The Lure of St. Moritz - From Sleepy Mountain Village to Luxury Resort | DW Documentary

Why It Matters

St. Moritz illustrates how targeted branding and high‑end tourism can turn isolated regions into lucrative luxury hubs, shaping global perceptions of wealth and influencing the premium travel market.

Key Takeaways

• Railway arrival in 1888 sparked St. Moritz winter tourism boom
• Kulm Hotel’s free‑season gamble launched year‑round luxury visits
• Alpine sports like skiing and skijoring originated and thrived here
• Iconic guests—from Audrey Hepburn to Iran’s Shah—elevated its glamour
• Branding and exclusive events keep St. Moritz a high‑end destination

Summary

The documentary traces St. Moritz’s evolution from a modest alpine farming hamlet into a world‑renowned luxury resort. The turning point came with the 1888 Rhaetian Railway, which linked the remote Engadine valley to Europe, allowing affluent travelers to reach the once‑inaccessible village.

Hotelier Johannes Badrutt’s bold promise—offering English guests free winter stays if they returned with a tan—ignited the concept of winter tourism. The Kulm Hotel became the epicenter, while the region pioneered alpine sports such as skiing, figure skating, and the unique skijoring horse‑race. Hosting five World Ski Championships and two Winter Olympics cemented its reputation as a premier winter playground.

St. Moritz’s allure attracted a parade of celebrities: Audrey Hepburn found refuge after World War II, Alfred Hitchcock used the scenery for cinematic inspiration, and Coco Chanel concealed wartime ties while designing the iconic Chanel jacket. The Shah of Iran even governed his empire from a private villa, staging extravagant celebrations that reinforced the town’s image of opulence.

Today, meticulous branding and signature events like the White Turf horse‑race preserve St. Moritz’s elite status. The resort exemplifies how strategic infrastructure, luxury hospitality, and cultural cachet can transform a remote locale into a global symbol of wealth and lifestyle.

Original Description

St. Moritz is the birthplace of alpine winter tourism, as well of many winter sports. The village, with its magnificent location in the Swiss Engadin mountains, was already attracting celebrities in the last century.

St. Moritz is one of the most exclusive winter sports resorts in the world, with a burnished history. Located in the picturesque Swiss Engadin mountains, the village attracted many celebrities in the last century: including Charlie Chaplin, Audrey Hepburn, Brigitte Bardot, Gunter Sachs, Andy Warhol and Herbert von Karajan. Coco Chanel sought refuge here, during the war. Alfred Hitchcock was inspired to write his first classic in one of St. Moritz’s grand hotels, and returned many times over the decades. The Shah of Persia temporarily ruled his empire from a chalet on the Suvretta slope.

Just 150 years ago, St. Moritz was still a simple mountain village. Then adventurous Englishmen arrived, invented new winter sports and laid the foundation for the town's fame. Five-star hotels sprang up in the village of 5,000 inhabitants, which suddenly became a winter hotspot for the rich and famous.

Numerous winter sports originated here, some of which are unique to this location: in Cresta, participants race headfirst down into the valley on low sleds - on the longest natural ice track in the world.

The Cresta Club, founded over 100 years ago by Englishmen, is still one of the most exclusive clubs in the world. In skijoring, skiers are pulled across the frozen Lake St. Moritz by horses. Winter sports, tradition and sophisticated lifestyle, luxury and cosmopolitanism characterize the history of St. Moritz.

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