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Wednesday, 20th December 2006

Switzerland: Glam it up in St Moritz

GLAM: Highest yacht club in the world

SADLY, none of the soaking-wet, glowing  ladies wearing nothing more than flimsy patterned wraps and a healthy sheen in the luxurious hotel “hamam” spa complex looked too much like erstwhile guest Liz Hurley and other showbiz beauties who love to have a treatment there.

But – and it has to be said – I didn’t bear much resemblance to any sort of Hollywood hunk either, in the equally flimsy, drenched strip of white cloth protecting what passed for my modesty as the temperature soared, the steam rose and the whirlpool duly whirled.

Not that looks or airs and graces mattered much at that stage.

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Because, after a tough day on the slopes of one of the world’s greatest ski areas around St Moritz in Switzerland, therapy for aching muscles and joints was much more important for all concerned.

A little later in the evening, it was impossible to recognise anyone you had been quietly being cooked with, as the towels were off and the glad rags were on for drinks or fine dining with chef Thomas Schwab at the historic Hotel Castell in Zuoz, just along the glorious Engadine valley from the up-front glitz of St Moritz itself.

The hotel, built high above the idyllic village in 1912, was restored in 2004 and is a thoughtful mix of the traditional and strikingly modern, as well as being home to a renowned collection of contemporary art, reflecting the glamour of its near-neighbour.

More casual rags, but no less glad, were the order of the night for other trips into the heart of the village to sample an interesting range of hearty, regional food, revel in its wonderful, time-warp architecture and hear the poetic local language – Romansche – which is still very much alive and thriving from the very first welcome greeting: “Allegra!”

Rich food, yes, in big helpings . . . and then the word “rich” really comes into its own in nearby St Moritz, reflecting more than just what’s on your plate, because you could soon find the bank balance being sorely tested, along with your digestion.

Head for the stunning Corviglia slopes, for example, making sure you don’t exhaust your camera’s memory on the way up, using cable car, chairlift, gondola or rack railway (you don’t even need skis for this bit) and follow the stream of fur-clad, diamond-laden Russians into the gourmet-circuit Mathis Food Affairs restaurant.

Blasé

Flick a blasé glance at the motor launch outside – this qualifies it as the highest yacht club in the world, at 2,486 metres – and peruse the superb menu prepared by Reto and Barbara Mathis.

Before you make your excuses and head for a burger in the snowboarders’ refuelling stop nearby, savour the “Carrousel”, a collection of starter nibbles . . . at just 245 euros a plate. Granted, there is caviar on there, as well as lobster and foi gras among the other tasters, but it does underline the somewhat rarefied atmosphere that comes with the altitude and the attitude .

Chuck in a neighbouring bar that seems to do nothing but (rather nice) champagne and the ambience, if nothing else, rubs off on you and you can’t help feeling a bit special in a very special place.

Brilliant sunshine and blue skies help, of course, but this is a part of the world that puts a smile on your face even before you put skis on the snow.

Corviglia and its bars and restaurants, plus the awesome views from Piz Nair at 3,057 metres, make for heady days out.

But for me, the real treat was a morning diversion from the main road on the valley bottom, heading through the poetic-sounding village of Pontresina to a ski area that was simply stunning – and almost deserted.

At 10am, there were just six vehicles on the car park at the Bernina-Diavolezza cable car station and barely a handful of skiers getting off the local train; and from Diavolezza itself, at 2,978 metres, the long, swooping, ego-massaging red and heart-thumping black routes to the bottom were virtually empty.

But it was fun to stay high and play in the crisp, glacial scenery and have almost a whole mountainside to yourself, with the looming might of Piz Bernina (4,049m) and Piz Palü (3,905m), just two of the glittering necklace of huge peaks dominating the skyline behind.
Can skiing really be this good?

The Lagalb (2,959m), just opposite Diavolezza, offers the steepest slopes of the Engadine, but these days, I settle more for comfort than speed and it was back to Corviglia for gentler sliding around, plus people-watching at (several) of the mountain bars, coupled with excellent coffee and the chance to work on a tan.

Back in Zuoz, there’s still a handy bit of less high-powered skiing to be had, with a new lift system in the pipeline to give you yet more superb views.

The village and four other small communities with traditional farmhouses have banded together to offer a quieter alternative to St Moritz, a gentler and more family-friendly group rejoicing in its adopted role as Engiadina, “The Other Engadin”.

It can rejoice, too, for time seems to have stood still in the villages, where there is a thriving social life including clubs, choirs and schools, along with delightful “usterias” (cafés) where you will certainly hear some Romansch . . . and maybe fall in love with the place.

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