St. Moritz | WTN? Hotel L'Orologio | Highlight - Snow Polo

Good morning from St. Moritz,

"The helmsman in the front, the pusher in the back, and two guests in between: That’s how it starts in the narrow car, which passes on every groove and every unevenness without springs. There is still time to admire the landscape for the first hundred meters. But then the curves push the guests deeper and deeper into the vehicle. In the "Horse Shoe," the ice taxi reaches almost five times its weight and causes applause from the audience. Now the speed is up, with up to 130 km/h in the final sprint. The adrenaline rush is over after 75 seconds – and the respect for the courageous pilots has definitely increased. This is how guests experience a taxi ride on the bob run.

The bobs used for the taxi rides are slightly modified racing four-man bobs and are steered by an experienced bob pilot and accompanied by a brakeman."

~St. Moritz tourism board

St. Moritz, a town in the Graubünden area of Switzerland, is full of incredible experiences and taking a ride on the bobsled run is one of the most unique.?Built in 1904, it is the oldest bobsled run in the world that is still in use. For the most adventurous travel consider trying it out!

St. Moritz is also well known for its Snow Polo tournament and White Turf races, both of them held each January and February, attracting visitors from all over the world. Read more about the tournament in this week's Highlight below.

I am staying at the Kulm Hotel St. Moritz and the views from the terrace of my room are spectacular! The beautiful green of Lake Moritz is surrounded by immense mountains and off in the distance the local glacier. The water is too cold to swim in this lake - because of its depth it never warms up enough in the summer. But there are other lakes nearby for swimming, paddle boarding and kite surfing. I love the Kulm so much, expect to see it in an upcoming Where to Next?.

Our first night we had a back of house tour at Kulm, including the kitchen and pastry area. In a corner of the kitchen with a big window overlooking the lake, there is a chef's table that is available to book for your own private dinner. We enjoyed delectable bites and champagne as we watched the cooks prepare the mise en place for that night's dinner. The pastry chef spoiled us with his fresh truffles and sweets.

Afterwards we had dinner with the Tourism Director of St. Moritz. Over arugula and prosciutto pizza we peppered him with so many questions. A lifelong resident of St. Moritz he had answers to everything.

What is there to do in St. Moritz? Endless possibilities for being active in all four seasons:

Summer/fall/spring:

• hiking
• mountain biking
• sailing
• rowing
• windsurfing
• kitesurfing
• tennis
• golf
• minigolf
• horse riding
• rock climbing
• paragliding
• hot-air ballooning

Winter

• downhill and cross country skiing
• snowboarding
• ice skating
• ice hockey
• skijoring
• snowgolf
• bobsled run

Beyond being active, the culinary and nightlife scene is vast. Five Michelin star restaurants, so many stylish dining and cocktail bar venues, outdoor terraces, jazz clubs, a cinema and even a small casino.

The shopping includes all of the best - Cartier, Dior, Dolce & Gabbana, Alexander McQueen, Hermès and Valentino.

Helicopters can whisk you from the airport, fly you to another local resort in minutes or take you on a flight seeing trip to gaze at the mountains and glacier from high above.

Or take a romantic carriage ride around the lake, through the Staz forest or around the town itself. I opted for an early morning walk around the lake to soak in the beauty and quiet.

Everything here is stunning!

Yesterday our guide, Sebastian, shared the history of the area with us as we walked through the center, around the lake, through the forest to Pontresina, a town nearby, for lunch at Hotel Kronenhof. Our meal was a traditional dish of roti (see below), which is like a jumbo potato pancake covered in a variety of toppings - cheese, bacon, eggs, smoked salmon, porcini mushrooms. Accompanied with Swiss wine, it was all delicious!

After a lot of walking, I opted to spend time in the spa. It is heavenly! I'll share more in a few weeks.

Last night we went to an off-site restaurant, Chesa al Parc, for perhaps Switzerland's most well known food (aside from chocolate), fondue.

Today we are off by cable car to the mountain peak in Corvatsch to visit the world's highest whiskey distillery. From there we take the Swiss train to Vals for more adventures.

The Graubünden area of Switzerland is truly a playground for adults and kids. Put it on your summer and winter bucket list.

This is the time of year that I receive emails from hotels and partners around the world to share availability over what the industry calls "festive season," the last two weeks of December through the new year.

This week I received one from my contact at Marriott's luxury brands and it included 50+ hotels and resorts. I've narrowed it down to a handful of my favorites and am including those below - just in case you are looking for a good sun or ski option over the holidays.

If you want to get away over the holidays, but have not planned it yet, now is the time. As so much is already full, you may have to make compromises on the destination, the dates or what you want to spend, but it is still an option. Your future self in December will thank you!

This week's inspiring articles include Architectural Digest's list of the World’s 13 Most Beautiful Villages You’ve Probably Never Heard Of, the 10 Best Places to Travel in October, Time's list of the world's greatest places of 2023 (including St. Moritz!), the best things to do in Santorini and Cartagena and why you should go on safari for your next vacation.

The informational articles include the costs of flying private and what a nearly $16 trillion travel economy means for your future vacation.

Enjoy!

Warmly,

Mimi

Below:

• This week's highlight - Snow Polo in St. Moritz
• Where to Next? Hotel L'Orologio in Venice
• Articles to Inspire+Inform

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