragl offers a winter panoramic walk and sledging. The Segantini Museum is a good indoor option on a cloudy afternoon.
Getting There and Getting Around
The Rhaetian Railway runs from Chur to St. Moritz on the Albula line, a journey of around two hours through tunnels, viaducts and snow-covered valleys. The line is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In town, local buses link St. Moritz Dorf, St. Moritz Bad and the other ski area base stations, and ski buses connect the different areas.
Planning Tips
- Book accommodation early for the Christmas and New Year period, February and the big event weekends, when St. Moritz is busiest and prices are at their highest.
- Pack for real cold. Clear nights at this altitude can be well below freezing, even when days are sunny.
- Sun protection matters at altitude, especially on bright days on the snow and ice.
- If you plan to try the bob guest ride or a beginner run on the Cresta, contact the operators as soon as your dates are fixed.
