The Hindu Business Line : Lots of sun and snow

Enjoy a cheery carriage ride through cobble-stoned streets or blaze an ice-trail in the sun skiing; or perhaps you'd just like to soak up the solitude by taking a relaxed stroll. The options are endless at St Moritz in Switzerland.

Picturesque landscapes make a trip to St Moritz a memorable one.

One of the most unusual qualities of the snow-laden, picturesque Swiss ski resort of St Moritz, that strikes you is the bright sunshine and clear sky that greet you even in the peak of winter. Unlike other popular Swiss ski resorts, the sun in St. Moritz is much more intense. Naturally, this makes the resort a hit with winter enthusiasts. As townsmen will tell you, the sun at St Moritz shines 322 days a year on an average, even in freezing sub-zero temperatures. In addition, the `dry, champagne weather', as they call it, results in the snow holding on longer, creating ideal conditions for winter sports.

While one can opt for the usual activities such as skiing, snow boarding and ice-skating, St Moritz provides you with a taste of the unusual as well. For instance, during our visit at the end of January, the frozen St Moritz lake was the scene of much action with polo matches and horse racing tournaments being conducted on ice. Adventure freaks, on the other hand, can sample sporting activities such as skeleton racing and bobsleighing, the best of which is offered at the resort town.

St Moritz has the only remaining natural ice bobsled run in the world. The bobsled-run, which extends 1,612 metres from St Moritz to Celerina, dates back to 1890 and allows one to cruise down at speeds of up to 85 metres per hour. Incidentally, Swiss watch major, Omega sponsors the annual Bobsleigh championship, which, in the past, has seen participation from its brand ambassadors such as Michael Schumacher and Martina Hingis. This year saw the event kicking off with participation in the bob-run by popular tennis player and Omega ambassador, Anna Kournikova.

But winter adventure sports are not for the fainthearted. Not that there is little to do otherwise. One can opt for the many train rides, which explore the pristine surroundings of St Moritz. We took the Bernina panoramic train, which tracks a scenic course through the Alps to the village of Poschiavo, a few km south of St Moritz. The unhurried and comfortable train ride, which passes through the small Alpine resort town of Pontresina, offers breathtaking views of the Alps.

But the most awe-inspiring view is when the train is climbing down from the highest point of its journey, Ospizio Bernina (which is at a height of 2,253 metres), and one can peer down into the valley into the town of Poschiavo below.

The old fashioned and quaint architecture and cobble-stoned paths of Poschiavo can easily make you feel that you are in Italy. And actually speaking, you are very close to the Italian border, so much so that the spoken language here is Italian. This calm, photogenic town is lined with a string of cafes and eateries but surprisingly very few people are to be seen.

On the way back, we got off at the Pontresina railway station and decided to travel back to St Moritz in a horse-drawn carriage. Wrapped cosily in thick fur blankets, one can sit back and relax as the dreamy ride weaves around snow-laden trees, people busy skiing, fabulous views of the Alpine peaks and finally around the frozen St Moritz lake. Our sleigh driver, who happened to be a woodcutter in the summer, pointed out that this was the ideal way to experience the scenic surroundings of the adjoining areas of the town.

At St Moritz, the best way to spend an afternoon in the town is to walk. Not only can you join walkers in paths made amongst snow, but the small town is a shopper's delight too. In fact, if you are looking to buy from among the most renowned brands in the world, this is the right place to be. Lined up closely in the heart of town are boutiques from the likes of Cartier, Prada, Dolce Gabana, Gucci, Donna Karan, Calvin Klein, Versace, DKNY, Ralph Lauren, Giorgio Armani, Louis Vuitton, Escada, Bulgari, and many more. And one was more than a little surprised to find familiar sights such as a Bata showroom in the middle of such upmarket labels. Best of all, you are most likely to bump into the world's rich and famous while peering in at the windows of the various shops here.

But don't expect to snap up great bargains while shopping here, and be prepared to loosen the purse strings.

For all its variety and scenic splendour, surprisingly, very few or even a negligible number of Indian tourists come to this holiday resort. Even the manager of the hotel where we were staying expressed surprise over the absence of Indians at St Moritz, particularly since he had heard that many upwardly-mobile people of Indian origin had come to nearby resorts to hold weddings! "Though many Indians like to come to Switzerland in the summer, we have very few tourists from India coming here even in that season," he says.

But with every view in the holiday resort town being postcard pretty and a string of exciting activities to choose from, St Moritz in winter is an experience unparalleled to any other.

Fact file

How to get there: St Moritz is easily accessible by road or train from major cities in Switzerland and nearby countries.

By road: The town is approximately 200 km from Zurich and takes three hours by road to reach. It is approximately the same distance from Milan in Italy. You also have the option to take your car for a train ride to St Moritz with you. This is practical if you want to avoid driving on the snowed-in roads in winter.

Where to stay: St Moritz has over 40 hotels with more than half of them being four and five star hotels. One also has the option to stay in the several holiday apartments.

What to wear: Warm woollens, and jackets to protect one from the freezing temperatures that dip to -20 degrees Celsius during the winter. Good shoes are an absolute must, particularly those with rubber soles to keep one from slipping on the ice that accumulates on the roads and sidewalks. Another must are dark sunglasses as the glare of the sunshine on the snow can be blinding.

Picture by the author

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