84 VUENJ.COM
Where Winter
Becomes Legend
Courtesy of Badrutts Palace
High above a frozen lake, in a
village where winter has long been
treated as an occasion, Badrutt's
Palace has spent 130 years
perfecting the rituals of the season.
Come December, St. Moritz
becomes something between a
destination and a dream.
ere is a moment on the journey
into St. Moritz when the world
seems to change. e mountains
rise higher. e villages grow
quieter. Snow settles heavily on
chalet roofs, and the pale winter sun
catches the peaks of the Engadin
until everything appears almost
impossibly bright.
en, above the frozen lake, a green
tower comes into view.
Badrutt's Palace.
From a distance, it has the quality of
something imagined, a grand hotel
rising from the snow above a village
that has spent generations turning
winter into an art form. Here, the coldest
months are meant to be celebrated.
Days begin on the mountain and end
over candlelight. Skis lean against
sunlit terraces. Champagne is poured
at altitude. By evening, ski boots have
disappeared and the village seems to
collectively dress for dinner.