hkskyline's 2017 in glitzy St. Moritz, Switzerland

[hkskyline]

Once a playground for royalty, celebrities, and the rich, St. Moritz has an affordable side and the mountain views that surround the town can be as cheap as free. The town was originally a summer spa destination thanks to its springs, but now can also be enjoyed during the winter months for some skiing and sun.

Many hotels in St. Moritz offer a mountain railway ticket for stays of at least 2 nights. I was pleasantly surprised my fairly cheap hotel had this benefit and ended up enjoying many different cable cars and funiculars for free, in addition to local public transport!

The Diavolezza cable car opened in 1956 and was modernized in 2011. The lower terminus is right beside the Bernina Diavolezza train station, just over half an hour ride from St. Moritz.

















Near St. Moritz just next to Punt Muragl railway station, the Muottas Muragl funicular takes visitors up over 700m to a nice observation area overlooking the town, its surrounding mountains and lakes.















St. Moritz is a glitzy town with expensive shops, clean streets, and a posh atmosphere. Even its tourism website talks about "style, elegance, and class". Up at 1856m above sea level, the air smells fresh and cool.













The Kempinski Hotel sits on a huge lot with lots of greenery and beautiful mountains in the background. If you are loaded with inheritance money, why not give one of its 184 rooms or 27 luxury residences a try?





South of St. Moritz, 2 cable cars take visitors up Corvatsch for another perspective of the lakes and mountains.





















More on my website : https://www.globalphotos.org/stmoritz.htm

[cityskyscrapers]

Magnificent scenery. Never been to Switzerland, cable car trips seem a good way of spending some time and enjoy the views.

[James Bond Agent 007]

Nice job. I presume ski season was over when you took the pics.

[hkskyline]

Originally Posted by James Bond Agent 007

Nice job. I presume ski season was over when you took the pics.

I went in September so it hasn't started yet.

[geomorph]

My palms are sweaty looking at those severe elevation changes and cloudy chasm abysses.

[hkskyline]

Piz Nair is easily accessible from the heart of town. First, take the funicular up to Corviglia.







At the intermediate station 2486m above sea level, it is an outdoor walk towards the next stage of ascent, a long cable car ride up to Piz Nair, 3057m above sea level.















The weather forecast called for clouds in the afternoon, and it was very accurate. The views at Piz Nair, the highest point I could reach, were mixed. Luckily, there was a heated indoor section to warm up and wait for the skies to clear.

[EastSideHBG]

Beautiful!

[hkskyline]

The Bernina Express is one of the major reasons why visitors flock to St. Moritz. Traversing through mountains, this north-south link passes 55 tunnels and 196 bridges down to the Italian border. Parts of the line have been awarded UNESCO World Heritage status.

It is worthwhile to stop along the many stations on the line from St. Moritz to Tirano to enjoy the mountain scenery and attractions along the way. Instead of taking the real "Bernina Express", use the more frequent local trains instead, which run on the same tracks but you get much more flexibility. Some of these local trains also have windows that can open so you can take photos from both sides of the train with ease.









Heading to Tirano, sit on the right side of the train as it heads towards Ospizio Bernina station. While you can walk along the waterfront, I chose the train as the two follow the same route and offer the same scenery.









Alp Grüm station is located at almost 2100m and has a lovely terrace that overlooks the mountains at the station. A short walk away across the track, head uphill for more views of the rail's curvature and the valleys beyond.



















The train then takes a long stretch downhill towards the Italian border. Sit on the right side for lovely views of the landscape.











At the bottom of the mountain, exit at Cavaglia station and walk for about 10 minutes to the glacial mills, which were shaped by glacial water rotating stones into the rock over thousands of years.

















More on my website : https://www.globalphotos.org/stmoritz.htm