ST. MORITZ – A WINTER WONDERLAND

“SWITZERLAND IS A COUNTRY WHERE VERY FEW THINGS BEGIN BUT MANY THINGS END,” SAID F. SCOTT FITZGERALD. BUT IF YOU ARE IN ST. MORITZ, THE SAYING BY THE FAMOUS AMERICAN FICTION WRITER WOULD FEEL JUST THE OTHER WAY ROUND. THIS HIDDEN GEM NESTLED IN THE STUNNING ENGADIN VALLEY OFFERS YOU AN ENDLESS LIST OF THINGS TO DO AND SOMEHOW YOUR PASSION FOR THOSE NEVER ENDS. AND IF YOU DON’T HAVE TIME TO DO EVERYTHING, MOST SAY THAT YOU’LL SIMPLY HAVE TO COME BACK AGAIN, ALBEIT, WITH A HEAVY WALLET.

Labeled as the first all-round winter sports and glamorous ski resort in the world that twice hosted the Winter Olympics in 1928 and 1948, St. Moritz sits at the top of any serious skier’s bucket list. It’s a known fact that Switzerland has ski resorts around every corner and over every hill captivating tobogganers, snowboarders, and other winter sports enthusiasts, but for a Swiss skier -or for any skier for that matter- skiing on the slopes of St. Moritz is an achievement in itself. Zermatt-born Markus Steffen, 27, a ski instructor for eight years, says, “Due to St. Moritz’s spectacular setting and guaranteed good snow conditions from December to May, even seasoned skiers and snowboarders hanker for St. Moritz adventures. The summits of Piz Nair and Corvatsch offer some challenging routes.” Steffen hastens to add, “Interestingly, in winter, every Friday night until 2 a.m. you can go skiing on Piz Corvatsch -Switzerland’s longest illuminated ski run (4.2 km).” St. Moritz’s winter sports calendar is packed with glamorous events such as Snow Polo World Cup that invites one of the glitziest gatherings on the Swiss social calendar. Other significant sports events that are held here are the Alpine and Nordic ski races, and the Engadin Skimarathon where skiers race downhill at a mind-blowing 140 km an hour, and snowboard competitions. Heli-skiing is also available on Fuorcla Chamoutsch.

St. Moritz is consistently one of the world’s most popular travel destinations not only for the rugged beauty of the Swiss Alps but also for the Alpine resort’s hallucinatory landscapes that demand visitors’ immediate action.

The frozen Lake St. Moritz -perhaps the most iconic symbol of the town- becomes an arena to witness the famous “White Turf” races involving thoroughbred horses in February as well as ice skating, curling, ice golf, show jumping, and polo and cricket matches. What is more, the first ever ice cricket tournament took place in 1988 on the eponymous frozen lake. St Moritz’s bobsleigh run is the last remaining natural ice track in the world and is a men-only track. In March, the Engadin Skimarathon, Switzerland’s largest cross-country race with as many as 13,000 entrants from more than 65 nations is hosted here. On the 42-kilometer-long marathon route, it is very exciting to see the runners move over frozen lakes, past typical Engadin villages, and through a unique winter landscape. In summer, the luxurious sailing yachts, the anglers, and stand-up paddlers take over.

In this glamorous Alpine winter resort a stroll along the Via Serlas, St. Moritz’s answer to Zurich’s Bahnhofstrasse and Rodeo Drive in Los Angeles, albeit, on a much smaller scale, is a must. The town’s most exclusive shopping boulevard is home to world-famous designer flagship boutiques par excellence. And who knows while walking down you might

be rubbing shoulders with the rich and famous. After all, well-heeled supermodels Naomi Campbell and Claudia Schiffer, actors George Clooney, Robert de Niro, Kate Moss, and singer Tina Turner have all been spotted here. The blue-blooded too can’t resist its charm. For decades, royals have been vacationing in St. Moritz including Prince Edward and the Countess of Wessex, the Swedish royal families, and Willem-alexander and Maxima of the Netherlands.

For some exclusive handcrafted furniture, visit Ettlin on Via Rosatsch and Lüthi, a souvenir and artifact shop, on Via dal Bagn. Limited edition luxury watch manufacturer and town’s largest jeweler Bucherer is on Via Maistra

17. At the end of your shopping tour, do stop by the centenarian Hanselmann pastry store -a delicious and mandatory destination for palate connoisseurs, famous throughout Engadin. Some say the store inspired famous Italian novelist Rosetta Loy to write her book Cioccolata da Hanselmann.

Wherever you go in St. Moritz, a love of good food is evident. From caviar to capuns or from home cooking to award-winning fine dining, St. Moritz is equally popular. To experience St. Moritz as the number one culinary destination in the Alps try traditional coffee houses offering the legendary Engadin walnut tart, or meat wrapped in Swiss chard leaves, then baked in the oven with cheese. Savory raclette, a truffle pizza, Zurcher

Geschnetzeltes, Birchermüesli, and, of course, Swiss fondue are also worth trying. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself dining in a world-class rated restaurant because one in ten

restaurants in this sophisticated Alpine town has received an international culinary award. For die-hard foodies, January is a good month to be in this winter wonderland as St. Moritz Gourmet Festival (this year the festival is from January 31 to February 8, 2020) is held offering its guests gourmet delights and diversity of the highest order from around the world. Established in 1994, the world-famous nine-day winter festival brings together top guest chefs and distinguished executive chefs at the Swiss Alpine resort which is transformed into an electrifying place filled with aromas and flavors.

The spectacular beauty of the most glamorous ski resort on the planet hasn’t failed to attract artists and philosophers as well. In fact, today, St. Moritz is considered a major player in the world of art. It is claimed that “St. Moritz is the new Venice” as over the last decade numerous renowned art galleries have been opened here. Hauser & Wirth, Galerie Karsten Greve, Muzeum Susch, and

Art Gallery Central are worth a visit. Also, stop by the Segantini Museum, established in 1908, to admire Giovanni Segantini’s realistic symbolism. He breathed new life into Alpine painting in the late 19th century. The philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche was also greatly influenced by the Alpine air. It’s said that he came up with his idea of eternal recurrence after his first visit to Engadin; this notion would form, in his own words, the “fundamental conception” of his philosophical text Thus Spoke Zarathustra.

St. Moritz’s spectacular setting makes it one of those areas where the need to stand and gaze around will regularly interrupt your progress to ascend the snow-clad mountains and you might end up saying, just like Giovanni Segantini, “I would like to see my mountains.”