St. Moritz invented winter tourism in 1864 and has never let anyone forget it: Badrutt’s Palace on the lake, the Cresta Run, polo and horse racing on the ice, the Via Serlas and a valley of larches and lakes that is, in summer, the quietest luxury in Switzerland.
Stay
- Badrutt’s Palace Hotel
- Kulm Hotel and Suvretta House
- Carlton Hotel St. Moritz
- Grand Hotel Kronenhof, Pontresina
Do
- White Turf horse racing and Snow Polo on the frozen lake in January and February
- The Cresta Run, for those invited
- Lunch at El Paradiso or La Marmite on the mountain
- The Segantini Museum and the Nietzsche house in Sils
- A summer walk around the lakes of Sils and Silvaplana
Gavalia’s rules
- Fly private into Samedan, Europe’s highest airport, ten minutes from the village; the drive from Zurich is three hours.
- Book the Palace and the Kulm a year ahead for Christmas and February; the summer is easier and, for many, better.
- The Engadin in September, with the larches turning gold, is the secret season.
Winter
The frozen lake is the stage: horse racing at White Turf, polo, cricket on ice, the sculptures. Badrutt’s Palace and the Kulm are the palaces, Suvretta House the family one, the Carlton the modern one. The skiing on Corviglia and Corvatsch is sunny and wide; the Cresta Run is a private club with a hundred-year-old rulebook. The Via Serlas holds every house.
Summer
From July to September the valley becomes something else: lakes for sailing and windsurfing, hiking to the Roseg glacier, the Segantini light, the festival of music in Sils. Prices halve and the people who own here come for it. September, when the larches turn, is the month.
Property
St. Moritz chalets are among the most expensive homes in the world, at 30,000 to 60,000 francs per square metre and 20 to 60 million for a house in Suvretta or on the lake. Foreign buyers are limited by the Lex Koller quota, which is why the market rarely moves and why it holds.
The property market
Suvretta, the lake shore and the slopes above the village hold the chalets, at 30,000 to 60,000 francs per square metre; foreign buyers need a cantonal permit within the annual quota, which makes the few available properties scarcer still.
Try it yourself
Villa Cost CalculatorPurchase price and country: taxes, fees, annual running costs and the ten-year total, with rental income if you let it.Destination MatcherMonth, mood and budget: the three countries or regions that fit, with the season and the hotels.Questions people ask
Can foreigners buy a chalet in St. Moritz?
Yes, within the cantonal quota for holiday homes, with a permit. Availability is limited and the process takes months with a local lawyer.
What is the Cresta Run?
A natural-ice skeleton toboggan run from St. Moritz to Celerina, operated by a private club since 1885. Guests ride by invitation and after a briefing.
Is St. Moritz good in summer?
Excellent: lakes, hiking, sailing, festivals and half the winter prices, with the Engadin light at its best in September.
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