St Moritz Ski Resort

From royal polo matches on the frozen lake to abundant five star hotels and Russian money flying directly into the local airstrip, St. Moritz’s posh credentials are impeccable. But there’s good and varied skiing too, with the advantage that many resort visitors will be intent on celeb-spotting or making the most of plush facilities, leaving the excellent snow to the keen skiers.

It’s no wonder St. Moritz is so widely known: unique experiences such as the Cresta Run, the Engadin cross-country ski marathon and polo-on-snow have been joined in recent years by spectacular kite-boarding across the acres of frozen lakes on the valley floor. The resort claims to have been the birthplace in 1864 of the ‘white winter holiday' and has the oldest Tourism Board in Switzerland; it’s also the only place in the country to have hosted the Olympic Winter Games, in 1928 and 1948. More recently, bringing the region’s skiing up to date, the Alpine Ski World Championships took place in St. Moritz in 2003, as they did in 1934, 1948 and 1974.

The skiing
The three main ski areas of St Moritz are separate but big enough to stand alone. If you’re happy to ride the punctual buses or drive between areas, you will enjoy the distinctly different slopes of each domain – the extensive, rolling, well-groomed Corviglia pistes; the drama of the high Corvatsch peak followed by big vertical; and the huge descent across the glacier and the steepest slopes of the Diavolleza. There’s even heli-skiing of sorts that utterly defines the resort: you fly to the top of the hill and ski down the piste, thus avoiding the need to ride those tiresome lifts with the hoi polloi…

The town
In town, it’s a puzzle to first time visitors exactly what the fuss is about. Set on the lakeside and rising up the steep slopes towards the ski domain, the centre of St. Moritz has no obvious special qualities. It’s neither outrageously picturesque, nor exuding nightlife potential; the most striking feature is the number of luxury shops selling things you’ll never need on a ski holiday or anywhere else. Most of the action, if you can call it that, takes place behind the doors of the massive five star hotels, leaving others out in the cold. A more relaxed and friendly area to stay is in the spa region of the resort, right on the shore of the lake, where hotels such as the Laudinella cater well to a mid-range clientele, though once again everything is provided under one substantial roof, so you might seldom go out but to ski.

St Moritz at a glance

On the mountain

Ski area

The three main ski areas of St. Moritz, extensive Corviglia, varied Corvatsch and challenging Diavolezza, all have excellent snow conditions thanks to the high altitude of most of the slopes. more...

Lift system

Chairlift capacity is good, queuing not a major feature and the ticket system hands-free in St. Moritz. more...

Ski schools & guiding

The Schweizer Skischule St. Moritz and the Suvretta Snowsports School are the main options. more...

Advanced

Though not an obvious destination for advanced skiers, around a third of St. Moritz's terrain is made up of black runs and there’s plenty of off-piste. more...

Intermediate

Sun-kissed cruising on abundant and well groomed snow is what St. Moritz’s skiing is about. The good uplift and diverse spectacular geography makes up for the fragmention of the areas. more...

Beginner

Beginners should stick to the Corviglia slopes, where there are easy runs and drag lifts as well as excellent terrain to progress onto. more...

Boarding & freestyle

St. Moritz has several fun parks and freestylers and boarders should also check out the kite-sailing on the lakes.
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Mountain restaurants

Skiers in St. Moritz are spoilt for choice come lunchtime: spectacular views from above 3,000m at Piz Nair or the truffles and caviar at La Marmite.
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