AdventuresNW
St. Moritz undoubtedly ranks very high on any list of places that winter sports and hiking enthusiasts would like to visit one day and is certainly at the top of ski resorts in Switzerland. This famous alpine resort is the perfect combination of majestic scenery, a lush environment and a wide variety of winter hiking trails to choose from – some perfect for beginners and other more geared towards challenging seasoned hikers.
St. Moritz: A Perfect Destination for Winter Luxury Vacations
This is certainly not your average ski resort: St. Moritz is situated at 1,856 m above sea level and takes great pride in its unparalleled weather conditions. The resort boasts that it has sunshine 300 days every year, as well as perfect, smooth and reliable snow every single time – which has made it an extremely popular winter sports tourist destination since time immemorial. Students from Cambridge and Oxford used to come all the way over from Britain to battle each other in St. Moritz – no other place would quite do. Nowadays, it is as much a meeting point of the rich and the famous as it is a resort that welcomes every single tourist. Winter sports fans will be delighted to hear that the resort offers more than 350 km of pistes to practice on, which are being served by 58 lifts, which at times reach a highest point of over 3,300 m. The place has a longstanding tradition in skiing and similar sports, as it hosted that Winter Olympics twice, in 1928 and in 1948, proving the test of time against the newly built Sochi 2014 Olmpics which has now been known as as ghost town post 2014 Winter Olympic.
Yet there is more to St. Moritz than that: this spot is where Alpine winter tourism was born, back in 1864. It is also the place that saw the first light go on to celebrate Christmas in 1878, the first Alpine golf tournament take place in 1889 and in 1935, it welcomed the first ski lift in the whole of Switzerland. And there is much more than winter sports in St. Moritz – it is a proper, full-fledged resort, where visitors can dine in some of the best restaurants out there, according to LonelyPlanet, ranging from European and Swiss cuisine to more specifically Italian or French, and from local cuisine to fine dining experiences. If you are more inclined to experience the nightlife, there are world-class bars and casinos in the resort, including the luxurious one in the Kempinski Hotel. There you can play American Roulette, has a double zero pocket – and that is its main difference with playing European Roulette. And according to the Five Star Alliance, there are plenty of luxury hotels nearby if you would prefer to chill inside rather than brave nature: from Kempinski to Suvretta House, comfort is the name of the game.
Several Hiking Trails for Every Appetite – and Level of Skill
But if you are one of those who likes to get away from it all and reconnect with nature, then in St. Moritz you are in luck – there are simply magnificent hiking trails for everyone to choose from. If you want to start off with something no so demanding, your best bet is the Meierei St. Moritz – it covers roughly 5.8 km in a little over an hour and a half and is perfect for beginners. If you follow it, you will be rewarded with the most scenic view of the St. Moritz lake, surrounded by iconic larch forests. If you would like to test yourself a bit more though, you can opt for the Muottas Muragl to Alp Languard trail. It is marked as of moderate difficulty, but as it covers a little less than 6.5 km you can easily take breaks or work out your own pace. The trail will make you happy beyond doubt, as it is full with places from where you can enjoy the most breathtaking views around – spots from where you can enjoy the Albula Alps and a high point around the famous Segantini hut from where you can the Bernina Massif, the area around Engadine Lake and the Val Roseg.
If you are feeling even more adventurous, then you should try out hiking around Morteratsch Glacier and the Boval Hut. It will give you a first-hand experience of the glacial areas on top of Morteratsch Valley and allow you to enjoy the unique serenity of your surroundings. Several famous mountains feature on this trail, from Piz Palu and Bellavista, to Piz Bernina and Piz Morteratsch. The finishing line is at the Boval Hut, from where you can observe both the glacier and the valley beneath it. This one should truly be on everyone’s list while in St. Moritz. Depending on how you do the trail, you might pass by some lovely waterfalls on the way. And last but not least, try your luck hiking from Fuorcla Surlej to Pontresina, possibly via Coaz Hut. It gives you marvellous views of Piz Bernina and Piz Roseg as well as a quite calm walk through the forest and spectacular meadows in Val Roseg – the perfect combination! This trail also seems like perfectly designed in order to appreciate wildlife and nature around the St. Moriz region, all bundled up quite nicely in this relatively demanding hike – but you can always recharge your batteries by spending the night at Coaz Hut.
So next time you sit down to decide on your vacation time, why not give St. Moriz a chance and plan a little getaway to this hidden gem in Alpine Switzerland? And who knows, you may end up rubbing shoulders with a couple of celebrities on your way to that ski lift.
