St Moritz: what to see, where to stay and how to get around
Until the 1860s, visitors came to St. Moritz only in summer for its mineral springs. Then a hotelier persuaded a few Englishmen to stay through the winter, and within decades the village had invented much of modern winter sport. This walk links the hotels, the ice tracks and the frozen lake where it all happened. About an hour and a half; in winter it is a live show, in summer you see the tracks as empty channels in the slope.
A short history of St Moritz
The mineral springs of St Moritz were known as early as the Bronze Age, and in the 19th century visitors came to them only in summer. In 1864 the hotelier Johannes Badrutt suggested to some English guests that they return in winter, promising to refund their money if they did not enjoy it; they stayed until spring, and so winter tourism in the Alps was born. In 1884 the Cresta Run toboggan track was built here. The town has hosted the Winter Olympics twice, in 1928 and 1948, and has become one of the most expensive ski resorts in the world.
The ten best sights in St Moritz
1Segantini MuseumDomed museum for the painter of Alpine light; the triptych is the reason to go
2Museum EngiadinaisOld Engadine rooms, stoves and painted furniture in a house built to look like one
3Leaning TowerAll that is left of the old village church; it leans more than Pisa's
4Hauser & WirthBig-name contemporary art gallery in the village centre; free
5Nietzsche House, SilsThe room where the philosopher spent his summers; 15 minutes up the valley
6Lake St. MoritzA 1-hour walk around; in winter horse races and polo are held on the ice
7Cresta RunThe head-first toboggan run; watch from the side in January and February
8Olympia Bob RunA bobsleigh run built anew from natural ice every winter; passenger rides can be booked
9Kulm HotelWhere winter tourism began; look in at the bar and the terrace
10Piz Nair3,057 m by funicular and cable car, with the ibex statue at the top
Scan with your phone camera to open the map there
What is an audio walk?
Tours in St Moritz →A guide in your headphones: open the walk on our site, walk from stop to stop, and at each one your phone tells its story. No guide, no group, and free. This is the first walk in St Moritz:
Free walking tours in St Moritz
Where winter holidays began
Until the 1860s, visitors came to St. Moritz only in summer for its mineral springs. Then a hotelier persuaded a few Englishmen to stay through the winter, and within decades the village had invented much of modern winter sport. This walk links the hotels, the ice tracks and the frozen lake where it all happened. About an hour and a half; in winter it is a live show, in summer you see the tracks as empty channels in the slope.
- Kulm Hotel · In 1864 the hotelier Johannes Badrutt bet a group of British summer guests that they would enjoy a winter here, offering to pay their travel if they did not. They stayed until Easter. In 1878 the Kulm also had the first electric light in Switzerland.
- Cresta Run · The bored British guests began racing toboggans through the village, and in 1884 the run was built to keep them off the streets. Riders go head-first on a heavy steel sled, and the club barred women from 1929 until 2018.
- Olympia Bob Run · Opened in 1904, this is the oldest bobsleigh run in the world and the only one still built from natural ice. Each winter a team shapes it from snow and water, from St. Moritz down to Celerina.
- Leaning Tower · The 12th-century tower belonged to the church of St. Maurice, demolished in 1893. It leans about 5.5 degrees, more than the tower of Pisa, because the slope beneath it is slowly moving.
- Badrutt's Palace · Johannes Badrutt's son Caspar opened the Palace in 1896, and it is still run by the family. St. Moritz hosted the Winter Olympics in 1928 and again in 1948.
- Lake St. Moritz · Since 1907 the White Turf horse races have been held on the frozen lake each February. In summer the same water is used for sailing and windsurfing.
Light, painters and springs
Before the skiers, people came to St. Moritz to drink its iron-rich water, and painters came for the light at 1,800 metres. This route goes from the old village down through the museums to the spa quarter by the lake, and out to a forest lake. Two to three hours on foot, all downhill or flat; the museums close one day a week, so check before going.
- Mauritius Fountain · The fountain is topped by Saint Maurice, the Roman officer the village is named after; in Romansh St. Moritz is San Murezzan. Romansh is still one of the town's languages.
- Hanselmann · The painted confectionery on the main street is known for its Engadine nut tart. Emigrant bakers from Graubünden took this recipe across Europe in the 19th century.
- Museum Engiadinais · The building, opened in 1906, copies the features of Engadine farmhouses, with sgraffito patterns scratched into the plaster. Inside are whole panelled rooms brought from old houses in the valley.
- Segantini Museum · Giovanni Segantini lived in the Engadine and died in 1899 while painting on a mountain above Pontresina. The domed building holds his great Alpine Triptych, Life, Nature, Death.
- St. Moritz Bad · Archaeologists found a wooden enclosure around the spring dated to the Bronze Age, around 1400 BC. In the 16th century the physician Paracelsus praised the water, and the spa quarter grew around it.
- Lej da Staz · A path through larch and pine forest leads to this small moor lake between St. Moritz and Pontresina. Its dark, shallow water warms up faster than the big lakes.
Glaciers of the Bernina
East of St. Moritz the valley rises toward the Bernina group, the highest mountains in the eastern Alps, with Piz Bernina at 4,049 metres. The Bernina railway, a UNESCO World Heritage line, climbs the same way toward Italy. This route goes by car or train to the glaciers and up two mountains for the views. A full day; take warm layers for the top stations.
- Celerina · The bob run ends here, and the village marks the start of the flat floor of the Upper Engadine. Its church of San Gian stands alone in the meadows with two towers, one of them roofless since a lightning strike.
- Pontresina · Pontresina became the base for mountain guides who led the first ascents of the Bernina peaks in the 19th century. Piz Bernina was first climbed in 1850.
- Morteratsch Glacier · Signs along the path from the station show where the glacier's front stood in different years. In the late 1800s the ice reached almost to where the station is now.
- Diavolezza · The name comes from a legend of a beautiful mountain fairy, a she-devil, who lured hunters onto the ice. From the top you look straight at Piz Palü and the Pers glacier.
- Muottas Muragl · The funicular opened in 1907 and climbs at gradients of up to 55 percent. From the terrace the whole chain of Engadine lakes lines up toward the Maloja pass.
- Engadin Airport · At 1,707 metres, this is the highest airport in Europe. In winter private jets fill the apron for the village's big events.
Getting to St Moritz and getting around
- St. Moritz Station · End of the Glacier Express and start of the Bernina Express to Tirano, by the lake
- Corviglia Funicular · From the top of the village to Chantarella and Corviglia; ski area in winter, trails in summer
- Signal Cable Car · Cable car from St. Moritz Bad to the slopes above the lake
- Engadin Airport, Samedan · Private planes and helicopters only, at 1,707 m; no scheduled flights
Cheap eats in St Moritz
St. Moritz is the most expensive village in Switzerland, but the everyday food of the Engadine is simple: the nut tart, air-dried beef and salsiz sausage, pizokel noodles and capuns wrapped in chard. Italian is spoken in the next valleys, and pizza and pasta are everywhere. The cheapest lunch is a butcher's sandwich or a supermarket picnic on a bench by the lake.
- Hanselmann · Confectionery café; a slice of nut tart about CHF 7-9
- Hatecke · Butcher-deli with Engadine dried meat sandwiches, about CHF 12-18
- Glattfelder · Tea and coffee shop with cakes, about CHF 6-10
- Kebab Shop · The cheapest hot meal in the village, about CHF 12-15
- Muli-Snack · Small snack bar on the way down to the lake, about CHF 8-14
- PizzaWay · Pizza slices and boxes to take away, about CHF 6-20
- Coop · Picnic food for the lake, about CHF 5-10
Museums in St Moritz
- Segantini Museum · The Alpine Triptych and Segantini's Engadine paintings; one hour
- Museum Engiadinais · Panelled rooms and stoves from old valley houses
- Nietzsche House · The philosopher's summer room in Sils; small and quiet
- Hauser & Wirth · Contemporary art shows; free entry
- Leaning Tower · The old church tower; outside view only
Nature and day trips near St Moritz
- Morteratsch Glacier walk · Flat path to the ice with year markers; 2 hours return
- Lej da Staz · Forest lake for a swim and a picnic
- Lake St. Moritz · Flat loop around the lake, about an hour
- Corvatsch · The highest cable car in the Engadine, 3,303 m
- Fuorcla Surlej · Mountain pass with a famous view of the Bernina; walk from Corvatsch middle station
Things to do in St Moritz with kids
- Bob run passenger ride · Taxi rides with a pilot in winter; minimum age applies
- Muottas Muragl · Funicular ride and an easy panorama trail at the top
- Piz Nair · Funicular plus cable car to over 3,000 m; ibex nearby
- Lake playgrounds · Paths, boats and playgrounds along the shore
- Diavolezza · Snow and glaciers up close even in summer
Where to eat in St Moritz
- Chesa Veglia · Old farmhouse of 1658 turned into restaurants; Engadine and Italian
- La Stalla · Pizza and grill on the Plazza dal Mulin
- Krone · Restaurant in the upper village; local dishes
- Waldhaus am See · Lakeside hotel restaurant, known for its huge whisky bar
- Muottas Muragl restaurant · Dinner with the lakes below at sunset; ride up by funicular
- Kulm Hotel bars · A drink at the Sunny Bar, home of the Cresta Run riders
Frequently asked questions about St Moritz
What is there to see in St Moritz?
The top sights in St Moritz are Segantini Museum, Museum Engiadinais and Leaning Tower. The full list on this page has 10 sights, each with a photo and a short note.
How many days do you need in St Moritz?
Three to four days are enough to see the best of St Moritz without rushing, including at least one walking tour.
Is there a free walking tour in St Moritz?
Yes. sleepntrip has 3 free audio walks in St Moritz, with no guide and no group: your phone tells the story at every stop. The first one: Where winter holidays began.
How do you get to St Moritz and get around?
The main ways are St. Moritz Station, Corviglia Funicular and Signal Cable Car. Full details are in the transport section on this page.
Where to stay in St Moritz, and for how much?
sleepntrip shows only rooms in St Moritz that meet nine conditions: a good location, high guest scores, cleanliness, and a price of up to $80 a night for two. Pick your dates and see what is free.
Looking for a hotel in St Moritz for your dates?
Only rooms that meet nine conditions, up to $80 a night.