Where to stay
If you're looking for old-world Swiss luxury, the In Lain Hotel Cadonau with its 400-year-old Engadin history is the place. Located just 20 minutes from St Moritz, In Lain offers picturesque views from all its pinewood-lined suites and has a garden restaurant and fine-dining options. From €275 (Dh1,285), hotel@inlain.ch. To stay in St Moritz, try the four-star Hotel Schweizerhof, which has superb views of Lake St Moritz. From €295 (schweizerhofstmoritz.ch).
What to do
St Moritz and the surrounding Engadin valley, which fuses alpine village with cosmopolitan city, offers a great variety of activities. The Upper Engadin region has hiking and mountain biking trails as well as challenging climbing stretches for avid mountaineers. The less adventurous can take the 20-minute Air Grischa helicopter ride (airgrischa.ch) over the Alps, it hovers above the glaciers and the pilot even throws in a few heart-stopping somersaults. For a more leisurely and inexpensive way to see the Alps, take the cable car to Diavolezza (from €27, diavolezza.ch). St Moritz' two villages, swanky St Moritz-Dorf on the hills and St Moritz-Bad on the lake are both fun to visit.
What to see
It's all about the scenery and Switzerland's panoramic mountain trains connect numerous cities, towns and villages. Hop on to the world-famous Glacier Express and journey through scenic gorges, lakes and glaciers. A longer journey of breathtaking beauty is to Lucerne, from St Moritz to Andermatt (six hours), then connect to Göschenen (20 minutes) and connect again to Lucerne city (one hour 40 minutes). Rail Europe's all-encompassing Swiss Pass (raileurope-gcc.com) ensures pocket-friendly train trips across the country from €139.
Where to shop
Check out the designer brands at the Palace Galerie at Via Serlas. From here, you'll also be within walking distance of stunning little stores, quaint bistros and cute chocolate shops, selling local gourmet delights such as haute couture ham and the famed Swiss chocolates.
Where to eat
Gourmet restaurant Vivanda at In Lain Hotel Cadonau boasts 15 Gault Millau Points (similar to Michelin stars), while Hotel Laudinella's Pizzeria Caruso is famed for its wood-oven pizza, grilled fish and meat. A must-try is capuns, a Swiss appetizer, where a meat or vegetable filling rolled in a chard leaf is cooked in cheese. Also try nusstorte, the Engadin walnut pastry speciality at the centrally located bakery Hauser.
Where to spa
Bathing in Europe's highest open-air hot whirlpool (3,000m) amidst snowcapped mountains at Berghaus Diavolezza Hotel (diavolezza.ch), is a must. St Moritz is known for its mineral water springs, so try the Mineral Baths & Spa (mineralbad-samedan.ch) in Samedan. It's Switzerland's first vertically arranged spa and features indoor baths over several full floors. Within St Moritz too, many hotels including Kempinski Grand Hotel Des Bains offer spa facilities to non-guests.
Facebook fan feedback: My St Moritz
- "Take a walk around Lake St Moritz - it will take you around two hours but the views are amazing." Heidi Svanberg
- "Halfway up the mountain above the Corviglia Funicular train station is a gorgeous little café, Alpina Hutte, with amazing views of spectacular scenery." Carlotta Mitroy
- "Eat like a local at Engiadina - it's all about the fondue." Tina Verhoeven
