St. Moritz, Switzerland

You cannot ski from one sector to the next. Corviglia/Piz Nair, Corvatsch/Furtschellas and Diavolezza/Lagalb are separate mountains; you move between them by bus or the Rhaetian Railway. A single Upper Engadin regional pass covers all three sectors, plus the smaller areas at Celerina, Sils and Zuoz.

The character of each sector is distinct: Corviglia is the groomed intermediate paradise, Corvatsch is the longer, steeper challenge with night skiing, and Diavolezza is the small but dramatic glacier gateway. Together they offer genuine variety — but the logistics of changing mountains cost you time each transition.

If you want huge linked mileage on one pass, St. Moritz is the wrong choice — its three unconnected sectors reward variety-seekers who enjoy changing terrain day by day, not skiers who want to clock up vertical without lifting a boot.

The resort's character is as much about the scene as the skiing — the frozen-lake polo, the Cresta Run, the Michelin stars, the Badrutt's Palace bar. But the skiing itself is substantial if you pick the right sector:

• Cruising intermediatesSkipCorvatsch (predominantly challenging reds, almost no blue)GoCorviglia — wide, sunny, perfectly groomed reds and blues with mountain restaurants to match
• Advanced & expertsSkipsticking to Corviglia's cruisersGoCorvatsch for long, steep reds from 3,303 m; Diavolezza for the Morteratsch glacier descent with a guide
• FamiliesSkipthe Dorf luxury core (pricey, steep streets)GoSalastrains on Corviglia for dedicated beginner terrain and kids' school; base in Celerina for value and Corviglia access via Marguns gondola
• Cross-country skiersSkiptreating XC as an afterthoughtGothe Engadin's 230 km of prepared trails — one of Europe's premier XC networks, host of the Engadin Skimarathon

St. Moritz invented the winter holiday, and it shows — the social programme (polo, White Turf, bob, Cresta) is as big a draw as the pistes. If you want nothing but skiing and a quiet chalet, this is overpriced for what's on the hill; if you want skiing plus spectacle, nowhere else competes.

The inner-Alpine position is a double-edged sword: St. Moritz gets less total precipitation than north-facing resorts, but what falls is dry, cold powder that preserves beautifully at altitude. The high sectors — Corvatsch at 3,303 m, Diavolezza at 2,978 m — hold snow deep into spring, while the valley floor at 1,820 m stays cold enough to keep base areas working.

Best value weeks are early-to-mid January (after New Year, before February half-terms) and late March (sunshine, good base, quieter). Avoid mid-February unless you enjoy lift queues, and note that the WEF in Davos (late January) can push accommodation prices up across the Engadin even in St. Moritz.

The Upper Engadin regional pass covers all three ski sectors plus the smaller areas. Pricing is dynamic — buy early online for the lowest rate. Ikon Pass holders get 7 days (full) or 5 days (base) included, no blackout dates.

The Snow-Deal spread is enormous — a 1-day adult pass ranges from CHF 47 to CHF 87, nearly double. Book at least two weeks ahead online and save up to 45% versus the walk-up window price.

The Suvretta Snowsports School is the prestige school — attached to the Suvretta House hotel, with its own beginner lifts and a teen snow camp (CHF 590/week). The Swiss Ski School St. Moritz is the traditional ESF-equivalent with group lessons from about CHF 250 for 5 half-days and privates from about CHF 130/hour.

For the Morteratsch glacier descent from Diavolezza, you need a qualified mountain guide and glacier equipment — the run crosses crevassed terrain. Local mountain guide offices and the ski schools arrange guided excursions; do not attempt the glacier descent unguided.

The Diavolezza glacier run is not a piste — it is a secured but ungroomed route across a working glacier. A guide, harness, transceiver and crampons are non-negotiable. Book guided groups well ahead for peak weeks.

Salastrains on Corviglia is the dedicated family area with beginner slopes, a children's ski school (Red Legends) and a kid-friendly restaurant. The Snowli Kids' Village has carousels and dedicated children's lifts. Additional beginner slopes at Surlej, Celerina and Pontresina keep the options flexible.

Off the slopes, the Engadin's flat valley floor makes family activities easy: the Muottas Muragl sledge run (4.2 km, 718 m vertical — challenging, not for young children), gentler alternatives at Preda-Bergün and Madulain, ice skating on Lake Staz, the Ovaverva indoor waterpark, horse-drawn carriage rides to the Fex Valley, and a summer botanical garden at Schatzalp.

The Muottas Muragl sledge run is fast and challenging — not suitable for beginners or young children. Families with small children should use the Preda-Bergün or Madulain runs instead.

The default route is Zurich to St. Moritz by train — about 3–3½ hours via Chur, changing to the Rhaetian Railway for the Albula line through its UNESCO-listed viaducts and tunnels. The Bernina Express from Tirano (Italy) and the Glacier Express from Zermatt are the scenic alternatives but are day-trip-length journeys, not commutes.

By car, Zurich is about 3 hours via the A3/A13 to Chur and then the Julier Pass (2,284 m — open year-round, no tunnel needed). Milan is about 4 hours via Chiavenna and the Maloja Pass. Samedan Engadin Airport, 5 km from St. Moritz, is Europe's highest airport (1,707 m) and handles private/charter flights.

Unlike Chamonix (an hour from Geneva), St. Moritz does not have a quick airport transfer — 3+ hours from any major airport is the minimum. Factor this into a short trip; for a long week, the rail journey through the Alps is a feature, not a flaw.

St. Moritz Dorf perches on a sunny terrace above the lake — boutiques, galleries, the Palace Hotel, the funicular to Corviglia. This is the glamorous heart and the most expensive base. St. Moritz Bad sits on the valley floor by the lake — more modern, quieter, less showy, with the Signal cable car giving direct Corviglia access (avoids the funicular queues).

Celerina, one stop on the RhB, shares Corviglia access via the Marguns gondola and offers 3-star hotels from about CHF 180–250/night. Pontresina, 10 minutes by bus, gives access to Diavolezza and has the area's youth hostel. Silvaplana and Sils are the Corvatsch/Furtschellas bases.

Dorf is where the money goes; Celerina is where the value is. A CHF 180/night hotel in Celerina with the Marguns gondola to Corviglia gives you the same skiing as a CHF 900/night Palace room — you just have a different bar at the end of the day.

On the mountain, La Marmite on Corviglia is widely considered one of the best mountain restaurants in the world — caviar, truffles, Bellinis at 2,486 m. El Paradiso (2,174 m) is the glamorous terrace with sheepskin sunbeds and lobster rolls. White Marmot at the Corviglia summit, Trutz and Chasellas round out a mountain-dining scene that in most resorts would be the headline.

In town, Roo Bar (Hotel Hauser) is the legendary après — boozy hot chocolate and live music at weekends. Bobby's Pub (Schweizerhof) draws a younger crowd. The Renaissance Bar and King's Social House at Badrutt's Palace are where the serious money drinks. Devil's Place at Waldhaus am See has one of the world's finest whisky collections (over 2,500 bottles). For dinner, two Michelin stars each at Da Vittorio (Italian, Carlton Hotel) and Ecco (Champfèr), with La Coupole-Matsuhisa (Nobu, at the Palace) for Japanese-Peruvian.

A mountain lunch at La Marmite or El Paradiso is as much a St. Moritz experience as the skiing — but budget CHF 60–100+ per head. For a standard main course on the mountain, expect CHF 29–35.

The frozen Lake St. Moritz hosts an extraordinary winter calendar: the Snow Polo World Cup (late January, the world's most prestigious snow polo since 1985, free entry), White Turf horse racing (three Sundays in February — flat racing, trotting and skijoring), Cricket on Ice (since 1988, eight teams on two pitches), and THE ICE classic-car concours d'élégance.

The Olympia Bob Run is the world's only remaining natural-ice bobsled track — taxi rides (you ride as a passenger with a professional pilot) cost about CHF 230–280. Muottas Muragl (funicular to 2,456 m) gives the panoramic view of the Upper Engadin lakes and the Bernina massif.

For walkers: 150 km of marked winter hiking trails. For culture: the Segantini Museum (Giovanni Segantini's Alpine paintings), the Kirchner paintings at the Forum Paracelsus, and Hotel Schatzalp — the Art Nouveau sanatorium at 1,861 m (reached by funicular) that inspired Thomas Mann's The Magic Mountain, though Mann set his novel in Davos. And the Engadin Skimarathon (42 km, Maloja to S-chanf, second Sunday of March) is the largest mass-sport event in Switzerland and the second-largest cross-country race in the world.

Most frozen-lake events are free to watch from the shore. White Turf's grandstand and hospitality packages cost more — but the spectacle of horses galloping across a frozen lake at 1,820 m is free.

Dogs are not allowed on ski pistes or cross-country tracks in the Engadin — a Switzerland-wide rule more consistently enforced than in some French resorts. Dogs can use designated winter hiking trails on a lead and ride mountain railways (the Engadin sells a dedicated dog season ticket). In Graubünden, dogs must be leashed in built-up areas.

Pet-friendly hotels are plentiful — 41+ in the St. Moritz area, including Kulm Hotel (CHF 45–85/night depending on size), Carlton Hotel (CHF 60/night), and Badrutt's Palace and Suvretta House. Several allow dogs in dining rooms.

GB → Switzerland paperwork: the old EU pet passport no longer works for British dogs. You need an Animal Health Certificate issued by an Official Vet no more than 10 days before travel, a microchip, and a rabies vaccination given at least 21 full days before travel. A new AHC is needed for every trip. Switzerland applies EU pet travel rules as a Schengen state. Cost: typically GBP 150–250 per AHC.

The Corviglia funicular and Signal cable car are accessible for wheelchair users with assistance — contact mountains.ch (+41 81 830 00 00) at least 2 hours before arrival. Free electric buses connect the valley with ski access points, and the Rhaetian Railway provides accessibility assistance.

The valley floor is flat and manageable for wheelchair users between St. Moritz, Celerina and Pontresina. Several barrier-free hotels exist in each town. No dedicated adaptive ski school is prominently advertised for St. Moritz specifically — visitors requiring adaptive skiing should contact the resort directly to arrange instructors and equipment.

Full accessibility cannot be guaranteed at all mountain stations due to older infrastructure. Contact the mountains.ch office in advance with your specific needs rather than hoping for the best on arrival.

The Diavolezza glacier terrain is real glaciated mountaineering: crevasses, avalanche risk, no piste marking. A qualified guide and glacier equipment are non-negotiable for the Morteratsch descent. Even on the marked pistes, the high altitude (up to 3,303 m) and the distance from major hospitals make rescue expensive.

EHIC/GHIC does not cover Switzerland. Switzerland is not in the EU and there is no reciprocal healthcare agreement with the UK — so the card that gives you state emergency care in France does nothing here. Private travel and ski insurance is essential, covering at minimum CHF 30,000 mountain rescue and CHF 1,000,000 medical. Standard policies often exclude off-piste; glacier skiing requires explicit cover.

Rega (Swiss Air-Rescue) operates helicopter rescue across Switzerland. A Rega patron membership (CHF 30/year) means Rega waives rescue costs not covered by your insurance — it is not an insurance policy, but it closes the gap between your cover and the bill. The Rega app transmits GPS coordinates for faster rescue.

Do not assume your European ski insurance works in Switzerland — check the small print. And do not assume "off-piste cover" includes glacier terrain: many policies cover guided off-piste adjacent to marked runs but exclude glacier skiing. If you are doing the Diavolezza descent, you need explicit glacier cover.

Here is the day-rate breakdown, so you can build your own number rather than trust a brochure headline. Everything is per person per day unless noted.

The levers that move the number most: base in Celerina or Pontresina instead of Dorf (saves CHF 100+/night); book the Snow-Deal pass early (saves up to 45%); eat a mountain lunch at a self-service spot (CHF 20) instead of La Marmite (CHF 80+); and go in January rather than WEF week or February half-term.