St Moritz Attractions

From St Moritz Dorf a funicular (2.1km/1mi) ascends in 20minutes via an intermediate station at Chantarella (2,005 m/6,578ft) to Corviglia (2,486 m/8,157ft; restaurant), with fine views and excellent skiing; from there a cabin cableway (2,450 m/8,038ft, 10minutes) up Piz Nair (3,057 m/10,030ft; magnificent view).

From St Moritz Bad the Signalbahn (cabins; 1,460 m/4,790ft, five minutes) serves the Signalkuppe (2,150 m/7,054ft; several ski-lifts).

The heart of St Moritz Dorf is the Schulplatz (Pl. da Scoula), in which stands the Town Hall. To the southeast, lower down, is the Tourist Information Office, to the north, on higher ground, the Protestant church (1786), and beyond this, in the idyllic Old Cemetery, the Schiefer Turm (Leaning Tower), all that remains of the old Romanesque church of St Maurice.

The Engadine Museum in the Badstrasse contains domestic interiors, embroidery, costumes, implements and utensils. Exhibits excavated in the Engadine from Neolithic and Bronze Age periods and Roman finds from the Septimer and Julier passes are on display.

In total there are 2300 items on display.

The Segantini Museum is a memorial to the artist Giovanni Segantini who spent the last 5 years of his life in the Engadine. The building, with its large cupola, was constructed in the style of the pavilion Segantini had planned for his Alpine Panorama, which was to have been exhibited at the 1900 Paris World Exhibition. This unfinished triptych and over 50 of his other works are housed inside.

On the eastern fringe of the forest are the Spa Establishment (1973-76), an open-air swimming-pool and the Kurhaus. Attractive paths run along the wooded slopes.

In St Moritz Bad (1.5km/1mi south of St Moritz Dorf), with its high-rise buildings, is the Roman Catholic church (1867), with a separate tower.

The origins of winter tourism in St Moritz go back to the end of the last century. From those early days with the first ski-runs it has developed into a world famous modern skiing metropolis with 25 snow cannons.

It features artificial and natural ice-rinks; curling, toboggan run, the famous Cresta Run or Skeletonbahn (1,400 m/4,593ft); bobsled run to Celerina-Cresta (1,600 m/5,250ft); Olympic ski-jump.

Every year there are three international horse races on the frozen lake, as well as winter golf, polo and grayhound racing. This excellent skiing country with descents of varying difficulty is easily accessible by the funicular, cableways and numerous lifts.

The new slopes opened in 1988 and the glacier on Corvatsch and Diavolezza make skiing possible from November to May. There are cross-country trails to Majola and Zuoz.

The birthplace of winter sports, twice host of the Winter Olympics and magnet for the rich and celebrated, St Moritz is the best-known resort in the Upper Engadine Region. Because it is so celebrated for shopping, dining and nightlife, it's easy to forget St Moritz is also the highest resort in Switzerland offering great intermediate terrain with many very long runs. Since lifts in town can be somewhat congested, many skiers stay on the upper lifts for their day of skiing. The quiet and traditional village of Pontresina is nearby and shares the same slopes.

To the west of St Moritz there is a rewarding climb (not difficult for experienced climbers) by way of the Alp Suvretta (2,211 m/7,254ft) to the summit of Piz Julier (3,385 m/11,106ft; five hours), which offer magnificent distant views.

To the south of Isola (4-4.5 hours, with guide) is the Piz della Margna (3,159 m/10,365ft; superb views). A cableway ascends to the Alp Präsura (2,311 m/7,582ft), giving access to the Furtschellas (2,800 m/9,187ft; ski-lifts).

From Sils Maria a narrow road (closed to cars) runs south up the Val Fex to Crasta (3km/2mi, alt. 1,948 m/6,391ft) and Curtins (6km/4mi, alt. 1,976 m/6,483ft), from which there is a beautiful view of the mountains framing the Fex glacier.

East of Sils Maria (1.25 hours) is the Marmorè (2,203 m/7,288ft; ski-lift), with a magnificent view into the Upper Engadine. A good footpath (3.5 hours) leads east to the Fuorcla Surlej (2,756 m/9,042ft).

There are fine views from Oberalpina (1,990 m/6,529ft; 30minutes southwest of St Moritz Dorf), Alp Nova (2,185 m/7,169ft; one hour west) and Alp Laret (2,101 m/6,893ft; one hour north). From Oberalpina there is a ridge path by way of the Chantarella funicular station to the Alp Laret (one hour).

7km/4mi southwest of Piz Julier, at the junction with the road over the Julier pass, is Silvaplana (1,815 m/5,955ft; bypass), a health and winter sports resort situated on the green alluvial fan of the Ova dal Vallun, with a Late Gothic parish church (1491). A bridge crosses the narrow neck of the lake on which it lies to a 19th C. baronial mansion, the Crap da Sass (private property), and the houses and chalets of Surlej ("above the lake"). 15-minute walk farther up is the lower station (1,870 m/6,135ft; parking, restaurant) of the Corvatsch cableway.

2km/1mi from St Moritz Dorf on the east side of the lake are the Meierei hotel-restaurant and cafe. From there it is another kilometer to the Staz Hotel and restaurant on the eastern shore of the Lej Staz (Stazer See, 1,808 m/5,932ft; swimming pool), from which it is an hour's walk on forest paths to Celerina or Pontresina.