Ski Holidays to St Moritz | SkiingHolidays.com

One of the most famous ski resorts in the world, St. Moritz is chic, elegant and exclusive. Two of its proudest assets are its magnificent 322 days of sun per year, and its ‘dry, sparkling champagne climate'. The sparkle, glamour, sense of fun and underrated skiing draw the rich and famous slopeside every year. Sitting in the Maloja district of the Swiss canton of Graubünden, the resort has 350 km of piste on its sunny slopes. Moritz is split into two areas: Hillside Dorf, with chic hotels and shops and quieter Bad, spreading up the valley from the lake.

The glitz and party glamour often overshadow the fact that St. Moritz has some really good skiing. Its high altitude makes for good snow cover and the glacier means confirmed skiing. Really around two thirds of the terrain is skiable for intermediates, with some of the toughest skiing provided for adventurous intermediates. Around a third of St. Moritz's terrain is made up of black runs along with plenty of off-piste. There are some good beginner slopes, but there's often no easy link between them. Snowboarders will love the separate snowboard areas, half pipe and off-piste guided tours.

The panoramic lakeside restaurants, bars and clubs provide a glitzy après-ski scene, which features gourmet restaurants, casinos, bars and nightclubs and concerts, and the shopping is upmarket and extensive. The accommodation, restaurants, bars and facilities are all top class - and generally have prices to match! So if you're looking for a budget holiday, St. Moritz may not be for you. Every year, the resort hosts the famous White Turf horse race on the frozen Lake Moritz. The surrounding area is beautiful, and easily accessed by train, so if you have a day to spare - get out and see some of it. Jump on the Rhaetian Railway and take in the National Park in the Lower Engadine or the Glacier express to Chur or the Valais.

beginner skiers

There are some good beginner slopes here, but some of them are not easily liked and it can be hard to move between them. Try the nursery slopes at Celernia, then head by funicular to Corviglia and try its easy beginner runs, drag lifts and some slightly more challenging runs to move onto when you are ready.

intermediate skiers

A massive chunk of the pistes at St. Moritz is designed from intermediates, with some good crossover runs which will help take you to expert level. Lifts can be a bit fragmented but the sunny groomed cruising is worth it. Try Corviglia with its mix of blues and reds just above the resort, or Corvatsch, which has wickedly entertaining runs that twist and turn above the treeline.

expert skiers

Not usually chosen for advanced skiing, St. Moritz actually provides a good amount of it. There are numerous black runs at Piz Noir, Diavolezza and Lagalb and plenty of off-piste - some marked as itineraries, some strictly backcountry. The sense of scale is great as well with massive peaks and good vertical drops.

St Moritz Ski Schools

European Snowsport

European Snowsport is Verbier, Zermatt and St. Moritz' premier ski school. They provide private and group lessons with fun, professional instructors who know their resorts like the backs of their hands.
www.europeansnowsport.com

Après Ski and Off the Mountain Activities

Après ski

You can take your pick of many great bars and clubs in St. Moritz, most of which are open until 4am. Head to Cascade Bar for cocktails and live music, Kings Club for late night fun and Vivai Dance Club to strut your stuff on the dancefloor. For a more relaxing après-ski vibe, try the Piano Bar, or head to La Cantinetta for wine tastings. Whiskey aficionados will love one of the largest whiskey bars in the world, located at the Waldhaus Hotel. Cakes and hot chocolate at Hanselmann Tea room will always warm you up. The restaurants are fantastic (as you would expect) serving everything under the sun. You can snack on traditional Swiss cuisine, seafood, Greek, Chinese, Italian, Mediterranean and pizza. Le Carnotzet in Bad does a good traditional fondue or raclette, Restaurant Meierei is seeped in romance, and the pizza and pasta at Bella Vista is mouth-watering.

off the mountain

St. Moritz is big on off the mountain options, whether you're in the market for shopping, scenery or sport. The streets are lined with designer shops like Bulgari, Chanel and Prada as well as food markets, chocolate shops, patisseries and souvenir stores. The frozen lake, Lej da San Murezzan, hosts horse and greyhound racing and cricket, golf and polo competitions. The lake has walking and cross country trails on and around it so take a walk before relaxing in the heated outdoor pool. If you have time, check out the Segantini Museum - dedicated to the painter Giovanni Segantini who spent the final five years of his life in the Engadine. Or try snow shoeing, sledding, ice skating, ice curling, hang gliding, winter golf, mini golf, swimming, cooking classes, bowling, a gym/fitness room, parapenting, watching movies in the old style cinema and spa treatments. Festivals like the Gourmet Festival and the Snow & Symphony (the music festival of St. Moritz) are very popular. The Swiss National Park - measuring 172 square kilometres, this is Switzerland's biggest nature reserve, and is absolutely stunning. With local mineral springs, St. Moritz has a long tradition in the spa sector. Recent investments in several spa facilities throughout the area have brought a variety of world class services.

Off the mountain

How to get to St Moritz

St Moritz is located in the Engadin Valley, in the south-eastern Swiss Alps. It's not far from Lugano. The resort has a railway station and its own small airport.

by air

Zürich, lying 194 km away, is the closest airport to St Moritz and receives regular flights from the UK and the rest of the world. The next closest airport is Milan (202 km). Geneva is also an option.

by train

St Moritz conveniently has its own train station. The Eurostar leaves for Paris daily from London's Waterloo station. From Paris, you can take an overnight train to Chur in Switzerland, and connect with a local train to St Moritz. The entire journey takes only 12 hours. The train from Zurich takes approximately 4 hours with 1 change at Chur. The scenic Glacier Express train departs from Zermatt and takes around 7 ½ hours to wind through the Swiss Alps with just one train change.

by car

Driving is a good, cheap option. You'll have to get to the European continent via a car ferry or the Chunnel train service. St Moritz is 972kms away from Calais through France and Switzerland - a journey that takes over ten hours.

From Zurich head to Chur, via Thusis and Tiefencastel, either crossing the Julier pass or the Albula Pass.