St Moritz

The town also hosts the Cartier Polo World Cup on Snow along with many other events held on the frozen lake. Snow shoeing and Langlauf (Cross Country Skiing) is also popular on the lake. A cheaper alternative to this is window shopping around the designer shops and fur coat spotting around the cobbled streets of the villages. There is also an old regal cinema which is worth a look, or if you fancy some relaxing, a new Spa opens in Samedan at the end of 2009 or the Kronenhof (Hotel of the Year) has a top Spa that is open to the public.

St Moritz is a high altitude resort that along with the areas of Corvatsch and Diavolezza, form the Upper Engadine region and this valley boasts an average of 322 days of sunshine a year which adds to its attractiveness. Diavolezza is a stark glacial mountain that hosts summer snowboarding. St Moritz, which gives access to the slopes on the Corviglia and Marguns, is an area that is largely made up of intermediate pisted runs which get stupidly busy on most days. Unfortunately there are not too many expert pistes here to escape the hordes of learning skiers. However, there is a tonne of adventurous off piste terrain to check out, but only do so with the advice and services of a local guide.

There are 11 ski schools here, one of which even has Prada uniforms! They pride themselves on being the best instr

There are plenty of places to get a meal, but you will have to look hard to find somewhere cheap. 

In St Moritz Bad there is a fairly cheap traditional Swiss Restaurant called Veltliner Keller which is very popular with the locals.  Tasty dishes include Engadiner Gerstensuppe (barley soup) followed by Älplermagronen (macaroni or pasta with potatoes, onions, bacon and cheese). Nearby is the ______ Pizzeria.

On the mountain some of the restaurants aren’t too badly priced, like the Berghaus Diavollezza, ___ (Corvatsch) or the ___ in Corviglia.

 

Accommodation, which is provided by an array of hotels and chalets, is available in a spread out area including St Moritz Dorf (the main village which includes the Train Station) and St Moritz Bad (closer to the Signal Bahn). "Top Hit" Hotel deals including free lift passes are available in the quieter months from February onwards. See www.stmoritz.ch for more details. There is another eleven picturesque villages spread out down the valley. They are cheaper to stay in and linked by buses and / or trains, including Pontresina, Bever and Zuoz (beginners area). There is also an official Youth Hostel in St Moritz and the Inn Lodge in Celerina is cheap. Campsites are available too if you are feeling brave!

The nightlife is full on although somewhat posey! There isn’t any real après ski at 4pm except a few drinks at the Roo bar, which is outside the Hauser Restaurant by the main roundabout in town. Instead things kick off after midnight at clubs like Diamonds in the Külm Hotel, Kings Club in the Palace Hotel, Vivai in The Stefani, Allegra and the members club Dracula. There is a surprising lack of normal bars in the whole resort and most of them are actually hidden in the hotels.

Night skiing takes place every Friday from 7pm until 2am and includes on-mountain bars with DJs and bands playing throughout the night. Night time “Full Moon” Boarding is available once a month on the mountain at Diavolezza too. For more information on nightlife pick up the free St Mortiz Going Out Guide from the Tourist Office or most Hotels. It is published monthly and has all the events listed.