Engadine St. Moritz

The mist over the lake gradually clears and the first rays of sunlight break through. The sky is a beautiful blue and snow-covered peaks greet new arrivals from the lowlands. Just a few more steps and you have reached your goal – Allegra in Engadine St. Moritz! A warm welcome to the sunniest mountain valley in Switzerland!

At 1800 metres above sea level, enjoying 322 days of sunshine every year and blessed with impress- ive mountain views – this is Engadine St. Moritz. With its dry, healthy climate, snow-sure position, seemingly endless expanse of frozen lakes and unique light conditions, this winter destination has been capturing the hearts of visitors from around the world for more than 150 years.

It’s not just the landscape that is unique up here but also the relationship that the people have with their history and culture. Tradition is part of the day-to-day routine – with customs including Chalandamarz (the ancient Engadine New Year) and Schlitteda (Sleigh processions), promotion of the Romansch language in both schools and everyday life or typical Engadine architecture. It doesn’t matter whether you stay in sophisticated St. Moritz or idyllic Bever, the attachment of local people to their history is apparent wherever you go.

The residents of Upper Engadine also know quite a lot about a variety of challenging winter sports. This is the largest snow sports region in Switzerland and is home to a vast range of high quality activities - from wide skiing and snowboarding pistes to suit every ability level and extensive cross- country skiing trails through magical winter landscapes, to facilities for new and fashionable sports including snowkiting, freeriding or ice climbing – Engadine St. Moritz has everything you could wish for. The range of winter sports activities is complemented by top-class events including the White Turf race-meeting, the Cartier Polo World Cup on Snow, the Engadine ski marathon or the super-fast Cresta bob-sleigh run.

For those who have peace and relaxation in mind, the Upper Engadine has much to offer: There is hardly anywhere else where you can “switch off” so easily as on a gentle winter walk through the snowy landscape of this mountain region. You can soak up the sun in a deckchair beside a piste or on a bench overlooking one of the region’s many frozen lakes, after which you can enjoy the delicious flavours of local dishes, including Capuns, Maluns and Pizokels, in one of the area’s numerous traditional restaurants – followed by a piece of the famous Engadine nut cake to give you the energy you need to walk home again.

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You will need plenty of energy to take advantage of the varied and extensive cultural and entertainment programme in Engadine St. Moritz: From fascinating museums, such as the Engadine Museum or Ni- etzsche’s House and top-class concerts during the Samedan Blues Festival to culinary treats at the St. Moritz Gourmet Festival – a wide variety of events for everyone!

A stay at one of Engadine St. Moritz’s various lavishly equipped wellness oases guarantees an unrivalled sense of well-being. A honey peeling or an Alpine honey and stone pine bath, or a visit to an aromagrotte (literally an aroma cave) or a Finnish sauna will banish all stresses and strains! Just lie down, breathe in, breathe out...

Press contacts for more information

Priska Zahner Michèle Jörg Elke Möckel, Ursula Jerusalem Engadin St. Moritz the PR Factory alavia gmbh Public Relations PR Agency Switzerland PR Agency Germany Via San Gian 30 Dolderstrasse 17 Volmerswerther Str. 53 CH- 7500 St. Moritz CH-8032 Zürich D - 40221 Düsseldorf T +41 81 830 08 12 T +41 43 243 65 50 T +49 211 300654 -46/-10 F +41 81 830 08 18 F +41 43 243 65 52 F +49 211 300654 -40 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] www.engadin.stmoritz.ch www.theprfactory.ch www.alavia.net

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The top class snow sports region

Here, in the largest winter sports region in Switzerland, everyone will find their own personal paradise! Four ski areas, 350 kilometres of piste, no long queues at the lifts, 37 mountain restaurants and a wide variety of activities for everyone. Each area has its own special advantages and characteristics, but they all have one thing in common: 322 days of sunshine a year! Do you need some help with your decision? No problem - take a look at the following brief portraits of the individual ski areas.

Corvatsch/Furtschellas The Corvatsch (3,303 metres above sea level) stands steep and high above the Upper Engadine landscape. Just as characteristic as this sight are the various descents over the glacier and through the forest. Up the valley it is connected with the Furtschellas ski area, where the slopes are a little less demanding than those on the Corvatsch. In total, skiers and snowboarders have a choice of 17 winter sports locations.

Corviglia/Piz Nair/Marguns The perfectly prepared pistes spread out like a carpet over the endless slopes of Corviglia/Piz Nair/Marguns. The FIS know this and regularly hold World Cup races on the Corviglia. This year, between February 2nd and 3th, the mountain will be playing host to the Women’s World Cup, with athletes taking part in downhill and super-combined competitions. In the largest ski area in the Engadine, 22 lifts serve the 100 kilometre long network of pistes, reaching a height of 3,057 metres above sea level. Freestyle skiers and snowboarders have their own playground in the Mellow Snowpark at the Corviglia mountain station, and 14 mountain restaurants – from simple mountain cabins to a Gault Millau restaurant – ensure that no-one goes hungry.

Diavolezza/Lagalb Pristine and unadulterated is how the Diavolezza / Lagalb area could be described. Winter sports lovers can choose between the gondola and the glacier lift (a 4-man chair lift). The view stretches to the Bernina massif and the highest peak in the canton of Graubünden: the Piz Bernina (4,049 metres above sea level ) with its famous Biancograt. The most relaxing view can be enjoyed from the open air jacuzzi on the terrace of the Diavolezza mountain restaurant. A special experience for experienced skiers and snowboarders is the descent over the Pers and Morteratsch glacier. The 10 kilometre long glacier descent is the longest in Switzerland and passes bizarre ice formations on its way to the Morteratsch Rhaetian railway station.

Lagalb, across the valley, with its steep and demanding slopes, is known to experienced insiders as the ultimate treasure.

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Zuoz/Pizzet Families are well catered for on the wide pistes covering the sunny slopes of the Zuoz ski area, and it’s no wonder, since the ski area has the new Chastlatsch four-man chair lift; a child-friendly chair lift that can safely be used by children from the age of four without the need for an adult to accompany them.

Small but beautiful: Maloja, Pontresin, Samedan, S-chanf and La Punt In addition to these well-known winter sports areas, the holiday region of Engadine St. Moritz is also home to a few small, but no less delightful, ski slopes, including for example, the pistes accessed via the Survih ski lift above the village of Samedan. Anyone who is looking for a return to peaceful descents without the chaos and queues at ski lifts, has come to the right place, and those with some experience of winter sports, will love the evening descent from Corviglia/Marguns straight to Samedan in the valley. “ Small but beautiful” also describes the three other winter sports areas of La Punt, Maloja, Pontresina and S-chanf. All three are particularly family friendly. Come and see for yourself – at the Müsella ski lift in La Punt, the Aela ski lift in Maloja or the San Spiert ski lift in Pontresina.

Engadin St. Moritz Via San Gian 30, CH-7500 St. Moritz T +41 81 830 08 12, F +41 81 830 08 18 [email protected], www.engadin.stmoritz.ch 5/8

Facts & Figures Winter 2007/08

Region 13 (thirteen); Maloja, Sils, Silvaplana, St. Moritz, Celerina, Pontresina, Samedan, Bever, La Punt Chamues-ch, Madulain, Zuoz, S-chanf and Zernez Number of inhabitants 19,000 Nights accommodation (LN) 1.8 million in approx. 150 hotels and approx. 500 holiday homes. Valley floor 1750 – 1850 metres above sea level Snow sports areas 1750 – 3303 metres above sea level Number of snow sports schools 16, including private schools Paths and hiking trails 150 km Cross country skiing trails 180 km classic, 150 km skating Toboggan runs 4.2 km at Muottas Muragl, 700 metre vertical drop 8.6 km from Preda to Bergün, 576 metre vertical drop

ENGADIN St. Moritz Mountain Pool In April 2007, the St. Moritz electorate gave the go-ahead for a merger of the four leading Upper Engadine mountain railway and cable car companies (Suvretta-Piz Nair AG, Celeriner Bergbahnen AG, St. Moritzer Bergbahnen, Diavolezza Bahn Ag) to form the Bergbahnen Engadin St. Moritz AG (BEST). Not included in this merger, which has created the fifth largest mountain railway and cable car company in Switzerland, were the Luftseilbahn Corviglia-Piz Nair AG and Corvatsch AG, which had already been created by the merger of Luftseilbahn Silvaplana-Surlej-Corvatsch AG and Furtschellas Bahn AG.

Total mountain railways/ 56 - Capacity of 65,000 people an hour

Attached lifts 7 cable cars, 1 gondola 3 funicular railways 21 chair lifts 24 ski lifts

Kilometres of piste 350 km

88 pistes 20% easy (18 pistes, 70 km) 70% medium (61 pistes, 245 km) 10% difficult (9 pistes, 35 km)

Mountain dining 35 restaurants

Engadin St. Moritz Via San Gian 30, CH-7500 St. Moritz T +41 81 830 08 12, F +41 81 830 08 18 [email protected], www.engadin.stmoritz.ch 6/8

Highlights of winter 2007/2008

Winter in Engadine offers you world class sporting and cultural events.

December 2007 15.12.07 – 16.12.07 Audi Women's FIS Alpine Ski Weltcup, St. Moritz 22.12.07 I 19.01.08 I 19.02.08 I 20.03.08 I 19.04.08 Glüna Plaina full moon skiing Diavolezza 28.12. 07 – 30.12.07 Sinfonia 2007 Music from the Engadine Zuoz Symphony Orchestra

January 2008 31.12.07 – 06.01.08 Swiss Bob and Skeleton Championships St. Moritz/Celerina 09.01.08 – 13.01.08 Stimorol Engadinsnow, Silvaplana 10.01.08 – 13.01.08 29th Engadin Wintergolf, Silvaplana 10.01.08 – 13.01.08 Out of the Blues, Samedan 13.01.08 – 16.01.08 40th Coppa Romana – largest open air curling tournament in the Alps, Silvaplana 13.01.08 – 20.01.08 50th Race meeting on snow, St. Moritz 14.01.08 – 20.01.08 Ski Orienteering European Championships, S-chanf 21.01.08 – 27.01.08 FIBT Bob and Skeleton World Cup, St. Moritz/Celerina 24.01.08 – 27.01.08 24th Cartier Polo World Cup on snow, St. Moritz

January/February 2008 28.01.08 – 02.02.08 15th St. Moritz Gourmet Festival St. Moritz 02.02.08 – 03.02.08 Audi Women's FIS Alpine Ski World Cup St. Moritz 03.02.08 I 10.02.08 I 17.02.08 81st White Turf St.Moritz 101 years of intern. horse races, St. Moritz 12.02.08 Magic Comedy Festival, Pontresina

March 2008 02.03.08 9th Women's Race Engadine 09.03.08 40th Engadine Ski Marathon Engadine 21.03.08 – 30.03.08 Snow & Symphony Graubuenden Festival, Engadine

For more information visit: www.engadin.stmoritz.ch/events

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Not to be missed…

Muottas Muragl Reach top speed on the Muottas Muragl, where the famous and well-loved toboggan run offers both young and old visitors a truly thrilling ride. From the start at a height of 2,456 metres above sea level, the run covers a 4.2 kilometre long stretch with 20 bends and lightning fast straights direct to the finish at the Muottas Muragl valley station. Do you want to do it again? No problem, the toboggan run is open every day from 9.30 a.m. until 4 p.m.

Glüna Plaina “Glüna Plaina” means full moon in Romansch. What does that have to do with winter sports? Well, quite a lot on the Diavolezza, where regular full moon skiing and snowboarding takes place during the winter months. Shrouded in silvery light and surrounded by magically glistening snow, skiers and snowboarders trace their way back to the valley.

Guided Snowsafari This safari has everything: steep descents, endless wide snowy landscapes, impressive mountain panoramas, cosy Alpine lodges and cool snow bars. The guided snow safari begins on the Furtschellas, then over the Corvatsch to Corivglia/Marguns, where it ends with lunch. Information and reservation: T +41 81 830 00 00.

Snow Night Every Friday evening during the winter season, from 7 p.m. until 2 a.m., partygoers flock to the Corvatsch for the “Snow Night”, the winter sports event par excellence. What is so special about it? The descent down the longest illuminated piste in Switzerland, the amazing atmosphere and the parties, with live DJs, that go on late into the night.

Alpine Safety Center “Free ride – but safely!” This is the motto of the first complete safety centre in the Alps, established on the Diavolezza. Using a search field with permanently buried avalanche transmitters, rescuers practice the correct way to operate these small life-saving devices. Course participants also learn how to work properly with sounding rods in an avalanche sounding area. Winter sports lovers are also taught how to evaluate snow conditions and asses the risk of avalanches, on an avalanche training tour.

Engadin St. Moritz Via San Gian 30, CH-7500 St. Moritz T +41 81 830 08 12, F +41 81 830 08 18 [email protected], www.engadin.stmoritz.ch 8/8

Freeride Package Freeriders can look forward to amazing deep-snow, off-piste descents with a certified mountain guide. From CHF 285 per person and day, including guide, safety kit and freeride skiing tips.

Mellow Snow Park A thrill of excitement spreads through the freestyle and freeride skiing community when the conversation turns to the Mellow Snow Park between Corviglia and Marguns. This is not really surprising, since this is the first professionally built snowpark in the Engadine. In addition to ambitious amateur sportsmen and women, every year the professionals also pay the park a visit, as part of the Nokia Snow Park Tour.

Gastronomy From cosy mountain cabins with local specialities to a Gault Millau gourmet restaurant at 2,486 metres above sea level, food lovers will find everything their hearts could desire in the winter sports region of Engadine St. Moritz. “Mountain Dining” is the watchword for the 35 mountain restaurants in Engadine St. Moritz to ensure that their guests are well fed. In addition to their culinary delights, the views of snow covered mountain tops provide a guarantee of unforgettable mealtimes.

La Rösa Ski tour The unmarked descent from Lagalb to La Rösa is an insider's tip. A 5 centimeter-thick layer of corn snow, the morning sun, a panorama that stretches to the Mediterranean Sea, a packed emergency kit (transmitter, avalanche probe and shovel) are a sure guarantee for a memorable experience. By prior arrangement, a bus will bring skiers back to Lagalb valley station for CHF 8 per person – T. +41 81 839 39 39.

Europe's highest altitude jacuzzi Take a tub, fill it with fresh mountain water, heat it up over a log fire – and you have the highest-altitude, 41°C warm open-air jacuzzi in the whole "Festival Hall of the Alps"! And when the sun slowly makes way for the stars, your day of gazing across at the Bernina mountain range will culminate in a very spe- cial SPA experience at 3,000 m.a.s.l.! CHF 20 per person including bath towel and robe.

Ice climbing on the "Corn da Diavolezza" Diagonally below Pylon 4 and visible from the Diavolezza gondolas, a new sports discipline has found an extravagant arena in the Engadin. The steep 100-meter drop of "Corn da Diavolezza" is the foundation for the first technically made ice-climbing wall in the Engadin. With its incline of 70 to 100 degrees, the wall offers sheer pleasure for extreme sports lovers. Different attractive routes on four rope-lengths and open field exposure are available. Inexperienced climbers are advised to book a mountain guide – go-vertical: T. +41 81 834 57 58.

Engadin St. Moritz Via San Gian 30, CH-7500 St. Moritz T +41 81 830 08 12, F +41 81 830 08 18 [email protected], www.engadin.stmoritz.ch