In winter 2014-2015 St. Moritz and the Engadin are celebrating 150 years of winter tourism. From 5 to 7 December 2014 St. Moritz will be popping the champagne corks for the anniversary celebrations marking 150 years of winter tourism. Throughout the winter season numerous events will highlight the Upper Engadin’s long-standing tradition of winter tourism. Other highlights include a range of new infrastructure in the skiing areas, top-class events on the frozen lake, and the Hotel & Ski Pass Offer. In a few weeks’ time it will be all systems go! On 18 October 2014 Engadin St. Moritz will be the first resort in Graubünden to launch into the winter season, which will be defined entirely by the anniversary marking 150 years of winter tourism. In winter 2014-2015 St. Moritz and the Engadin will be celebrating St. Moritz as the birthplace of winter tourism with numerous events.
The Mountains. The Horizons. The Light! Engadin St. Moritz is delightful as both landscape and legend. With four major peaks and 350 km of pistes with guaranteed snow, 150 km of hiking trails and more than 220 km of cross-country trails, Engadin St Moritz is recognised as one of the biggest and most beautiful areas for winter sport in Switzerland. The wide array of sports and leisure activities on offer, the specialities of its regional cuisine, the wealth of cultural activities, and the multitude of events inspire and enthral its guests. The region owes much of its appeal to St. Moritz, the scintillating alpine destination, on the one hand and the Engadin, the inspirational high-alpine valley, on the other. But the star attraction in Engadin St. Moritz is and remains nature itself. Benefiting from all the space it needs to flourish and prosper, it offers in return boundless opportunities for visitors and guests to enjoy the natural setting.
The grand Snow Sports Opening from 5 to 7 December 2014 marks not only the launch of the anniversary year, but also the celebrations of 150 years of winter tourism in St. Moritz. On Saturday and Sunday various makes of skis and snowboards will be put to the test at the grand ski and snowboard equipment test on the Corvatsch. On Friday evening and on Saturday the ski slope will relocate to the pedestrian zone of St. Moritz Dorf. This is where the St. Moritz City Race will see celebrities, guests and locals competing against one another at a ski cross event combined with a cross-country skiing circuit through the heart of the village.
The exciting anniversary programme will run through the entire 2014-2015 winter season, from 5 December 2014 to late April. Highlights include the book Snow, Sun and Stars. How Winter Tourism Conquered the Alps from St. Moritz, published in English and German by NZZ-Verlag and edited by the municipality of St. Moritz and its civic community. An anniversary film and an anniversary magazine with a circulation of 20,000 copies all focus on the pioneering spirit of the founding fathers and highlight the way in which winter tourism has evolved in the Engadin.
Each event will follow hot on the heels of the previous one. Among the many highlights: a retro ski day in Sils; skeleton team competitions on the Cresta Run open to the public, on-site viewings of the Free Fall, the world’s steepest start platform (45 degrees or 100% gradient) on the men’s Alpine World Ski Championships; a light installation by light artist Gerry Hofstetter in Salastrains; fireside discussions with entrepreneur families from the Engadin; and the St. Moritz room fragrance Inviern, specially created for the occasion by Geza Schön.
The stellar events held on and alongside the frozen lake of St. Moritz in January and February are an important part of the winter event schedule in St. Moritz. The events on offer in St. Moritz are as varied as they are numerous: whether it’s the St. Moritz Snow Polo World Cup, the spectacular races at the Bob and Skeleton European Cup, the St. Moritz Gourmet Festival (this year’s motto is ‘British Edition’, entirely in keeping with the anniversary marking 150 years of winter tourism), or the White Turf Horse Race.