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This post is the continuation (the second part) of my previous post under the title “Chalets – Winter Tales (Part 1)“.

In ‘Part 1’ of this post, I had mentioned the chalets in Austria, France, Italy, Norway and Sweden. In this post, I will specifically mention the ones in Switzerland. It is stated in the chalet book that I cite from that its special focus is St. Moritz, the village in Switzerland which is arguably the most famous ski resort in the world and which offers ‘a concentration of elegant mountain chalets unlike anywhere else in the world‘.

In this post, I will also cover some pleasant things about ‘St. Moritz‘ after mentioning the chalets.

(Photos of and info about the chalets below are from the book ”Living In Style Mountain Chalets”, printed by teNeues [2016], edited by Gisela Rich. The book (English, German and French edition) is available in Amazon here. For the English edition only, you can check here.).

Chalet Rougemont (Gstaad Valley, Switzerland)

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Private property. Located in the Alpine village of Rougemont. Furnished by the two resident interior designers Federica and Tamara Sessa. Tamara’s Design used traditional wood construction methods along with furniture in antique wood and favored modern design elements and maximum comfort. At the salon, gray tones are combined with black-and-white contrasts. Contemporary design in the puristic bathroom. I liked the wood construction works at this chalet (the walls, the table, the coffee table, wooden fits at the bathroom), which create a very warm look.(tamarasdesign.com)

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Julierhof (Champfèr, Switzerland)

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Private property. Was built in 1869 as a small luxury hotel. Stood empty for years. The current owners wanted to retain the original structure completely during the renovations. Massive pine planks laid on the floors to create a cosy atmosphere. Simple and plain decoration. Has a view toward the village of Maloja and the residents can see the mountain peaks of the Engadin valley.

Maloja, known as the most snow sure resort in Switzerland, is the starting point for the Engadine Ski Marathon of a 42 km. course ending at S-chanf. This marathon -one of the major skiing events in the Alps- is a cross-country ski race of held each year in March. (maloja.co.uk). For detailed information about the ski marathon you can check (engadin-skimarathon.ch).

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House in Les Collons (Les Collons, Switzerland)

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Private property. Constructed in 2010. Four bedrooms and baths and a fitness room. All rooms have views of snow-capped peaks and the nearby Val d’Hérémence. Kitchen, living room and dining area are located on the upper level. The interior created by Nicky Dobree, an award winning international interior designer, and her modern interpretation of the traditional Alpine style. Custom-made pieces of furniture from old wood are used in a modern design. Sophisticated fabrics and textiles such as furs, wools and linen that are used in the decoration create cosiness. Features a very cosy bathroom  (See photo: the opening image of this post).

I checked the designer’s web-page and admired the photos of her decoration projects which made me speechless as I looked at them. (Nicky Dobree Interior Design, nickydobree.com)

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Chesa Cresta (St. Moritz, Switzerland)

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Private property. Built in 1958 by Mario Verdieri, a well-known architect in the Engadin valley. During the renovation, the exterior façade was retained completely by the current owners who initially lived in the villa in its original state for a year. Most of the furnishings come from Veneto, a region in Northern Italy where the owners discovered beautiful antique furniture while exploring old farmhouses. Sophisticated velvets, floral designs, old landscape paintings and drapes featuring artistic embroidery are used in the Baroque style decoration. I especially liked the beautiful and joyful living room and the dining room with charming chairs within an elegant wood setting. The living room opens into the dining room.

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Chesa Nova (St. Moritz, Switzerland)

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Private property. Built by well-known architect Mario Verdieri directly above Lake St. Moritz in 1941. The ceiling and many built-ins are made of Swiss stone pine, which type is referred to as the ”Queen of the Alps” for being ideally suited to the climatic conditions of high Alpine regions. The owners carried out the last major redesign with the help of architect Heino Stamm. Antique elements made of stone and wood are used.

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Der Turm (St. Moritz, Switzerland)

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Private property. Has a view of Lake St. Moritz. The first resident was famous art collector and photographer Gunther Sachs who had moved in 1969. The art lovers like Andy Warhol, Yves Klein, René Magritte, Salvador Dalí and Roy Lichtenstein not only decorated Sachs’ luxury apartment with their works but also maintained close contact with the art collector. When Sachs left, Swiss publisher Jürg Marquard took over the single story tower and added two additional levels to it. The master bedroom on the third floor has a 180-degree view of the Engadin valley.

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Residenzia Rosatsch (St. Moritz, Switzerland)

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Private property. Conceptualized by Hans-Jörg Ruch, who has his own architectural firm in St. Moritz. Has a uniquely beautiful landscape. The French interior designer Patrice Nourissat was responsible for the furnishing. The designers chose simple and clear shapes. Contrasts in black and white dominate the color palette. An open and spacious living room. Accessible from two sides, the fireplace divides the space into living and dining areas. I loved the living room -the panoramas from its wide windows and its exclusive decoration with modern sculptures and candles- which is stated to be the most beautiful area in the house.

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Hidden Dragon (Valais, Switzerland)

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A chalet of 700 square meters located at an elevation of 1,500 meters in the Valais Alps. Rooms for rent as a vacation home. The grandmother of the owners is Japanese, who is the source of Asian influence in the chalet. The owners offer yoga, reiki, and tai chi courses. The chalet has a majestic view of the Alpine peaks. (frontdesk@hidden-dragon.com, hidden-dragon.com)

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Chalet in Verbier (Verbier, Switzerland)

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Private property. Tamara’s Design from Rougemont (first chalet I have in this post above) was responsible for the chalet’s interior design. The owner of the chalet is a collector of Asian art, whose items are inserted carefully by the designers without overloading the rooms. Grayish-brown tones and dark anthracite dominate the interior. The walls and ceilings are covered by wood. The buffet and the two matching coffee tables conceived by Tamara’s Design.

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The Lodge (Verbier, Switzerland)

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For rent as a vacation residence. Located in the heart of Verbier ski area. Belongs to the British entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson. Nine bedrooms. Elegant gray-brown beams, wooden walls and bright color accents. The house is ideal for ski adventures in winter and canyoning and paragliding in summer. Features its own spa. International and Swiss cuisine in the dining area. I took a virtual tour of ‘The Lodge’ on their web site which I suggest you do as well to get immersed in this beautiful place and its surroundings. The chalet looks equally attractive in summer as it does in winter and watching people engaged in activities like paragliding, golf and tennis in a fantastic nature against the majestic mountains charm you.
(thelodge.virgin.com / virginlimitededition.com).

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You can check ‘virginlimitededition.com‘ for Sir Richard Branson’s collection of unique retreats and hotels (including ‘The Lodge’) in Switzerland, Mallorca, British Virgin Islands, Morocco, Kenya and South Africa, which I adored. For instance; watching the giraffes, lions and elephants wandering in nature was a pleasant surprise for me when I clicked ‘Mahali Mzuri’ in Kenya.

Zermatt Peak (Zermatt, Switzerland)

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For rent as a vacation residence. A five-star boutique chalet. One of the most exclusive chalets in the Alps. Guests have a view of the majestic Matterhorn and they can enjoy views of the twinkling lights of Zermatt at night. Conceived by designer and developer Paul Bowyer. The light fixtures are made of Murano glass. For the floor finishes; walnut, Italian marble and natural stone from Brazil are used. Adjustable furniture from ‘de Sede’.
(oxfordski.com / chaletzermattpeak.com)

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What is More …

St Moritz – The Swiss Town of Celebrities, Snow Polo and Horse Races on Ice (White Turf)

St. Moritz, the Alpine town at the Engadine valley in Switzerland which is the focus of the chalet book I have mentioned, has a global reputation for its special events in winter. It has hosted the Winter Olympic Games twice (in 1928 and in 1948).

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St. Moritz hosts ”Snow Polo World Cup St. Moritz” – the first ever snow polo tournament- on the frozen lake of St. Moritz since 1985 each year over the last weekend in January. (snowpolo-stmoritz.com). The Snow Polo World Cup is organized by the town of St. Moritz, local businesses and experts and local hotels including ‘Carlton Hotel St. Moritz‘, ‘Kulm Hotel St. Moritz‘ and ‘Badrutt’s Palace Hotel‘. (forbes.com)

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There is another exclusive special event that takes place on the frozen lake of St. Moritz which drew my interest ever since I heard it from a friend who has been to St. Moritz last year. ”White Turf St. Moritz” – International Horse Races on Snow- is a traditional winter event held in St. Moritz since 1907. Over the course of three Sundays in February, international professional jockeys race their spirited horses at terrific speed across the snow. The highlight of the races is the ‘skijöring‘, a spectacular form of racing found only in St. Moritz: competitors are on skis, pulled by riderless thoroughbreds to which they are attached with ropes at full speed. During the event, St. Moritz offers attractions to guests including live music, gastronomic delicacies, shopping and a children’s play area. (engadin.ch).

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Due to current developments in the COVID-19 pandemic, it is stated on their web site (whiteturf.ch) that this year’s race (114th White Turf) has been postponed to February 2022. The main sponsors of the event are BMW (Switzerland) AG, Credit Suisse (Switzerland) and LONGINESS.

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I guess there are a lot of horse races happening worldwide every year. However, as my friend also drew my attention, White Turf in St. Moritz is the only horse race taking place on a frozen lake. She has told me that White Turf is a very exclusive event and that watching it, with a glass of champagne in your hand if you like, is a unique experience. What she especially mentioned was the sponsor BMW’s white jeep following the race on snow, which she described as an extraordinary image and the most enchanted of the advertisement.

Besides being a celebrated ski resort and the town hosting exclusive special events, St. Moritz has also been the winter home of personalities from Gunter Sachs and Gianni Agnelli to Sofia Loren, Elizabeth Taylor, Audrey Hepburn, John Lennon, and Claudia Schiffer. It is also where Chanel and Hitchcock’s favorite haunts are and the place of the hidden parties at ‘Badrutt’s Palace Hotel‘. (from the introduction of the book ‘St. Moritz Chic‘ by Dora Lardelli).

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I think there many reasons to visit St. Moritz. You can ski, stay in its exclusive chalets, watch the special winter events and enjoy your coffee and confections at the centuries old Hanselmann (”Conditorei / Confiserie Hanselmann”):

”Café Hanselmann in St. Moritz, that is a sweet paradise with world fame. Anyone who enters the coffee house in the best St. Moritz location on the main street right next to the St. Mauritius Fountain knows what it’s all about.” (engadin.ch)

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I discovered a book titled ”St Moritz Chic” by Dora Lardelli (printed by Assouline) in Amazon here, which drew my interest. As I read in the introduction, it covers many things about St. Moritz including the special events I have mentioned above and the ones I did not mention like ‘British Classic Car Meeting‘ and the summertime ‘Jazz Festival‘. The Jazz Festival would be a reason to visit St. Moritz in summer although it seems more attractive in winter. Cafe Hanselmann is also mentioned in the book.

It is also stated in the introduction of the book ”St. Moritz Chic” that:

”There are few places in the world that manage to unite so many of the top names in cinema, art, and fashion all in one place, year after year.”

which would be another reason to visit St. Moritz.