Luxury Travel Mag Exclusive / Travel Experiences Inspiring Us This Year 2025/ The Storybook Swiss Ski Village Channelling Quiet Luxury / By Edwina Hart/ luxurytravelmag

The Grand Hotel Kronenhof, Pontresina

Whilst the St. Moritz scene draws the international jet set (around 70 per cent of its visitors), there’s a pocket of the Engadin Valley, a mere 6km away, that’s preferred by Swiss people for its quieter kind of luxury.

The medieval village of Pontresina is a fairytale setting, with an architectural blend of Engadin stone houses and Belle Epoque-era buildings such as the Grand Hotel Kronenhof; my five-star address for the next few days. The neo-Baroque grand dame is one of the best-preserved 19th century hotels on the continent.

As I arrive, a peaceful melody played by the resident pianist floats from the lobby lounge, which is adorned with a crown-shaped chandelier. But it’s the floor-to-ceiling windows framing a backdrop of the Rosberg Glacier that steals the scene.

You can sense the history within the walls of the Grand Hotel Kronenhof, whether you’re knocking down pins in the timeworn bowling alley or sipping pinot noir in the candlelit cellar that once stored wine, transported from Italy on horse-drawn sleighs.

Regional customs are warmly embraced here. We toast “Viva!” in the local Romansh language. The following morning, during breakfast in the frescoed ballroom, a parade of local school children come marching in, wearing paper flowers and joyfully clanging cowbells in a tradition called Chalandamarz, welcoming the first day of spring.

St. Moritz is known for the death-defying Cresta Run, where daredevil club members have been tobogganing the vertiginous hand-carved ice chute for more than a century. Pontresina, a paradise for cross-country skiers, takes things at a more leisurely speed.

So, I buckle up my boots and, later, reward my sporting efforts by soaking up the hotel’s extraordinary spa facilities. The healing benefits of the local mineral spring water have been recognised for 3000 years.

Naturally, I take a dip in the indoor infinity pool with expansive views of the Alps.

The Kulm Hotel, St. Moritz

The Kulm Hotel is the birthplace of winter alpine tourism in Switzerland.

It began in 1864 with a simple bet made by pioneering hotelier, Johannes Badrutt. He proposed that his English guests, who regularly summered in Switzerland, return in the wintertime. If they didn’t enjoy themselves, he would reimburse their travel expenses.

The rest is history.

Today, the town’s oldest and most storied hotel, right in the heart of St. Moritz, remains a favourite haunt of the ‘it’ crowd. The extravagant Kulm lobby is adorned with marble pillars, maximalist patterned carpets, and plush red sofas. My alpine-chic junior suite is in the New-Kulm wing, reimagined by award-winning French interior designer Pierre-Yves Rochon.

The Swiss stone pine panelling leaves a faint, but beautiful, scent in the room and my private balcony boasts breathtaking views over the frozen lake.

There’s much more to St. Moritz than getting outdoorsy.

I schedule a science-backed Augustinus Bader facial at Kulm’s spa before I take to one of the town’s most satisfying sports — people-watching. It’s especially gratifying along the luxury store-lined Via Serlas, where shoppers clad in designer Loro Piana cashmere sashay the snow-sprinkled streets.

It’s easy to spot old-school St. Moritzers: draped in fur, dripping in jewellery and accompanied by tiny dogs in designer outfits. I spend the afternoon browsing high-end art galleries before stopping by Gabriel Chanel’s favourite chocolate shop, Hanselmann.

Later, a pre-dinner martini, made with pine-infused vermouth, is in order at the Kulm Country Club. A recent redesign, by renowned architect and Lord, Norman Foster, preserved the high-arched windows that overlook the ice rink where the first official Olympic Winter Games were held in 1928.

St. Moritz’s finest culinary offerings come with no shortage of fondue, truffle, and caviar. But for me, Mauro Colagreco’s signature salt-crusted beetroot with Oscietra caviar cream tops it all, personally presented by the three-star Michelin chef at his intimate seasonal restaurant, The K. This is a big deal for foodies familiar with his dish from Mirazur in the Cote D’Azur, ranked number one in the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list in 2019.

Edwina Hart flew to Zürich courtesy of Etihad Airways.

Etihad connects to Zurich via Abu Dhabi three times a week from Sydney and four times a week from Melbourne. The writer then travelled within Switzerland by train using a 1st class Swiss Travel Pass, which can be booked at myswitzerland.com