kicking back | SWITZERLAND Switzerland’s pristine winter wonderland delights visitors on and off the lift. HIGH HOPES: Skiers enjoy the view in the Verbier Saint-Bernard region. PHOTO: © SWITZERLAND TOURISM Top of the World Enjoy Alpine adventure and laid-back luxury in Switzerland. BY CHADNER NAVARRO he story regarding the rise of winter tourism in Switzerland land, St. Moritz — its skiing area split into four sections and connected is well-documented: In 1864, hotelier Johannes Badrutt, who with nearly 60 lifts — offers that enviable combination of lots of snow owned the now-defunct Pension Feller, seduced his English and lots of sun, the key to its success as the birthplace of winter tourism. summerT guests with a generous proposition. He was so convinced they And it draws more than just affluent English travelers. Everyone who would enjoy wintering at his St. Moritz property (most visited only is anyone — Charlie Chaplin to Naomi Campbell — has skied here. during the summer), he told them if they were not having fun, he would Corviglia, the ski resort perched just above St. Moritz, remains the gladly absorb the cost of their stay and travel. More than 150 years most popular skiing area and can be easily accessed by funicular and later, there is a no more glamorous and sought-after winter destination cable cars. With most of its runs geared toward intermediate skiers (there than the mountains of Switzerland, where boundary-pushing slopes are beginner slopes and the occasional black run for more experienced combine with luxury amenities to create one of travel’s most iconic skiers), it’s no surprise the mountain is almost always packed with stylish experiences: a ski holiday in the Swiss Alps. ski bunnies decked in designer winter gear all smoothly navigating More than a mile high in the Engadin Valley in southeastern Switzer- around each other on perfect, powdery snow. A bit higher up, at more 74 | GLOBAL TRAVELER | January 2016 globaltravelerusa.com PEAK PERFORMANCE: W Verbier (top); Badrutt's Palace Hotel (middle); and Glacier 3000 ski gondola climbing the mountain (bottom) PHOTOS: © W HOTELS, © BADRUTT'S PALACE HOTEL, © DAVID WATTS JR. | DREAMSTIME.COM than 10,000 feet, sits Piz Nair — the second-highest peak in the Engadin Valley after Corvatsch — where more challenging and awesome back bowls as well as off-piste runs await. Confident skiers (or snowboarders) can while away an entire day carving around these slopes, with gorgeous Alpine views setting a dramatic scene of pristine winter wonderland. Once off the mountain, one easily discovers what makes St. Moritz really sing. The town itself — with skis off — can be just as crowded as the slopes. In fact, you can visit St. Moritz for a week with absolutely no intention of skiing and still have more than enough to fill your days. Johannes Badrutt’s son, Caspar Badrutt, opened Badrutt’s Palace Hotel in 1896. St. Moritz’s grande dame is frequently packed with boldface names, which only underlines the glamorous cachet of this ski town. They stay not just for luxury suites but also the see-and-be-seen restaurants and King’s Club, the most sought-after nightlife venue in St. Moritz. A diverse clientele and DJs spinning an equally varied playlist make King’s Club a roaring party destination. The concept of a ski resort offering much more than snowy adventures proves a countrywide phenomenon in most of Switzerland. To the west of St. Moritz, Gstaad offers the same synergy of high-octane activities and classic European opulence. Hotels like the 3-year-old Alpina Gstaad roll out red- carpet extravagance to travelers who seek top-of-the-line Alpine hospitality, while hundreds of miles of pistes for all levels and cross-country tracks keep skiers active. A ride up to Glacier 3000, which can rattle even the hardiest of heights enthusiasts, takes 45 minutes from Gstaad. From there, soak in LODGING DINING THE ALPINA GSTAAD CHESA VEGLIA A $336 million investment readied This 17th-century farmhouse — the this 56-room, chalet-inspired hotel oldest building in town — now for its debut. Its stunning Six houses three restaurants and two Senses Spa, opened in 2013, might bars. One, Grill Chadafö, specializes offer the best pampering in the in perfectly prepared meat, from Alps. Alpinastrasse 23, Gstaad $$$$ veal to venison. Via Veglia 2, St. Moritz $$$ BADRUTT’S PALACE HOTEL An icon of the Swiss Alps’ hospital- LA CORDÉE RESTAURANT ity scene, this historic palace set This stylish restaurant serves dishes on the banks of St. Moritz Lake has grounded in Italian cooking but with welcomed celebrities and royalty for the occasional international flourish. more than a century. Via Serlas 27, Sit at the bar and watch the kitchen St. Moritz $$$$ team work its magic. La Cordée des Alpes hotel, Route du Centre Sportif W VERBIER 24, Verbier $$$ This 2-year-old ski-in/ski-out hotel deftly marries chalet style with W’s RESTAURANT SOMMET renowned urban aesthetics. Bonus: Chef Marcus G. Lindner’s Michelin- Michelin-starred chef Sergi Arola starred dining room inside The oversees the culinary offerings. Rue Alpina Gstaad is as known for de Médran 70, Verbier $$$$ its whimsical platings of modern European cuisine as for its inventory of hundreds of rare wines. The Alpina Gstaad, Alpinastrasse 23, Gstaad $$$$ globaltravelerusa.com January 2016 | GLOBAL TRAVELER | 75 DOWNHILL: Skiers in the Corviglia ski area unforgettable views of endless mountain summits, including the Matterhorn. PHOTO: © SWITZERLAND TOURISM About 60 miles south lies Verbier, in the heart of 4 Vallées. While Gstaad and St. Moritz seem rooted in traditional luxury, Verbier buzzes with youthful energy. Après-ski and nightlife are as The Alpina Gstaad Farm Club big a part of the Verbier scene as selecting your bindings, but make no mistake about it: Verbier thealpinagstaad.ch farmclub.ch draws serious mountain shredders. Beginners will likely have to learn on “nursery slopes” where they’ll share magic carpets with 4-year-old Europeans who look like they’re aspiring to become Badrutt’s Palace Hotel King’s Club gold medal-winning Olympians. Should your skill level require more challenging courses, head badruttspalace.com badruttspalace.com up to Mont Fort for steep and likely moguled black runs with the occasional off-piste track. The 10,900-foot elevation provides gorgeous views as you majestically crisscross to the base of the Chesa Veglia Restaurant Sommet mountain. badruttspalace.com thealpinagstaad.ch While Verbier has no shortage of chic chalets, the hustle and bustle of hotel life thrives in sleek boutique hideaways like the W Verbier, which bowed in December 2013 — the first mountain La Cordée Restaurant St. Moritz Tourism property for the hotel group. W really ingratiated itself into ski living with this outpost, offering its hotelcordee.com stmoritz.ch guests lift passes (a godsend, as patience-defying lines prove the norm in Verbier) and a ski-in bar. Glacier 3000 Switzerland Tourism When the sun sets and the lifts shut down, Verbier gets even more exciting as the thumping glacier3000.ch myswitzerland.com bars and clubs become the focus of locals and visitors alike. Hot spots like Hotel Farinet and Farm Club welcome after-dark revelers well into the following morning. Where they get the Gstaad Tourism Verbier Tourism energy to dance the night away is anyone’s guess, but maybe it’s the crisp, refreshing Alpine air. gstaad.ch verbier.ch Hotel Farinet W Verbier INFO TO GO hotelfarinet.com wverbier.com For international visitors, reaching Switzerland’s most famous ski resorts usually includes at least a couple of legs of travel. First, you fly into the international gateways of Geneva (GVA), if you’re headed to mountains in the country’s French-speaking regions like Valais, or Zürich ONLINE EXTRA (ZRH), if you’re going to the German-speaking resorts like St. Moritz. From there, you may Jump to gtravmag.com/alps to read elect to drive to the Alps or opt for the always on-time Swiss train system, seamlessly snaking about spas in the Swiss Alps. through Switzerland’s mountains, offering gorgeous vistas of striking bridges and sharp glaciers. 76 | GLOBAL TRAVELER | January 2016 globaltravelerusa.com.