The lure of St. Moritz – From sleepy mountain village to luxury resort | DW Documentary
St. Moritz is the birthplace of alpine winter tourism, as well of many winter sports. The village, with its magnificent location in the Swiss Engadin mountains, was already attracting celebrities in the last century.
St. Moritz is one of the most exclusive winter sports resorts in the world, with a burnished history. Located in the picturesque Swiss Engadin mountains, the village attracted many celebrities in the last century: including Charlie Chaplin, Audrey Hepburn, Brigitte Bardot, Gunter Sachs, Andy Warhol and Herbert von Karajan. Coco Chanel sought refuge here, during the war. Alfred Hitchcock was inspired to write his first classic in one of St. Moritz’s grand hotels, and returned many times over the decades. The Shah of Persia temporarily ruled his empire from a chalet on the Suvretta slope.
Just 150 years ago, St. Moritz was still a simple mountain village. Then adventurous Englishmen arrived, invented new winter sports and laid the foundation for the town’s fame. Five-star hotels sprang up in the village of 5,000 inhabitants, which suddenly became a winter hotspot for the rich and famous.
Numerous winter sports originated here, some of which are unique to this location: in Cresta, participants race headfirst down into the valley on low sleds – on the longest natural ice track in the world.
The Cresta Club, founded over 100 years ago by Englishmen, is still one of the most exclusive clubs in the world. In skijoring, skiers are pulled across the frozen Lake St. Moritz by horses. Winter sports, tradition and sophisticated lifestyle, luxury and cosmopolitanism characterize the history of St. Moritz.
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Video “The lure of St. Moritz – From sleepy mountain village to luxury resort | DW Documentary” was uploaded on 05/09/2026 by DW Documentary Youtube channel.