St. Moritz

St. Moritz can be known by its other name - St. Louis Vuitton.

St. Moritz is one of the most exclusive ski resorts in the Alps, a winter playground for European elite.  It is tucked into a small valley in the southwestern corner of Switzerland, and boasts downhill skiing on a dozen different mountains and miles of cross country terrain.  We paid a visit on Monday afternoon to look for suntanned movie stars, but all we came away with was some good times!

St. Moritz from above.

After making the two and a half hour scenic drive from Innsbruck, we parked in a structure at the center of town and started to explore on foot.  The elevation is 6,000 feet - which ensures great snow and lots of hills.  While the prices were all "Swiss," an adjective meaning "expensive," we were not too surprised with what we found in the stores.  I mean, do you expect Prada and Gucci to be $15?

Ready to hit the stores... and hopefully avoid crazy busses!

Unlike most mountain towns in North America, the ski lifts go straight out of the town here in the Alps.  It is not unusual to see half the population in ski boots!  We were tempted to hit the lifts ourselves!

There is no PETA program in St. Moritz.

Perhaps the second biggest sport in St. Moritz is CAFE.  Everyone sits at these outside patios, wearing their designer furs, sipping cappuccinos and eating their dolci.  The Hauser hotel has one of the most prominently views, looking over a busy shopping district and boasting a well-dressed clientele.  Each chair has its own fleece blanket, making the cold temperatures quite comfortable!

Hauser patio.

We also stopped across the street at the Steffani Hotel... same view, same prices!

Gotta keep warm...

... and gotta look cool!

After enjoying our 21 Euro pasta (at least mine came with "racy" sauce - not sure about the translation but think they meant "spicy"), we decided to do the third most popular winter sport in St. Moritz, EATING SWISS CHOCOLATE!  The people at Laderach Swiss Chocolatiers make perhaps the best, and is located across from Prada on the main drag.  We ducked inside for fresh truffles, two big chunks (for me, Dark Chocolate with Almonds, and for Christie, Milk Chocolate with large hazelnuts), and were tempted to bring home the BIGGEST TOBLERONE I HAVE EVER SEEN!  (Although for $120 we decided to pass.)

Truffles - thirty two different flavors!  Or as I like to say, "Baskin-Robbins Plus One."

Toblerone in your mirror is BIGGER than it APPEARS!

We finished our afternoon by checking out the Palace Hotel, one of the main stomping grounds for the uber rich & wannabe famous.  No stars were in sight - perhaps they were at the Oscars? - but we still had fun walking through the grounds.  For the record, I'd still take the Banff Springs.

Outside the Palace Hotel.

The famous lake at the foot of the town.

It should be noted that there are also some interesting sports outside of skiing in St. Moritz.  My two favorite:

1) WHITE TURF.  Every winter, there is a huge "White Turf" SNOW POLO game on the lake.  It is a huge event with corporate sponsors, lots of collars, and of course, cold horses.  As we arrived, they were just taking down the bleachers, but you got the idea it carried the same vibe as a golf tournament but with all rich people there.

2) CRESTA RUN.  This famous British-made run is the world's first sleigh and toboggan run -- and is so risky that WOMEN ARE NOT ALLOWED!!!  I like to hear someone explain that to Danika Patrick! 

But perhaps the best thing to do in St. Moritz is just chill... and this park bench was the perfect place!

~ J. Twice