The resort
St. Moritz sits beside its lake in the high Engadin valley. Its winter-tourism history dates back more than 150 years to a hotelier’s invitation to English summer guests to return in winter. It has hosted two Winter Olympics and remains a base for skiing and other winter sports.
The skiing
Three separate mountains share one pass. Corviglia is the home hill reached by the Chantarella–Corviglia funicular from Dorf (closed for a major summer-2026 overhaul, listed by the operator through November 27: back for the winter) and by the Signal Bahn from Bad, topping out at Piz Nair, 3,057 m. Corvatsch, with its base at Surlej, near Silvaplana, is a ski mountain with a top station at 3,303 m: the highest station in Graubünden. Diavolezza and Lagalb, out toward the Bernina, provide further high-altitude skiing. You move between them by bus and the valley railway.
Snow & weather
The Engadin is high, dry and sunny. Cold temperatures help preserve snow, though snowfall and open terrain vary. The month-by-month record, in °C and °F, is on the St. Moritz snow & weather page.
Lessons & ski schools
Swiss Ski School St. Moritz and Suvretta Snowsports are among the local options, alongside Giorgio Rocca Ski Academy and Passion Ski. Confirm which mountain and lift base the lesson uses before arranging transport.
Passes
Day and multi-day Upper Engadin tickets cover Corviglia/Piz Nair, Corvatsch/Furtschellas, Diavolezza/Lagalb and the smaller mountains (Muottas Muragl, Zuoz and more) in one product, sold at booking.engadin.ch, with the Snow-Deal early-booking discounts and the ENGADINcard 365 annual option.
Where to stay
The two main districts offer different places to stay. St. Moritz Dorf, up the hill by the funicular, holds the grand hotels and the shopping; St. Moritz Bad, on the flat by the lake at the Signal Bahn, is the (relatively) affordable, sportier quarter. The Engadin villages (Celerina, Pontresina, Silvaplana among them) offer other bases under the same pass.
Getting there
Zurich is about 200 km and three hours away, by road. By train, the Rhaetian Railway's Albula line (spiral tunnels, the Landwasser viaduct) is a UNESCO-listed ride. Drivers can cut through the Vereina car-transport tunnel in 18 minutes when the passes are wintry, and Engadin Airport at Samedan handles charter flights.
Beyond the pistes
Other winter activities include the Muottas Muragl toboggan run above the valley, Corvatsch's Snow Night on the longest illuminated slope in the country, full-moon skiing on the Diavolezza, and the frozen lake carrying everything from walkers to (in season) horse racing. The town's museums, hotel bars and shopping provide other ways to spend time off the slopes.
Who it suits
St. Moritz combines hotel and town facilities with several distinct ski mountains. Choose your base around the lift or transport connections you will use, and allow for bus or rail journeys between areas.
Quick answers
How is the skiing arranged in St. Moritz? Separate mountains on one Upper Engadin pass: Corviglia above the town (to Piz Nair at 3,057 m), Corvatsch with its base at Surlej and top station at 3,303 m: the highest station in Graubünden, and the Diavolezza/Lagalb glacier pair out toward the Bernina. You move between them by bus and rail rather than by piste.
Is St. Moritz only about luxury? No. The Engadin has skiing, sledding and mountain excursions alongside the town’s hotels and shops. Compare accommodation prices in St. Moritz Bad and the valley villages as well as Dorf.
How do you get to St. Moritz? Compare rail connections from Zurich via the Rhaetian Railway with road transfers. The Albula line provides a scenic rail approach; drivers may use the Vereina car train depending on their route. Check journey times and winter conditions for the actual travel date.