Санкт-Мориц

On the sunny southern side of the Alps in the heart of the unspoiled Upper Engadine where a timeless beauty emanates throughout, the lake filled region of St. Moritz boasts sailing, windsurfing, golf, hiking and Nordic walking alongside fabulous restaurants, lavish boutiques and an abundance of compelling museums and art galleries. The surrounding villages of St. Moritz offer more traditional Engadine architecture and sgraffiti, with the resort itself boasting contemporary design, including the Chesa Futura and the Murezzan Complex. St. Moritz is divided into two parts by an aquamarine lake. St. Moritz Dorf lies on one side and St. Moritz Bad on the other. Dorf is where you will find plush restaurants, chic boutiques and an exclusive ambience. Bad is the quieter of the two areas. In the mountain regions there are 32 restaurants listed in the Gault Millau creative and innovative gourmet guide. An air of fashionable exclusivity can be found on the precipitously inclined Via Maistra and «The Luxury Mile' Via Serlas where you are met with the likes of resplendent boutiques such as Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Roberto Cavalli and Prada. Turn down little lanes and you will find myriad delectable delicatessens selling everything from Glattfelder’s caviar to Hanselmann’s iconic Engadine nut cake. Shopping for clothes and cake in St. Moritz is an experience not to be missed. Museums in St. Moritz include the Engadiner, Berry, Mili Weber, Segantini and the Mineral and Fossil Museum. Art galleries abound and feature both contemporary and sculptural work, and paintings by renowned artists including Niki de Saint Phalle and Egon Schiele. For an even more enticing dose of cutting edge design head to the slopes of the bubble-like Chesa Futura, literally translated as 'House of the Future' and the cosmopolitan Norman Foster Murezzan Complex. Other attractions include the incredible 12th century Leaning Tower in St. Moritz Dorf and the Heidi Hut in the Salastrains, just above St. Moritz and the Olympic Stone in St. Moritz Bad. 580 kilometres of remarkable hiking trails greet you in the Upper Engadine Valley for a summer abundant in natural beauty and amazing panoramic vistas. The spectacularly distinct landscape varies from verdant Alpine meadows and glistening cobalt lakes to indomitable glaciers and strapping mountain peaks. Cable cars in St. Moritz will take you to Piz Nair, Corvatsch and Diavolezza, with the Muottas Muragl Mountain a favourite for a rich palette of natural beauty, cosy mountain restaurants and a smooth path walk along the Stazerwald Forest. From Muottas Muragl you can jump into a cable car and reach the spa town of Pontresina which offers an incredible landscape of pine and larch forests and is the highest side valley of the upper Engadine and the ‘Fairy Tale Trail' of Val Bever, with the sculptures on the Märchenweg making for an exemplary hike. More challenging hikes include Lake Lunghin, the Diavolezza/Moretratsch Glacier Trail and the Macun Lake Plateau. For a more sedate and relaxing day out, St. Moritz and the surrounding area boasts four distinct golf courses all offering idyllic plains and outstanding views. In the resort itself, you’ll find the 9-hole Klum Golf Course, and slightly further out the 6-hole Sils/Margna and 18-hole Zuoz and Samedan. Also in the historical village of Samedan you’ll find the vertically designed state-of-the-art Mineral Baths and Spa, a sleek maze of steam baths and pools, both indoors and out. The Upper Engadine’s natural bathing lakes include Lakes Nair, Staz and Marsch, with the latter being the most popular. St. Moritz is a stylish blend of chic shops, contemporary design and exclusive restaurants that fit perfectly into the natural beauty of the Upper Engadine, making it an idealistic destination for those looking for a little slice of glamorous mountain adventure.