Why St. Moritz, Switzerland Is The Ultimate Ultra-Luxury Winter Retreat
Once declared “the most fashionable village in Europe,” the resort town is once again rising to the top of every jet-setter’s bucket list.
“The exiled royalty, minor princes, beauties, near beauties, sportsmen and bankers of the International Set consider St. Moritz the place to spend a winter holiday. It is not just because this village, tucked high in the Alps of southeast Switzerland, is world-renowned as a winter sports center, with a famous Olympic bobsled run, unparalleled ski slopes and miles of beautiful mountain trails. It is mostly because St. Moritz is the most fashionable village in Europe.”
So decreed Life magazine in 1947, adding that, “For more than half a century royalty has assembled on its Alpine slopes, at its outdoor cocktail bars and in its luxurious dining rooms.” Make that more than a century, and counting; the considerable attractions of St. Moritz, which served as a location for two James Bond films, The Spy Who Loved Me and A View to a Kill, have only increased since.
Still the ne plus ultra for billionaire skiers who park their private jets at the nearby Samedan/Engadin airport and arrive at Badrutt’s Palace Hotel in G-Wagens with blacked-out windows—Town & Country called it “Europe’s most secretive and storied ski town”—this year it will host the world championships for freestyle skiers and snowboarders, as well as the famed White Turf horse racing event and Snow Polo World Cup, the world’s only high-goal polo tournament on snow.
And perhaps most appealing of all is a newer event nestled amongst the 10,000-feet peaks: the International Concours of Elegance, aka I.C.E., a snowbound classic and exotic car showcase with a luxury lifestyle component that is rapidly drawing global attention. Debuting in 2022, the 2024 edition of I.C.E. was canceled due to inclement weather, so hopes are riding high for this year’s dates at the end of February. The program promises “a perfect combination of stunning cars, breathtaking scenery, refinement and hospitality of the highest level.”
I.C.E. is the brainchild of Marco Makaus, a car collector, historian, author and event organizer, who envisioned the “world’s chicest classic car show,” according to L’Officiel. As he told the magazine, “The I.C.E. can only happen in St. Moritz, because it is the only international and cosmopolitan Alpine city and sports resort with an unparalleled experience in hospitality and event organization. It has a unique blend of obsession for quality and a casual sporting atmosphere.”
Sponsored by Richard Mille, judges have included the likes of star British architect Lord Norman Foster, whose firm Foster + Partners designed one of St. Moritz’s most photographed modern landmarks, the Chesa Futura apartment building. St. Moritz also hosts the annual British Classic Car Meeting in July, so collectors and enthusiasts can get their kicks year round.
In its 2020 book on the iconic destination, St. Moritz Chic, French luxury publisher Assouline paid tribute to the late Gunter Sachs, the legendary German playboy who was married to Brigitte Bardot and who “may be more responsible than any of St. Moritz’s famed devotees for elevating the town’s glamour factor in the ’60s and ’70s,” as they put it.
“Shaped by men and women of character—a masterful blend of empathy, gallantry, humor and style, and a pinch of might—St. Moritz continues to attract new souls and players, creating generational friendship and a charming, enchanting atmosphere in the process,” his son, artist, designer and philanthropist Rolf Sachs, wrote in the book’s preface.
“For these reasons, St. Moritz has an undoubtedly distinct DNA—endowing it with a special and eccentric personality”—not to mention priceless real estate. In 2017, it made the record books when an ultra-luxe 43,000-square-foot chateau, complete with walls upholstered in Loro Piana cashmere and its own chairlift, hit the market for $185 million, making it Switzerland’s most expensive estate. Of course iconic photographer Slim Aarons captured some of his most compelling winter images here over the course of many visits to similar sybaritic locales.
Sachs adds that, “Thanks to its high altitude, one finds here the crispest of sunlight, breathtaking rock configurations, mountains that pierce the dark blue sky, and lakes [that] sit nestled between lush green pastures and forests. The snow-rich winters and crisp, dry air allow St. Moritz to be home to the only natural bobsled run in the world—which is coincidentally also the oldest—as well as the even older, famed Cresta Run.
And thanks to its southern Alpine position, the town also benefits from a wealth of ‘sun-drenched’ days, even in the coldest of months. But more important for this mountain village is its rich history of guests, families and personalities that it has attracted over the years,” who have amplified the destination’s magnetic pull.
Said personalities have included the likes of Tsar Nicholas II, who helped establish St. Moritz’s royal reputation in the early 1900s, Greta Garbo, Stavros Niarchos, Aristotle Onassis, Coco Chanel, Sophia Loren, Elizabeth Taylor, Audrey Hepburn, Andy Warhol, Claudia Schiffer, Kate Moss, Robert De Niro and George Clooney, to name a few. Alfred Hitchcock spent his honeymoon at Badrutt’s Palace, one of the finest hotels in the world, in 1926 and stayed on for the New Year’s celebrations, thereafter setting part of his first version of The Man Who Knew Too Much in the chic resort town.
The chateau-style hotel, built in 1896 and renowned for its 30,000-bottle wine cellar and underground nightclub, King’s Social House, has since turned his favorite room into the Hitchcock Suite, featuring the bed and desk used by the iconic director. Assouline recounts that he once declared, “I am a devotee of winter sports from a distance. I just like sitting in my hotel room and looking at the snow.”
As Vogue puts it, St. Moritz, which also has a thriving arts and culture scene, “remains rooted in aristocracy and discrete jet-setters nostalgic for the classic glamour that once defined the golden age of après-ski, and that somehow still manages to persist here,” even as other high-toned resorts have become gaudy and ostentatious.
In St. Moritz, however, “creatives and royals share skiwassers slopeside on the sheepskin benches of [famed mountain club] Paradiso, pause to sip champagne on long strolls around its frozen, crystalline lake and enjoy coffee and confections at the centuries-old Hanselmann café,” foregoing showy signs of wealth, no matter how big their bank balances, as Assouline notes. “St. Moritz has never lost its inimitable appeal, and will continue to reign as an elegant hideaway for all those who have come to call it a home away from home.”
DINING IN ST. MORITZ
St. Moritz may be famous for its world-class skiing and shopping, but it’s also home to some seriously delicious restaurants. Here are four feast-worthy spots—Jon Small
HANSELMANN’S
Start your gourmand experience at this historic pastry shop, which has been in business since 1894 and is a favorite among locals. While Hanselmann’s offers a full menu with eggs and savory options, the real draw is the huge bakery case filled with freshly baked croissants and cakes. The signature pastry is the Engadiner Nusstorte—a sticky shortbread confection of walnuts and caramel. Paired with some Swiss coffee au lait, this is just what you need to warm your belly before hitting the slopes.
PARADISO
For a little après-ski action, head on over to Paradiso. At an elevation of 7,152 feet with stunning views of the Engadin mountains, this is where you’ll find beautiful Europeans in their Gucci snowsuits, sipping Aperol spritzs and dining on Côte de Boeuf and lobster rolls. The Paradiso boasts two decks—the more casual music deck has a live DJ spinning tunes. On the lower deck, you’ll find the Mountain Club, which is for members only or day-pass guests. The food is top-notch, offering Swiss, French and Italian cuisine.
CHESA VEGLIA
Perched high atop the famed Badrutt’s Palace Hotel, the Chesa Veglia is a 17th-century farmhouse transformed into three top-tier restaurants and two bars. The go-to spot is Pizzeria Heuboden, located in the former hayloft, which serves up scrumptious pies woodfired in stone ovens on cheery gingham-clad wooden tables. Their most famous creation is Dama Bianca, a white pie with truffles that will curl your toes.
LA BARACCA
Don’t let the humble origins fool you. This former construction shack has become one of St. Moritz’s most beloved dining spots, where whimsical vintage chandeliers hang above tables and red roses sit in ice buckets throughout the space. This is where you go for traditional Alpine home cooking, such as polenta and beef carpaccio with pesto and mashed potatoes. But the real magic happens after dinner when table dancing becomes not just permitted but expected.
This article originally appeared in the Jan/Feb 2025 issue of Maxim magazine.
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