SNOW GLITTERING UNDER HIGH ALPINE SUN, HORSE-DRAWN SLEIGHS SLIDING PAST BELLE ÉPOQUE HOTELS, CHAMPAGNE TOASTS OVER GOOEY FONDUE THIS IS THE MAGIC OF ST. MORITZ, EUROPE’S ORIGINAL ALPINE FANTASY GETAWAY

BY AMANDA McCOY

Tucked high in Switzerland’s Upper Engaine Valley, the idyllic alpine village of St. Moritz is lauded as the birthplace of the winter glamour resort. The story goes that in 1864, as the last summer guests of the 12-bedroom Pension Faller were preparing for departure back to London, the hotel’s owner Johannes Badrutt made them a proposition: come back for the holidays, and if they aren’t enamored with their stay, he’ll cover their travel costs. The guests returned in December, and remained through Easter

Flash forward more than 150 years later, and St. Moritz is a winter playground for the rich and famous. Its appeal isn’t just skiing though the pistes, frozen lakes, and Olympic bobsled run certainly help. It’s the blend of crisp mountain air, Belle Époque hotels with chandeliers and fireplaces, horse-drawn carriage rides along the lake, and Champagne served outdoors in fur throws while the sun bounces off powder. During the holidays, the town turns cinematic: pine trees are draped in warm white lights, boutique windows glitter with diamonds and cashmere, and the town’s cobbled streets come to life with buzzing markets and joyful carolers.

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

St. Moritz is not a secret it’s one of the world’s most famous winter destinations but it’s also surprisingly intimate. The town itself is compact and walkable, split between St. Moritz Dorf (the main village on the hillside, with luxury hotels, designer boutiques, jewelers, and old world cafés) and St. Moritz-Bad (closer to the lake and mineral springs). Elevation matters: the air is thin and wonderfully dry, which helps produce St. Moritz’s trademark “Champagne climate,” a crisp, sparkling sunlight that draws sunbathers to outdoor terraces even in January. Give yourself a little time to adjust if you’re coming straight from sea level, hydrate more than you think you need, and take the first day a touch slower. Winter high season runs from mid December through February, with Christmas and New Year’s being peak magic (and peak rates), when reservations for hotels, mountain restaurants, and even fondue huts are essential. Despite its reputation for vintage elegance, logistics are mod ern and efficient: the town connects by scenic rail, including the Glacier Express and Bernina lines, and local shuttles and funiculars make it easy to move between slopes, spas, and shopping without a car. Pack real cold-weather gear (temperatures can plunge well below freezing) but don’t be surprised if you end up on a sun deck in sunglasses at 2 p.m., eating rösti and watching polo on a frozen lake.

ATTRACTIONS

FONDUE GONDOLA

The Fondue Gondolas are one of St. Moritz’s most charming winter rituals: retired ski lift gondola cabins parked in front of the Carlton Hotel and turned into private, fire-warmed dining rooms for two to four people, where you sit wrapped in blankets and eat bubbling Swiss cheese fondue while looking out at the snow and the lights over Lake St. Moritz. Start with a spread of regional dried meats and a leafy local salad before diving into the gooey main attraction: classic gruyere, truffle-champagne, and Swiss with apple cider and corn starch.

Finish with Swiss meringue for dessert, along with a glass of bubbles, of course. tschuggencollection.ch

CARRIAGE RIDES

Wrap yourself in cozy white fur blankets while you embark on a fairytale jaunt through snow-white thickets aboard a vintage carriage. These horse-drawn rides venture through the powdered pines of Stazerwald forest, through the twinkling lights of the town’s cobbled streets, or even across the frozen lake. Many of the resorts will arrange the carriage for pickup just outside the entrance. It’s one of the most romantic ways to take in the festive sites of the wintry wonderland.

SKI CORVIGLIA

Corviglia is St. Moritz’s “home mountain,” the sunny south-facing ridge directly above town that you can reach in minutes by funicular from St. Moritz Dorf. It’s the heart of the ski scene: roughly 96 miles of wide, perfectly groomed pistes plus serious off-piste bowls and chutes, all drenched in that famously crisp Engadine sunlight and backed by big views of frozen lakes and the Upper Engadine valley. There are slopes for all skill levels, with a particularly strong selection for intermediate skiers. Be sure to stop for champagne or truffle fondue at one of the many slope side mountain restaurants.

WHERE TO STAY

GRAND HOTEL DES BAINS KEMPINSKI

Opened in 1864 atop St. Moritz’s historic Mauritius mineral spring, this five-star grand dame feels more like a stately alpine manor than a ski hotel a pale, turreted landmark with pow der-blue shutters and Belle Époque bones, updated with a contemporary Alpine polish and a vast spa still fed by the iron-rich healing waters that first lured European high society here. Set in St. Moritz-Bad at the foot of the Signalbahn cable car, it’s a true ski-in, ski-out base for Corviglia by day and a cocoon of fireplaces, caviar, sushi, and champagne by night across multiple restaurants, lounges, and even a seasonal vodka or champagne bar in the snow. Come December, the hotel leans all the way into the season: towering trees draped in lights fill the lobby, mulled wine flows, and on Christmas Eve, Santa himself arrives at reception, with gifts in tow. kempinski.com/ en/grand-hotel-des-bains

BADRUTT’S PALACE

This circa-1896 stunner is the grand, castle-like icon of St. Moritz a turreted lakeside landmark where royals, movie stars, and prominent families have gathered for more than a century. Inside, it’s pure old-world drama: soaring salons, glittering chandeliers, wood-paneled lounges, and restaurants that range from classic Swiss to Nobu Matsuhisa level glamour, plus an ice rink and private boutiques just steps from Via Serlas. Holidays here are legendary: the season opens with a towering Christmas tree lighting in the Grand Hall and daily festive rituals of mulled wine, skating, and children’s activities, then builds to an over-the-top New Year’s Eve gala a  black-tie, themed, multi-course celebration that takes over the palace and spills out toward fireworks over frozen Lake St. Moritz. Rooms and suites, many with lake-view balconies, feel like private Engadine residences, and some families even request their own in suite Christmas tree for the week. badruttspalace.com

DINE AND DRINK

DA VITTORIO

Since landing inside the storied Carlton Hotel in 2012, Da Vittorio has become one of Switzerland’s most coveted dinner reservations, a two-Michelin-star Alpine outpost of the Cerea family’s legendary Italian kitchen. The dining room is intimate about 45 seats plus a private salon dressed in rich woods, candlelit warmth, and lake views, and the experience balances high theater with total ease: guests often begin with an aperitif in the lounge before moving into a tasting built around pristine ingredients flown in from Italy and the Engadine’s own mountain lar der. Past standouts include delicate crudo, silk-thin stuffed pastas, and the Cerea brothers’ cult paccheri al pomodoro, finished tableside, alongside truffle-laced dishes in peak winter.davittorio.com

HANSELMANN

Opened in 1894 and still run by the founding family, this sgraffito-covered landmark is a patisserie, chocolatier, and coffee house wrapped in one, with stellar views over the frozen lake. Inside, the wood-paneled tearoom feels like time stopped in the Belle Époque: glass cases stacked with pralines and hand-made truffles, trays of flaky pastries, and of course the Engadiner Nusstorte, a dense, caramel-and-walnut-filled nut tart that’s the pride of the Engadine and an edible souvenir that people box up and fly home with. This is less a café than a ritual: you pop in after skiing or shop ping Via Serlas, claim a table upstairs, and revel in a 130-year old tradition. hanselmann.ch

BALTHAZAR

Opened by the Gucci family heirs and tucked just off Lake St. Moritz, Balthazar is a high-gloss Italian club house, a buzzy all-day scene where champagne is poured like water, caviar shows up on crudo, and even the espresso comes from a vintage Elektra machine. Set in a lacquered, low-lit space with Art Nouveau glamour, a Dom Pérignon heavy bar program, and even its own cigar lounge, it’s where St. Moritz regulars slide from late lunch to aperitivo to full-on dinner without ever leaving. The kitchen leans Italian with a fresh, modern twist think ossobuco, slow-cooked pork cheek, handmade pasta, lobster linguine, and signature dishes like the proprietary Carbocalamaro (squid tagliatelle), along side sushi, crudo, seafood towers, and bubbling pizzas. balthazar-stmoritz.ch