St Moritz Activities
One cannot think of St Moritz as just a downhill ski resort, it is far, far more. The entire Engadin valley fully embraces winter, making the most of the high altitude, cold & geography to provide a boundless variety of non-alpine ski activities that far exceeds nearly all other ski resorts in the world.
The region has huge lakes that freeze in winter to form impeccable winter walking, cross country skiing & ice skating areas. The lakes also host winter horse racing events & even a winter cricket tournament. Paragliding, mountain walking, sleigh rides, snowshoeing & sledding occur in the mountains.
Scenic train rides over the Bernina Pass are a must – as is lunch, dinner & an overnight in Tirano, Italy. Add casinos, fine dining & shopping. St Moritz has it all covered.
Activities on the Frozen Lakes of St Moritz
The Engadin valley in which St Moritz exists has the Inn River (flows to Innsbruck Austria!) running through it, interspersed with numerous huge lakes that freeze solid in winter to form impeccable winter activity zones. The major lakes (St Moritzersee, Champferersee Silvaplanaersee & Silsersee) extend up the valley for over 15km. The frozen lakes provide the perfect surface for a vast network of trails for winter walking, cross country skiing & ice skating.
Cross Country Skiing
The St Moritz cross-country ski trail network is absolutely world-class & extends for a lung-busting 230km. The cross country ski trails wind their way from Majola via St Moritz & down to Zernez & south from Celerina to Morteratsch via Pontresina. If cross country skiing is your juice, St Moritz is a 'must do' ski location. The high elevation valley ensures snow quality is superb. The trails are groomed to perfection & is maintained by a small army of workers, hence there is a small daily users fee associated with utilising it. A day pass will set you back CHF10 & a week around CHF30.
See the St Moritz Cross-country Ski & Winter Walking Trail Map here.
Non-ski Mountain Activities
Paragliding, mountain walking, sleigh rides, snowshoeing & sledding occur in the mountains. Pedestrians can utilise many of the trails on the frozen lakes to link villages for bracing walks to restaurants & bars.
Horse drawn sleigh rides occur on Corviglia up to Salastrains, but a longer more interesting journey is from Pontresina up an isolated valley to the gorgeous Hotel Roseg Gletscher. Enjoy dinner & stay the night!
Sledding (or sledging) takes various forms in St Moritz. The Cresta Run takes place on the only man-made World Cup standard bobsled track in the world & is open to use by the public. On nearby Muottas Muragl, a funicular takes one up 600 vertical metres to the hotel restaurant, from where the descent will keep even experts on their toes.
Scenic Train Rides on the Bernina Express
The Bernina Express is the world’s highest trans-alpine train link. A fascinating 2.5hr journey to Tirano Italy, the ‘Express’ trundles its way up via numerous stops including Morteratsch, where one overlooks the glacier of the same name & the exit to the longest ski run in the area. Morteratsch has numerous accommodation options, but as with most stations along the line, stopping there is on request only, similarly for the stops at Diavolezza & Lagalb. Journey time from St Moritz is less then 40min to Diavolezza.
From Diavolezza, the train climbs up & over the 2328m Bernina Pass, then descends 1900m vertical, via a series of engineering marvels including the Circular Viaduct Bursiothe to emerge in Tirano. The 'Express' clatters onto the main road thoroughfare in front of the imposing 16th century Basilica (Sanctuary of the Madonna of Tirano) before stopping at the station near the centre of town. A peek inside the basilica is worthwhile if nothing else to see the staggeringly complex 18th century 3000 pipe organ & associated sculptures & artwork. Spend the night in Tirano, explore the old town at eat out. Take the train back in the morning.
Events at St Moritz
The frozen lakes of St Moritz also host winter horse races & even a winter cricket tournament. The local casinos host numerous shows & entertainment through the winter season.
Village Activities & Shopping
For activities of the non-physical variety, St Moritz is perfect. Try your luck at the casino at the Kempinski Grand Hotel, fine dining & high-end shopping at the all the usual haunts expected in a 5-star resort village. St Moritz has it all covered.
