St Moritz Ski Resort Switzerland

Whilst for years it has simply traded on its name, St Moritz is rightfully a world renown ski resort. Comprising 3 diverse ski areas in the Upper Engadin of canton Grisons (or Graubünden), St Moritz Switzerland has terrain and activities for all skier abilities and non-skier proclivities!

Feted as a playground for the wealthy, the St Moritz ski areas of Corviglia, Corvatsch & Diavolezza-Lagalb should instead be feted for the excellence of their lifts, pistes & freeride adventure possibilities.

St Moritz might be a little more expensive than some snow destinations in Switzerland & Europe, but it provides a superb ski experience for those with an open mind & a sense of adventure. The Powderhounds loved it.

Pros & Cons for St Moritz Ski Resort

Pros

• Comprises three diverse ski areas.
• High altitude base - excellent snow quality.
• Modern and efficient lift infrastructure.
• Ski terrain for all levels of skier and snowboarder.
• Perfect sunny piste trails at Corviglia.
• Diverse terrain, glacier & north facing aspect on Corvatsch.
• Stunning freeride terrain at Diavolezza & Lagalb.
• Breathtaking rail journey from Zurich or Zermatt.
• Bernina Express train to Tirano Italy is one of the world's best rail journeys.
• Powder stays fresh and unsullied for days at St Moritz.
• Superb restaurants & fine dining (incl. on mountain).
• Over 230km of cross-country ski & winter walking trails.
• Massive range of non-ski activities & options.

Cons

• Expensive - particularly food & accommodation.
• Surprisingly quiet après ski in St Moritz town centre.
• St Moritz town centre has lost much of its traditional charm.

Pro or Con (depending on your perspective)

• Three major ski areas that are not lift connected to each other.
• Not the simplest place to drive too (so take the train!).
• Can get seriously cold at St Moritz (great snow quality though!).
• High number of 5-star hotels!

Skiing & Snowboarding, Lifts & Terrain

St Moritz's three separate ski areas of Corviglia, Corvatsch & Diavolezza Lagalb offer completely different skiing experiences. All three are connected by bus and/or train and it is possible to ski back to St Moritz Bad from Corvatsch, but otherwise there are no lift or piste trail links between the three areas (although there are plans for one - read on).

Corviglia is a piste skiers paradise directly above St Moritz. Accessed by four different points in the valley, its 155km of sunny south facing slopes are wonderful for fast turns & long lunches. The off piste is vast as well & includes everything from expert only chutes to wide open alpine bowls. Strangely, the worst place to access the ski area is from the centre of St Moritz. The villages of Celerina & St Moritz Bad (as in ‘spa’) on the fringes are better. Start skiing early & the slopes will be deliciously perfect & deserted until after 10:30ish when the glitterati finally come out. See the Corviglia ski trail map.

Corvatsch is a north facing behemoth up to 3,303m & includes 120km of piste and a glacier in its terrain. The polar opposite of Corviglia (literally - it is shaded & colder!), Corvatsch nonetheless has excellent snow quality & more terrain diversity than Corviglia. Superb mountain eateries & gob-smacking views add cream and a cherry on top! See the Corvatsch ski trail map.

There are plans to replace the Corviglia's Signal cable car (St Moritz Bad) with a gondola & also, to lift link Corviglia to Corvatsch via a gondola from the Signal car park to above Corvatsch’s Hahnensee run. A tasty prospect indeed.

The freedom on St Moritz’s third ski area, Diavolezza Lagalb, is an absolute pleasure. Spending the night on top of Diavolezza in the Berghaus is fun. First tracks in the morning after a beautiful sunrise over the glaciers & peaks during breakfast were a bonus. Luggage was downloaded for you & picked up at the base station once finished skiing. The off-piste skiing & snow quality was excellent, but we barely even scratched the surface. See the Diavolezza Lagalb ski trail map.

Diavolezza’s opposite number is Lagalb, which provides a similar ski experience to Diavolezza but with a different aspect. It is very quiet compared to other ski areas, but none of them is at all busy. Both Diavolezza & Lagalb have their own train station plus are linked by connecting trails & surface conveyors. Snowboarders will need to push a bit - that’ll teach you!

An 'Upper Engadin' lift pass can cover all three resorts, or individual ski resort lift passes can be purchased.

For detailed info on ski lifts, terrain, passes & snow, see our St Moritz Skiing & Snowboarding page.

Where is St Moritz Switzerland?

St Moritz is located deep in the Engadin valley of canton Grisons (Graubünden), splendidly surrounded by snow & glacier-clad mountains.

The town of St Moritz is 86km south of Grisons capital Chur & 203km from Zurich by road. Milan Italy is 125km to the southwest of St Moritz as the crow flies.

Gateway international airports are Zurich (ZRH) & Milan Malpensa (MXP). Both are linked to St Moritz by train. The Powderhounds recommend taking the train to St Moritz, but for those that just cannot abide public transport or are travelling in larger groups (or are worried post-COVID19), a private transfer from Zurich airport may be the most efficient mode of travel if one doesn’t have a car.

Search & book all airport transfers to St Moritz.

St Moritz has its own well-appointed train station with connections to Switzerland & Italy. Aside from landing your own private jet at the local airfield, the train provides the most scenic & comfortable mode of travel to the area.

Search & book train tickets to St Moritz.

Driving to St Moritz in a rental car is not the easiest thing to do in the world. Surrounded by high mountains on three sides, the easiest road access to St Moritz is via the Inn River valley from Landeck or Innsbruck in Austria (drive time <3hr). This route is not particularly useful for most travellers to St Moritz; hence three high mountain passes tend to provide the main driving routes from Milan (via Chiavenna or Tirano) or Zurich (via Bivio), all of which are questionable in bad weather (take the train!).

For information on the best ways to get there, see our Travel to St Moritz page.

St Moritz Accommodation

Like Davos (but not nearly as bad!), St Moritz has lost much of its traditional architecture & succumbed to some fairly unsightly development. And just like Davos has lovely Klosters to offset it, so does St Moritz have Celerina and other villages to offset it.

Search & book all St Moritz ski accommodation.

St Moritz has more enormous 5-star hotels than just about any ski resort in the world (Badrutt's Palace Hotel, Kulm Hotel & Carlton Hotel to name a few) and certainly caters to the high-end skier that demands fine dining, excellent service and exquisite comfort. But also, as with every other ski resort in the world, a full range of accommodation options are available to suit every budget. Case in point are the numerous apartments, hostels & 3-star hotels in & around St Moritz. Well located 3-star hotels include the Hauser Swiss Quality Hotel & Soldanella Hotel.

Access to the Corviglia ski area from the actual town of St Moritz is via a 2-stage funicular. Better access to Corviglia is available from accommodation in St Moritz Bad via the Signal cable car. A full range of hotel budgets are catered to, from the 5-star Kempinski Grand Hotel to the budget pick - Hostel Pitsch (perfectly situated next to Signal cable car base & the funkiest restaurant in St Moritz, the La Baracca).

Celerina is the best place in St Moritz for a more traditional village experience and comes with the benefit of having the most efficient ski lift access to Corviglia, the best valley run and two train stations. The Cresta Palace Hotel is the pick the accommodation & the boutique Hotelino Petit Chalet as close second.

Above St Moritz, Salastrains is a short walk or horse drawn sleigh ride from the funicular mid station at Chanterella. The Hotel Salastrains at 2,048m provides the best on mountain lodging at the ski resort. It is also close to the most comprehensive children’s learn-to-ski area.

Suvretta has the classic Suvretta House an uber traditional 5 star at the western end of Corviglia, providing a sense of the old world in an otherwise thoroughly modern surround.

Other villages near St Moritz offer alternative (and sometimes cheaper) lodging options and are seamlessly connected to the ski areas by buses or trains. Near Corvatsch ski area there is Silvaplana, Surlej and Sils/Segl Maria. Surlej is closest to the ski lifts, but Silvaplana gets the most winter sun. The Nira Alpina Hotel is the pick of the Corvatsch hotels.

Between St Moritz & Diavolezza is the surprisingly large village of Pontresina. Masses of cross-country ski enthusiasts stay there, but the bus & train transport links make it a viable option for alpine skiers as well. Further down the valley & also connected by ski trails plus the train line, Samedan offers great value accommodation, even in historic 4-star hotels like the Hotel Bernina 1865.

The small hamlet of Morteratsch at the base of the glacier & ski route of the same name has its own train station. Some fabulously quiet accommodation convenient to Diavolezza includes the Hotel Morteratsch. For something completely different, stay in the Berghaus on Diavolezza or the intriguing Berghotel Muottas Muragl, perched all by its lonesome above the valley.

Ski Rentals, Lessons & Guiding

Ski rentals are available throughout the St Moritz Corviglia & Corvatsch via our local partners. Six shops, all close to the lifts, provide exceptional gear & service in Celerina, central St Moritz, St Moritz Bad, mid-mountain on Corviglia, Surlej at Corvatsch & nearby Pontresina. Receive a discount when you search & book via our St Moritz Ski & Snowboard Equipment Rental page.

A mind-boggling array of ski instructors, ski schools & mountain guides ply their trade in St Moritz & the surrounding valleys. There is every kind of ski & snowboard lesson & duration all the way up to full day off-piste freeride guiding & heliskiing available. To narrow down the field, search & book private & group lessons or a mountain guide with the best providers via our St Moritz Ski Lessons & Guiding page.

St Moritz Activities

St Moritz is not just a ski resort, it is far, far more. The Engadin valley fully embraces winter providing a variety of non-alpine ski activities that is boundless & far exceeds nearly all other ski resorts in the world.

See the St Moritz Activities page for more information.

Nearby Resorts

As if skiing all the brilliant St Moritz ski areas wasn’t enough, the Rhaetian train network puts the amazing Davos Klosters & a host of resorts like Scuol and Arosa (from Chur) in play. By car or bus, the secret stash at nearby Bivio & the larger Savognin provide a vastly different ski experience to St Moritz.

The ultimate Swiss ski holiday would involve taking the Glacier Express train from St Moritz all the way to Zermatt via wonderful Andermatt Sedrun and Brig for another week of skiing. Let’s go!

Reviews

The Powderhounds reviewed the St Moritz ski area several winters ago & had a sensational time, even on a budget! We are due to return this coming season. Click on the review link in the left column (or top of the page if on a mobile) to read its inciteful & witty ramblings!

See how St Moritz & its various parts compare to the rest of the Swiss ski resorts on the Switzerland ski resort ratings page, or compare to the rest of Europe on the European ski resort ratings page.

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