Posted on by swissmountainlife

Trip to Zernez in winter

It takes about 20 to 30 minutes from St. Moritz to drive to Zernez by car. There is also a train that takes you directly or via Samedan in less than 50 minutes to Zernez.

Zernez is a cute, small, typical Engadin village and is very popular as the gateway to Switzerlands only Nationalpark. In winter, there is a a thick layer of snow, so the access to the Nationalpark is not possible. 

Of course you can go on winter hikes or crosscountry skiing, the paths have pink poles for the hiking paths and turquoise poles for crosscountry skiing paths.

But you can  also just walk around and look at the houses in the village heart, they are adorable! 

Here the Morenturm, the tower of a family called Mor. The tower is from about the middle of the 13th century. The family Mor lived in the tower till  1550. The original tower got built up higher in the 17th of century and renovated in 1961 and 1987. You can even rent an apartment in there for holidays!

 

And here a detail of a house in Zernez, a cheeky looking chamois. 

 

This is the castle Wildenberg, home of the famous family Planta over several centuries. The tower for defense and living purposes was built in 1280.  We are actually lucky to admire this impressive castle because there was a big fire in 1872, that destroyed a huge part of the little village. You can have a look at certain rooms of the castle on a guided tour, that takes part every Monday. 

  
If you get hungry or thirsty from walking around, I suggest you get something to eat in the Restaurant Acla-Filli, they have a wide range of dishes, even pizza for a very good price and you can also buy a big nut tart or only a piece of it for dessert or take away in their bakery. 

Posted on by swissmountainlife

Shopping possibilities in St. Moritz (that are affordable)

For all those ones, who are like me and are looking for the special, authentic shopping experience, here a list of my favorite, highly recommended shopping places to go in St. Moritz!

1.  Bakery St. Moritz Bad: they don’t only have yummie pastries and breads but also little gifts and  give aways for all those ones with a sweet tooth. Website only in German. Via dal Bagn 4.

2. Souvenir Shop in St. Moritz Bad: you look for a wood carved ibex, a Ursli with the bells memory game or a Switzerland key chain or St. Moritz hoodie, they have it all and much more. Via dal Bagn 54.

3. Wega Bookshop in St. Moritz Dorf (Village): all kind of books, maps for hiking or biking, cards, gifts, stationary goods. Website only in German. Via Mulin 4.

4. Jill & Giorgio is a secondhand shop in St. Moritz Bad with clothes, shoes, bags and belts for women, men and children from famous brands like Prada or Moncler for a reasonable good price. Most of them are in a very good shape and some are even brandnew! Via Tegiatscha 1.

5. Studio03 is the address if you are on the hunt for cool hoodies, beanies, shoes, pants, t-shirts or sweaters for skiing, snowboarding or surfinsg (and yes, there is a surf paradise in Silvaplana in summer!) or just chilling out. Via Rosatsch 1.

This is my personal opinion and I am not sponsored by any of these shops.

Posted on by swissmountainlife

What to do in St. Moritz when it is snowing (or very rarely, raining)

I have to admit, there is nothing nicer than staying at home or inside when it is snowing, but when you are in holidays you want to profit of every moment and enjoy it.

So get up, wrap yourself warm and get ready to explore!

Here my suggestions for a snowy (rainy) day:

1. Rent a fatbike at Engadin Bikes. You get there everything you need (to rent or to buy) like helmet, gloves, pants or shirt. Brett, the owner of the shop, can recommend you the best routes!


2. Go for a walk around the lake, on the lake (in winter of course) or to lake da Staz and combine it with number 3

3. Have a nice cup of hot chocolate, a tea or coffee with a piece of nut tart (Engadiner Nusstorte) at Restaurant da Staz or Restaurant Hanselmann. The nut tart is a traditional sweet, caramelised walnut filled pastry with a buttery crust. Really yummie 😀


4. Visit a museum: Segantini Museum, Berry Museum and my favorite, special museum Milli Weber Haus (website only in German, but I think the tours are also in English). Giovanni Segantini is an important representative of the Symbolism at the end of the 19th century. His paintings are very impressive. You can walk on the Segantini path (it has 6 picture panels providing interesting facts about the artist) starting at Hotel Soldanella to the Segantini Museum and continue to Suvretta.

Segantini Museum:

The BerryMuseum is next to the Clinic Gut. Peter Robert Berry was a doctor and painter, he was inspired by Segantini, he knew him personally.

Milli Weber was an artist who lived in the house (built by her brother and father) that is now a museum, located at the edge of the wood on the Dimlejstrasse just above the eastern end of lake St. Moritz and is almost obscured by trees. Milli Weber not only made fairy-tale paintings in frames but also decorated nearly the whole house (even the bathtub!) with little flower fairies in all colors, cute bears and self-made dollhouses.

5. Have a swim at the Ovaverva Swimming Pool (indoor and heatet outdoor).