Summer in St. Moritz: our guide to a weekend by the lake

A summer weekend in St. Moritz needs no dense plan, but it does need a few right decisions. Arrive on Friday and walk the lake circuit, go up a mountain on Saturday, take Sunday slowly. The lake lies at around 1,770 metres, the air is thin and clear, and in July the days are long enough for all of it. Here is how I recommend it to guests.

Why summer here is underrated

Most people know St. Moritz as a winter place, and that is exactly why summer works so well. There are fewer people, the trails are clear, and you never queue for a mountain railway.

Then there is the light. At the height of summer it does not get properly dark up here until after nine, and the hour before that is the best of the day. Anyone who only comes in winter knows half the valley.

In winter people come for the slopes. In summer they come for the air and stay because of the light.

— Marco Balz, Outdoor & Adventures

Friday: arrive and walk the lake

Arrive in the afternoon and there is time for the best possible start: the loop around Lake St. Moritz.

The path is flat, well made, and takes a good hour on foot. Faster by bike, but on foot you take in more of it. The circuit runs practically past the villa, so you can start at the front door.

Then a first aperitivo on the terrace at Le Jardin, with no programme and no reservation. That is how a good weekend begins.

Saturday: up the mountain

Saturday belongs to the mountains. Two classics, depending on what you are after:

• Corviglia sits directly above St. Moritz and is minutes away by funicular from the village. High trails run off in every direction from the top, and you need no railway to walk back down.
• Muottas Muragl has the best-known view in the Upper Engadin, out over the chain of lakes. Going up in the early evening pays off most, when the light falls flat across the water.

For both: good footwear, a jacket in the pack, and a look at the forecast. Mountain weather turns faster than it looks from below. Current railways and opening times are on Engadin St. Moritz.

Back in the valley, Champagne Saturday waits on the terrace in the afternoon: a bottle of Lallier for 95 francs, for as long as the sun holds.

Sunday: let it wind down

Sunday is allowed to be slow. Coffee and cake in the garden, perhaps live piano in the afternoon in Le Bar.

If you still have energy, take one last walk by the water, or head a little further down the valley toward Silvaplana or Sils. The lakes there are windier, which is why the surfers are there rather than here.

What I always pack

• Sun protection. At 1,800 metres the sun burns differently than in the lowlands, even when the air is cool.
• A warm layer. The moment the sun drops behind the ridge, it gets cold.
• Solid shoes. Trainers are fine for the lake circuit, not above the top station.
• Swimming things. The lake is cold, but the plunge is part of summer here.
• No car. The Rhaetian Railway brings you over the Albula line, and in the valley you get everywhere on foot and by bus.

Your base camp

Villa Beaulieu sits directly above the lake, a few minutes on foot from the centre. Thirteen rooms and suites, a bar that stays open in the evening, and the sun terrace for the rest of the day.

What is happening in the villa this week is in the programme. More suggestions for the valley are under experiences, and if you have questions about getting here, simply write to us.