St Moriz, Switzerland

Switzerland St. Moritz (5/28-29/2024)

St Moritz Switzerland

During the short summer in St. Moritz residents describe wonderful temperatures and an explosion of color when the flowers are in full bloom and the mountains turn green when the snow melts but still remain a picturesque snow capped. During the winter, St. Moritz is in its glory as one of the best luxury ski resorts in the world and full of people.

St Moritz Lake

St. Moritz is an upscale alpine town surrounded by a gorgeous aquamarine lake, scenic mountains, and stunning alpine forests (see map). Because it only has a few streets along the western banks of St. Moritz Lake, you don’t need a lot of time to explore the glamorous old hotels, chic boutiques, art galleries, and glitzy restaurants serving hearty alpine meals. Hikers and outdoor enthusiasts can spend more time exploring the beautiful surroundings.

St Moritz in May - but Not Best Time to Visit

Note: Late May is a great time to travel through Switzerland due to the good weather and low crowds and we wanted to see St. Moritz after doing the wonderful Bernini Express train ride… but it not the best time to see St. Moritz during its off season when many hotels, shops, restaurants are closed with upgrade construction happening throughout the town. Yet, we still enjoyed our visit to St. Moritz for the day and can easily image how St. Moritz deserves its outstanding reputation.

Pat at the Famous Klum Hotel

St. Moritz became a popular destination for the rich and famous in the late 19th century and this reputation has continued today. Known as a winter wonderland, there are plenty of things to do all year. St. Moritz has some of the finest hotels in Switzerland and plenty of restaurants.

Pat Enjoying the Upscale Shopping

The opulent atmosphere of St. Moritz is displayed by its luxury hotels, high-end shops, big-name designer boutiques, and upscale restaurants making it likely the most expensive town in Switzerland. The upscale shopping can experienced along the top of Via Serlas, St. Moritz’s main street leading up to the ski village area. Many other boutique shops can be found along the streets fanning out from the Piazza Mauritius (see photo). Even if luxury shopping isn’t your goal, the window shopping is enjoyable.

Piazza Mauritius & City Hall

In front of St. Moritz’s City Hall (Rathaus) at the Piazza Mauritius (see photo), you can find the Mauritius Fountain created in 1910 by sculptor Wilhelm Schwerzmann to honor the memory of Baroness von Goldschmidt-Rothschild, who is known for her generosity in establishing charitable foundations.

St Moritz Lakeside Promenade

It is nice to walk along the lakeside promenade, especially at night. Opposite the city, the lighted steeples look like a fairytale. When it is warm, one the best free things to do in St. Moritz is to take the easy 3-mile walk around the lake taking 1-2 hours starting at the train station tunnel to the lake (see photo). At the train station, the mosaic made of 2.2 million tiny tiles is interesting to see.

Segantini Museum

St. Moritz is home to several museums and art galleries that showcase the history and culture of the region. One of the best for art lovers and history enthusiasts is the Segantini Museum in an alpine backdrop (see photo). Another is the Engadiner Museum in an old-style Engadin house where the focus is on the history and way of life of the people in this Swiss valley. The Lending Tower (Schiefer Turn) dates back to the 12th century is a landmark in St. Moritz (see photo).

Hotel Steffani Lapin Bleu Restaurant

You can enjoy traditional Swiss dishes such as fondue, raclette, and Engadin nut cake at local restaurants and mountain inns throughout St. Moritz. We enjoyed Hotel Steffani Lapin Bleu Restaurant, opened in 1869 as the first and oldest restaurant in St.Moritz (see photo).

Lending Tower

For one of the best views in the Engadin Valley, from St. Moritz take the funicular up to Muottas Muragl. The panoramic view of the lakes and alpine mountains is breathtaking. You can visit at sunset for a spectacular view and consider dining at the panoramic restaurant.

St. Moritz’s main town is St. Moritz Dorf located uphill from the train station so you might want to take a taxi or bus (see map on right). About a mile south is St Moritz Bad on the valley floor at the southwest end of the lake. It is known for its healing mineral springs that have been used since the Bronze Age and first put St. Moritz on the map as a summer spa resort.

St Mortiz Lake and Mountains

Beyond the glitz and glamour, there are numerous opportunities to enjoy the natural beauty and outdoor activities. St. Moritz’s surrounding area with it beautiful alpine scenery with 25 crystal-clear mountain lakes, as well as forests and glaciers, is the region's greatest attraction, drawing tourists and outdoor sports enthusiasts year-round. Summer visitors enjoy hiking, climbing, sailing, windsurfing, tennis, horseback riding, golf, and even skiing on the glaciers. St. Moritz hosted the Winter Olympics in 1928 and 1948.

View of St Moritz from Hotel Stern

Although English is spoken in hospitality places, this German-speaking town is home for only 5,200 citizens and visited by more than half a million visitors every year. As far back as the 1860’s, a British contingent was spending the cold months in the winter sun in St. Moritz. By the 1960’s, the jet set had made St. Moritz the revered ski resort of wealthy.

St Moritz Beautiful Mountains

St. Moritz is often called ‘top of the world’ because at almost 6,000 feet it is the highest city with a train station in Switzerland. One of St. Moritz's features is the view of the surrounding mountains from town - 10,000-foot Piz Corvatsch, Piz Nair, and Piz Surlej. At 13,284 feet, the Piz Bernina is the highest peak in the area. The magnificent view from St. Moritz also embraces the mountains from Piz Languard in the east to Piz Julier in the west. The most prominent peaks are Piz Rosatsch, with its glacier; to its right Piz Surlej and Piz Corvatsch; and in the distance, the beautiful Piz della Margna.

Day trips from St. Moritz

Upscale St Moritz Switzerland

For those looking to explore beyond the glittering lakes and majestic peaks, there are nice day trips near St. Moritz. Visitors can discover quaint villages, panoramic hiking trails, and the striking beauty of the Bernina Pass, each easily accessible and offering a unique adventure in the Swiss Alps.

St Moritz to Corviglia Funicular

Corviglia is one of the best views you can get from St. Moritz itself. It is an easy mountain trip since the station is located in the center of St. Moritz (see photo). From the top of Piz Corvatsch you have a fantastic panorama of Lake Sils, Lake Silvaplana, Lake Champfer with the mountains in the background, and glaciers on the other side. From St. Moritz you need to get to Corvatsch Talstation Surlej by bus. Then take the gondola to Corvatsch Mittelstation Murtel before getting on another gondola that will bring you up Corvatsch Bergstation.

View from the Bernini Express

St. Moritz is the starting and endpoint on the Glacier Express and can also be added to the Bernina Express train route – so you can combine a trip with these amazing train rides. The Bernina Express is the famous panoramic railway in the Alps connecting Chur with Poschiavo, Switzerland, and Tirano, Italy, winding past glaciers, mountains, lakes, rivers, and picturesque small Swiss alpine towns (see photo).

Glacier Express Train Ride

The Glacier Express is often sited as one of the most scenic train rides in the world and also one of the best luxury train rides in Switzerland. Billed as “the slowest express train in the world,” the entire ride from either way from St. Moritz (or Chur) to or from Zermatt takes 7-8 hours. You can ride the whole route or just a section enjoying wonderful Swiss towns along the way.

Pat at Laderach Swiss Chocolate

Interesting fact: Switzerland has long been known for its fine chocolate and cheese. The Swiss chocolate industry produced over 200,000 tons of chocolate worth $1.7 billion in 2018. It mostly goes to Switzerland, Germany, UK, France, and Canada. The Swiss chocolate brands make up around 40% of the world’s global chocolate production. Alpine milk sets Swiss chocolate apart. It is sourced from high-altitude farms in the Swiss mountains. Due to it being denser and less aerated, alpine milk gives Swiss chocolate a rich fragrance and an extremely milky texture. I liked Läderach Chocolate (see photo) with stores in many Swiss cities including St. Moritz.

Please see other great place in Switzerland, Click on these links...

Zurich Switzerland

Lucerne Switzerland 

Lugano Switzerland

Zermatt Switzerland 

Montreux & Chocolate Train Switzerland

Brig Switzerland

Chur Switzerland

 

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