ST. MORITZ

BIRTH PLACE OF WINTER TOURISM

St. Moritz is the birthplace of winter holidays and winter sports. Around 150 years ago St. Moritz' hotel pioneer Johannes Badrutt made a bet with his English summer guests: if they weren’t able to sit out on the terrace without wearing their coat at least once during their winter stay, he would pay for their return tickets. And so, the English guests came for the sunny Engadin winter and noticed that the weather at 1,800 meters above sea level was gloriously restorative even in the coldest part of the year.

Then came curling and cricket matches and soon they were holding ice sporting events as well, giving rise to the Cresta Run and the Bob Run – and so winter sports were born.