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Magazine
POSTCARD FROM SWITZERLAND
Winding slopes of snow
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St. Moritz is a cradle of winter sports.
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Perfect setting: The inviting glaciers of St. Moritz.
When I landed in St. Moritz, I realised that this small township in Switzerland is as beautiful as can be. Though it was the end of March it looked like peak winter time. This quaint little township, situated at 6,000 feet above the sea level, was co
vered under a pure white blanket of snow.
As I was led to explore the beauty of this resort in the Engadine Valley, the facts about St. Moritz revealed why it has been called Switzerland’s “jet-set” winter resort. Epitome of prestige and sophistication, St. Moritz is the cradle of winter sports and Switzerland’s only Olympic venue. Skiing in Switzerland is one of the great treats in a skier’s lifetime. For a Swiss skier, skiing on the slopes of St. Moritz is an achievement in itself. St. Moritz boasts of many mountains and glaciers where some of the top world skiing and snow sports events take place. Today visitors come not only for the famous spa, but to enjoy the best and fantastic five main ski resorts that offer 55 mountain railways and lifts with 210 miles of slopes for skiing and snowboarding. There are also 90 miles of cross-country skiing trails. Away from the slopes, visitors find the chance to try out skating, bobsledding, or curling and if you’re really in the mood to try something different, try to hold onto your toboggan on the Cresta Run, which carries you down. Well, some of these sports were quite new to me and when explained as to what these are like, I really found them to be tough and not my cup of tea.
Guaranteed to have good snow conditions from December 1 to May 1, thanks to St. Moritz’s high altitude (5, 834 to 11,150 feet above sea level), the local glaciers and modern snow-making facilities have given birth to some of the most significant sports events in which the Cartier Polo World Cup Snow, Alpine and Nordic ski races (World Championship Corviglia and the Engadin Ski Marathon trail), snow board competitions (half pipe and Fun Park Corviglia), ski jumping on the Olympic jump are tough and interesting. Though I was not a witness to any of these prestigious events, I did see skiers carving their elegant turns and snowboarders dancing across the slopes. These sights in St. Moritz can be seen throughout the year as its mountain tops are perpetually clothed in snow and ice. But in summer also, there are some very interesting sports activities happening here like-clay pigeon shooting, Engadin Windsurfing Marathon, mountain races, dog races, to name a few.
Other diversions
If you think you have seen enough of skiing and it’s time to learn it now, there also St. Moritz delivers. Ski and snowboard lessons are offered here in many languages, including English. Non skiers and unadventurous people like me do not lose heart here! Hiking, snow climbing or skiing are not the only ways to reach the top. Fortunately, there are gondolas which can take you close to the top of Piz Nair (3,056 m, 10,026 ft) from where one can have a grand view of St. Moritz-Bad and the lakes in the valley. Besides being a silent admirer of the panoramic St. Moritz you will find plenty of other things to indulge in, such as winter hiking, relaxing in a spa, or jumping on to a train to explore the surrounding areas. One can also try sled dog racing, ice sailing or even a torch-lit procession down a moon-lit procession.
Many firsts
Surprisingly, little St. Moritz has many “firsts” to its credit, including having the first winter tourists in the Alps. The story goes, at the beginning of September 1864, the St. Moritz hotel pioneer Johannes Badrutt (founder of Badrutt’s Palace Hotel) made the following bet with four British summer visitors: They should come back in winter. If they didn’t like it, he would pay for their travel costs from London and back. If they liked it, however, he would invite them to be guests and to stay as long as they wanted. The British appreciated the bet which they were bound to win. They accepted, came at Christmas and stayed until Easter. The other significant firsts — first tourist board established in St. Moritz (1864); the first European Ice Skating Championships (1882), first golf tournament on the continent/in the Alps (1889); first ski school in Switzerland (1929); first hotel in the Alps named “Palace” (1896) — the most famous in Switzerland and worldwide — and many other sport annual events
In the middle ages, St. Moritz was famous for its mineral springs and the healthy climate (summer spa). Even today, St.Moritz’s mineral waters are the strongest carbonated iron-rich springs in Europe, at an altitude higher than any other within Switzerland
St. Moritz is glitzy, pricey and fashionable. No wonder, the villa of the billionaire Laxmi Mittal was one of the attractions that Alexandra, my tour guide, showed me. The place is frequented by the world’s top celebrities, the royals and Hollywood stars.
Plenty of sun
Another striking feature of St. Moritz is that here the sun shines in the deep blue sky 322 days a year — more than anywhere else in Switzerland. That is the reason why the climate here is aptly described as legendary dry, sparkling “champagne climate” and the trademark of this place bears a sun. Chic, elegant and exclusive, having a cosmopolitan ambience.
SHALINI MITRA
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