St. Moritz

Complete with glitz, glamour, and a rich history, St. Moritz is perhaps the most famous Swiss ski resort and certainly the most luxurious. You won't find a quaint Swiss mountain village here; the town of St. Moritz is a lit-up cosmopolitan, just as eye-popping as the sharp peaks and frozen lakes of the Engadine Valley where it lies. With much of the resort's publicity focusing on its wide array of shops, restaurants, special events, and culture, you might be tempted to spend all your time off the slopes. But the skiing shouldn't be overlooked.

The light and dry snow is consistent, and the sun shines here an average of 322 days per year. Like most Swiss resorts, the skiing at St. Moritz is mostly above tree line, with wide, groomed slopes snaking back and forth across the mountainside. This setup makes it easy for powder seekers to slide off the maintained trail for a pitch and then jump back on when their legs start to burn. And with 217 miles of trails, you'll definitely find skiing for all abilities (although intermediates will find the most suitable terrain). Because lifts here are spread out among nine different areas, you may want to pick just one region per day to explore. The Piz Nair Wall, at the top of the downhill race trail at the Corviglia area, boasts the steepest start slope of any race trail in Switzerland and will definitely please speed-seekers. More advanced skiers will also enjoy carving down the Morteratsch/Isla Persa Glacier run in the Diavolezza Bernina area (the longest run in the region). Skiing on the Corvatsch Glacier, in the Corvatsch Furtschellas area, offers some of the best views and snow quality in St. Moritz. And all of these areas have plenty of options lower down on the mountain specially designed for families with young kids.

Beyond skiing, St. Moritz offers plenty of other activities and lots of exotic attractions. The resort regularly hosts high-profile events and ski races: it has twice hosted the Winter Olympics and many other skiing and bobsled championships. You'll find the regular array of wintertime activities like cross-country skiing, skating, sledding, and hiking, plus a huge selection of more uncommon ones like winter golf. Other favorite events include the yearly Gourmet Festival (January/February), the Snow and Symphony Music Festival (March/April), horse and greyhound races on the frozen lake, and cricket and polo tournaments in the snow. Plus there's plenty of high-end shopping: St. Moritz harbors numerous retail locations for famous designers including Dolce & Gabbana, Donna Karan, Gucci, Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, and DKNY, to name just a handful. Go at the right time and you may even catch some familiar faces from Hollywood or royal families from around the world.