After a night of good food in a wood-paneled room above the world’s largest whiskey bar we set out from our Hotel Waldhaus Am See to explore St Moritz on foot.
Our guide for the morning was John Webster, an Australian who traveled the globe and decided that there was no place better for him to live than St Moritz. He set up his life in this historic town (sitting at 1,800 m/5,910 ft above sea level) and is an extremely charming ambassador for the City.
St Moritz is divided into two communities, St Moritz – Bad (on the West side of the lake) and St Moritz – Dorf, on the North side. The city is known for hosting the Winter Olympics in 1928 and 1948 however it was also the birthplace of the bobsleigh, competitive winter sports as a whole, the skeleton (tobogganing), and winter tourism. The alpine ski starting point atop Piz Nair has a 100 per cent vertical drop, which is the longest, steepest start in the world and various other venues are either the longest, fastest, or oldest of their kind in the world.
Aside from Winter sports, St Moritz is also a summertime destination with a trail network that spans over 180km. Athletes such as Lance Armstrong come here for altitude training, while windsurfing and sailing on the lake are also big attractions. John also noted that they have three seasons in St Moritz; Summer, winter, and building as we noticed cranes and construction work dotting the landscape.
Due to its mineral springs, the area was originally a place people traveled to for cures, spas and even pilgrimages as in 1519, Pope Leo X gave total absolution to all who made the journey to St. Mauritius Church. For centuries it was a destination but there was no real infrastructure until 1815 when the first formal spa facilities were constructed.
Soon after hotels followed, including the five-star Carlton (that was originally built as a holiday home for Tsar Nicholas II of Russia), Palace Badrutt’s, and the Cresta Palace.
Heading up to the city from the lake-side promenade, we crossed through the central parking garage. To reduce the amount of cars on the narrow roads, this massive multi-level lot is carved inside the face of the mountain and uses a series of escalators (including the country’s longest) to get pedestrians up to the village level. Along the way, the Design Gallery of St Moritz outfits the passage walls with a photography exhibit.
The city was deserted when we started out and John explained that during the winter, locals go about 4 straight months of working 7 days a week so in the off season they take plenty of much-deserved time for themselves. However bare the streets were in terms of actual people, there was no shortage of high-end names; from D & G to Cartier, Versace, Prada, and Bulgari. At 10am on a Saturday morning the locals you do pass by are completely dressed to the nines in suits and sleek leather apparel, even when out walking their dogs.
Winding up the stone passageways I couldn’t stop taking photos of the buildings, which all had such beautiful architecture and detailing. John said that the etching we saw on the sides of the structures was called “scrafitti.” This is the process of etching coloured patterns into the plaster while it sets over a period of several weeks.
We passed by the oldest farmhouse in town, where we were told that livestock would be lead through the bottom door and kept on the lowest level of the house during winter months. The heat from the animals’ bodies would then rise up through the floorboards and keep the families nice and toasty. Now, the building is home to a restaurant and a pizzeria on the very top level. The ornately-carved wooden doors were a sign of status and wealth.
Continuing our inclined stroll through the twisting streets I noticed the abundance of colour — bright blue, yellow, and red alpine flowers were spotted throughout courtyards while the scraffiti-surfaced buildings boasted deep brown, and orange hues.
Making our way all the way up to the original site of St. Mauritius Church, which has its own leaning tower, which is still structurally sound. From there we learned about the history of the bobsleigh and the Cresta Run before heading down to the Olympia Bob Run (which will be covered in another post).
Walking back through town we passed the outdoor curling rink used during the St Moritz Olympics, and stopped off at Hanselmann for some coffee and treats.
Sitting in the confectionery where Audrey Hepburn would have her afternoon tea, the legend that is St Moritz had yet to soak in. The profound history of ancient ruins and sporting innovation mixed with modern glitz and glam all melts together in this wondrous place. Snuggled in by mountains on all sides with a lake that reflects its naturally glassy scenery, I think my breath was simply taken away for the entire duration of our guided walk.
Although this side of St Moritz may not be the most affordable for most (compared to our quaint hotel across the lake) it is still a destination to be explored for countless reasons.
Hopefully my hike-loving husband will want to return with me someday in the summertime so we can get a bird’s eye view of one of the most amazing places on earth.
You can get your own taste of St Moritz at the House of Switzerland Canada during the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games. Located at Bridges on Granville Island (and the Mountain Club in Whistler), the House will have a St Moritz theme and will be entirely open to the public throughout the Games.
You can view the rest of my photos from my media trip to Switzerland in this photo set, and read all posts here.
We set out from Zurich to Chur by bus then hopped on the Rhätische Bahn to ride the rails over to St Moritz.
To gain altitude heading toward the Easter Swiss Alps, the train twists and turns its way through tunnels and over bridges, gradually making a climb. This series of spirals and arched bridges earned the line UNESCO World Heritage status.
We rode in the very last car which was decked out in carved pine, which is a trait of the region, and dined on meats, cheeses, and wine.
I fell in love with train travel when I took the Rocky Mountaineer a few months ago and I have to say rolling through the Swiss countryside cranked my adoration for this mode of travel up to 11.
At one point we simply had to head into the 1st class car, drop the windows, and snap every photo and video that we could to capture even the slightest essence of the area’s beauty.
Hopping off the train just shy of St Moritz we were whisked away to the base of the Alps to ride a gondola up to the top of Diavolezza. I live in a city surrounded by mountains (and I’ve even hiked my fair share) but there is simply no comparison anywhere else in the world to these majestic towers of ice and snow.
At the top, we had the chance to have a drink with Christian Meili, a Swiss bobsleigh champion (competed in Lillehammer and Albertville), who is active in the St Moritz bobsleigh club. We’ll be visiting the Olympia Bob Run tomorrow so I’ll fill in some of Meili’s insights on that post.
I started to feel light-headed and a bit woozy at the peak when we were walking around in the snow and the group came to realize just how high up we were. In comparison, at the bottom of the gondola we were already at three times the height of Whistler’s peak. 15 minutes later atop Diavolezza and it was a whole other world.
I’m going to let many of these photos speak for themselves although my camera could not even capture the millions of shades of blue that were glistening off every peak, rock face, and snow cap looking down on our group.
Tonight we’re staying in St Moritz before heading back to Zurich for our final night in Switzerland. I have at least 5 other posts up my sleeve but those will have to wait until morning. As Vancouver gets through their Friday workday, the sun has already tucked itself behind the mountains as I write this by moonlight. All I can say is, what a day.
You can view the rest of my photos from my media trip to Switzerland in this photo set, and read all posts here.
It’s official; my clothing will smell like cheese for the next few days and I don’t mind a bit. Last night we had fondue with Beda Zengg, the man who will be in charge of catering at the House of Switzerland in Vancouver and Whistler during the 2010 Olympic Games.
Originally from Ontario, Beda’s family is Swiss and he has spent most of his adult life over here (even completing his tour in the Swiss Army). He joined us at Adler’s Swiss Chuchi in Zurich and told us all the proper way to prepare and feast upon the cheesy dish, which is as much a social event as it is a dinning experience.
During 2010 he will be preparing not only Swiss traditions such as fondue but also modern delicacies that the country can bring to the table and offer its athletes and guests.
After the fondue, we headed over to the Hollenstadion (the country’s only multi-purpose arena) to watch EV-Zug take on the ZCS Lions in tournament play. We were swept up to a private box and greeted by Florian Zimmerman from EV-Zug to get a rundown of the differences between the NHL and Swiss hockey league play.
Assembled by Florian Zimmerman – Number8 Ltd.
The crowd of bout 6,000 was chanting as though it were a football match, calling out players’ names in unison and taunting the opposing fans that sat across the arena. The pace was quick, the clock ran up (instead of down), the rink was wide, and if there was any inkling of a fight at all, play was stopped. The Lions came out on top with a strong 4-1 finish and we even got to see some play from former Vancouver Canuck, Josh Holden.
I also came to realize that no matter what country you are in, hockey arena music is pretty much all the same as our ears were treated to AC/DC, Def Leppard, Bryan Adams and even a special Nickelback roundup.
Following the game Doug Shedden coach of EVZug (also former Maple Leaf & Nordiques player) came up to the box to chat with our group. Shedden coached team Finland to a bronze medal in the 2008 World Championships and has a real passion for not only the game of hockey, but also being a part of the Swiss league. He jested that road games don’t mean over-nighters across the continent, moreso a short bus ride home (or the equivalent of about two beers). With a maximum of about 400km to travel to play a visiting team, it’s nothing compared to thousands of miles NHL teams must travel to meet opposing conference rivals.
In the past year I’ve experienced hockey games from Burnaby, to Vancouver, and even Moline, Illinois. However, being able to witness European hockey at this level (and in Switzerland to boot) is the ultimate hockey pilgrimage for a fan like me.
You can view the rest of my photos from my media trip to Switzerland in this photo set, and read all posts here.
Waking up this morning in Lausanne, Switzerland my group headed over to the International Olympic Committee headquarters for a tour. We saw the top secret meeting rooms, the VIP meeting rooms, the grounds, the buildings, and even some protesters outside. However, I’ll be covering the IOC and the Museum in another post, which will be much more Olympic in size.
We left Lausanne, which is definitely worth revisiting; if not for the history or the fact that it’s home to dozens of worldwide sports federation headquarters, but for the breathtaking scenery at the foot of the Alps along Lake Geneva.
Bowling through the countryside on the highway I looked out on what seemed to be something straight out of a Grant Wood painting. With the Alps behind us the rolling hills, clustered towns, and green pastures reminded me of another place I know well.
There were no cows with bells around their necks, and no girls up on the hills in pigtails, just small towns, fast speed limits, and plenty of tunnels that take you from point A to point B in no time at all.
Arriving in the Swiss capital of Bern we had lunch with Chef de Mission for Swiss Olympics, Erich Hanselmann. I’ll cover more of our discussion in another post, when I include the IOC and Olympic Museum visit. We have been lucky to be accompanied by Dr. Sibylle Ambühl throughout our trip and after lunch at Cafe Federal, she showed us the parliament (since it is the Swiss capital) and gave us a quick walking tour of the city.
Founded in the 1100s it was rebuilt after a fire in the 1500s. Since that time, no buildings have been replaced or torn down leaving only their historic facades. What you see are the original buildings dating back to the 16th century rebuild and the entire town is a UNESCO world heritage site.
I completely fell in love with the city within minutes but we had little time to spare before hitting the road once again. It’s mix of old and new was dazzling. We walked by Einstein’s house, which was just above a Lush soap shop, and watched with fingers poised above our shutter buttons as a 1600s clock chimed in the hour (as though it was high noon in Gastown).
We have just arrived in Zurich after what seemed to be a rush hour trek between the two major cities. I’m not going to lie, waiting for traffic to move in tunnels is not something that makes me feel at ease however after watching a recent Discovery Channel special with John about the mad tunnel-building skills of this country, I felt slightly better.
I’d love to share more and describe the sights and sounds in detail but we’re off to a hockey game at Hallenstadion. I can’t wait until I have more time to document (and digest) some of the magnificent views and scenes I have experienced so far.
You can view the rest of my photos from my media trip to Switzerland in this photo set, and read all posts here.
I am currently laying amongst the cloud-like pillows of the Beau-Rivage Palace in Lausanne, Switzerland. Along with journalists and members of the media I will be spending the next 4 days exploring Switzerland, learning about the country, and even how it will be represented at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games.
Our flight was long (and held-over in London) so we arrived at night and haven’t been able to see much of our surroundings. Luckily we were greeted by Dr. Sibylle Ambühl, from Presence Switzerland (the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs) who gave us a crash-course in everything Swiss. She amazingly managed to explain all the basics of the geography, political system, military, electoral process, education, and health care infrastructure during the ride from the airport. She said that many other countries have lakes, mountains, snow, agriculture, and metropolitan cities however Switzerland has all of that packed into 41,000 square kilometers (which is about 25 times smaller than British Columbia).
Tomorrow will kick off our expedition as we say goodbye to the Beau-Rivage and head to IOC Headquarters and the Olympic Museum. From there, we’ll take trains and buses across the entire country — exploring and uncovering all that makes Switzerland tick.
This will be my first night in a 19th century hotel (where the Treaty of Lausanne was signed) so sleep is the first part of my adventure.
When the sun rises I’ll be able to look out the window and truly get a grasp on my surroundings. Over the next few days, I hope to share all of the elements of Switzerland that make it much more than a nation of cheese, chocolate, and finely crafted watches.
You can view the rest of my photos from my media trip to Switzerland in this photo set, and read all posts here.
