View source for St. Moritz

{{short description|Municipality in Grisons, Switzerland}}
{{About|the town in Switzerland}}
{{Distinguish|Saint-Maurice, Switzerland}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2024}}
{{Infobox Swiss town
 | subject_name               = St. Moritz
 | image_photo                = Exterior Winter 2016 17 Fotograf Romano Salis (21).jpg
 | image_caption              = Winter night in St. Moritz
 | municipality_type          = municipality
 | imagepath_flag             = CHE St Moritz Flag.svg
 | imagepath_coa              = CHE St Moritz COA.svg
 | pixel_coa                  =
 | snow_image                 = StMoritz.jpg
 | snow_imagecaption          = St. Moritz on an evening in February 2009, with the frozen lake
 | canton                     = Grisons
 | iso-code-region            = CH-GR
 | district                   = [[Maloja Region|Maloja]]
 | coordinates                = {{coord|46|29|50|N|9|50|16|E|display=inline,title}}
 | postal_code                = 7500
 | municipality_code          = 3787
 | area                       = 28.69
 | elevation                  = 1822 |elevation_description=Traunter Plazzas
 | population                 = {{Swiss populations NC|CH-GR|3787}}
 | populationof               = {{Swiss populations YM|CH-GR}}
 | position                   = left
 | website                    = www.gemeinde-stmoritz.ch
 | mayor                      = |mayor_asof=|mayor_party=
 | mayor_title                = |list_of_mayors=
 | places                     = St. Moritz-Dorf, St. Moritz-Bad, Suvretta, [[Champfèr]] (eastern part)
 | demonym                    = {{langx|de|St. Moritzer(in)}}
 | neighboring_municipalities = [[Bever, Switzerland|Bever]], [[Celerina/Schlarigna]], [[Samedan]], [[Silvaplana]]
 | twintowns                  = 
}}
'''St. Moritz''' ({{IPAc-en|ˌ|s|æ|n|_|m|ə|ˈ|r|ɪ|t|s}} {{respell|SAN|_|mə|RITS}}, {{IPAc-en|USalso|ˌ|s|eɪ|n|t|_|-}} {{respell|SAYNT|_-}}, {{IPAc-en|UKalso|s|ən|t|_|ˈ|m|ɒr|ɪ|t|s}} {{respell|sənt|_|MORR|its}}; {{langx|de|label=[[German language|German]], in full|Sankt Moritz}} {{IPA|de|zaŋkt moˈrɪts, ˈmoːrɪts|}} {{IPA|de|saŋkt|local}}; {{langx|rm|San Murezzan}} {{IPA|rm|sam muˈʁetsən||Roh-putèr-San Murezzan.ogg}}; {{langx|it|San Maurizio}};{{efn|Outdated; usually replaced by the German name.}} {{langx|fr|Saint-Moritz}}) is a high [[Alps|Alpine]] resort town in the [[Engadin]]e in [[Switzerland]], at an [[elevation]] of about {{convert|1800|m|-1}} above [[sea level]]. It is [[Upper Engadine]]'s major town and a [[municipalities of Switzerland|municipality]] in the [[Maloja Region|administrative region of Maloja]] in the Swiss [[canton of the Grisons]].

St. Moritz lies on the southern slopes of the [[Albula Alps]] below the [[Piz Nair]] ({{convert|3,056|m|abbr=on |disp=or}}) overlooking the flat and wide glaciated valley of the Upper Engadine and eponymous lake: [[Lake St. Moritz]]. It hosted the [[Winter Olympics]] in [[1928 Winter Olympics|1928]] and [[1948 Winter Olympics|1948]].

==History==
[[File:Johann Heinrich Müller, 1825-1894 J06 St Moritz, Panorama.JPG|thumb|left|St. Moritz with [[Kulm Hotel St. Moritz|Kulm Hotel]] c. 1870. Etching by [[commons:Category:Johann Heinrich Müller (1825-1894)|Heinrich Müller]]]]
Votive offerings, swords, and needles from the [[Bronze Age]] found at the base of the springs in St. Moritz indicate that the [[Celts]] had already discovered them. St. Moritz is first mentioned around 1137–39 as ''ad sanctum Mauricium''.<ref name=HDS/> The village was named after [[Saint Maurice]], an [[Early Christianity|early Christian]] saint from southern Egypt said to have been martyred in the 3rd century by [[Maximian]] in Switzerland while serving as leader of the [[Theban Legion]].

Pilgrims traveled to Saint Mauritius, often to the church of the springs, where they drank from the blessed, bubbling waters of the Mauritius springs in the hopes of being healed. In 1519, the [[Medici]] pope [[Leo X]] promised full absolution to anyone making a pilgrimage to the church of the springs. In the 16th century, the first scientific treatises about the St. Moritz mineral springs were written. In 1535, [[Paracelsus]], the great practitioner of natural remedies, spent some time in St. Moritz.

[[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 102-10988, St. Moritz, Vierergespann.jpg|thumb|left|St. Moritz in January 1931]]
Although it received some visitors during the summer, the origins of the winter resort only date back {{Time ago|1864}} to September 1864, when St. Moritz hotel pioneer [[Caspar Badrutt]] made a wager with four British summer guests: they should return in winter and, if the village was not to their liking, then he would reimburse their travel costs. If they were to find St. Moritz attractive in winter, then he would invite them to stay as his guests for as long as they wished.<ref name="History">{{cite web |url=http://www.stmoritz.ch/en/winter/village/portrait/history.html |title= History |publisher=www.stmoritz.ch |access-date=3 January 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101227013501/http://www.stmoritz.ch/en/winter/village/portrait/history.html |archive-date=27 December 2010 |url-status=dead}}</ref> This marked not only the start of winter tourism in St. Moritz but also the start of winter tourism in the whole of the Alps. The first tourist office in Switzerland was established the same year in the village. St. Moritz developed rapidly in the late nineteenth century; the first electric light in Switzerland was installed in 1878 at the [[Kulm Hotel St. Moritz|Kulm Hotel]], and the first [[curling]] tournament on the continent was held in 1880.<ref name="History"/> The first European Ice-Skating Championships were held at St. Moritz in 1882 and first golf tournament in the Alps held in 1889. The first bob run and bob race was held in 1890. By 1896, St. Moritz became the first village in the Alps to install electric trams and opened the [[Badrutt's Palace Hotel|Palace Hotel]].<ref name="History"/> A horse race was held on snow in 1906, and on the frozen lake the following year. The first ski school in Switzerland was established in St. Moritz in 1929.<ref name="History"/>

St. Moritz hosted the [[1928 Winter Olympics]]—the stadium still stands today—and again in [[1948 Winter Olympics|1948]]. It has hosted over 20 [[FIBT World Championships]], four [[FIS Alpine World Ski Championships]] (1934/1974/2003/2017) and over 40 [[Engadin Skimarathon]]s since 1969. It has also hosted many other events since, including some unlikely ones on the frozen lake in the 1970s and 1980s such as a golf tournament, (1979), a snow polo tournament (held every year in January since 1985) and Cricket on Ice (1989).<ref name="History"/> St. Moritz has also been the venue for many sailing and windsurfing world championships.

Since the early 1980s St. Moritz is also promoted and known as ''Top of the World''. The expression was registered as a [[trademark]] by the tourist office in 1987.

==Geography==
[[File:St Moritz Muottas.jpg|thumb|left|St. Moritz from above]]
St. Moritz has an area (as of the 2004/09 survey) of {{Swiss area|3787|mi=on}}.{{Swiss area data|3787|QUELLE}}  Of this area, about 26.3% is used for agricultural purposes, while 20.0% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 9.0% is settled (buildings or roads) and 44.8% is unproductive land. In the 2004/09 survey a total of {{convert|160|ha|acre|abbr=on}} or about 5.6% of the total area was covered with buildings, an increase of {{cvt|23|ha|acre}} over the 1985 amount.  Over the same time period, the amount of recreational space in the municipality increased by {{cvt|3|ha|acre}} and is now about 1.15% of the total area.  Of the agricultural land {{cvt|149|ha|acre}} is fields and grasslands, and {{cvt|643|ha|acre}} consists of alpine grazing areas. Since 1985 the amount of agricultural land has decreased by {{cvt|37|ha|acre}}. Over the same time period the amount of forested land has increased by {{cvt|33|ha|acre}}. Rivers and lakes cover {{cvt|91|ha|acre}} in the municipality.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/de/home/statistiken/raum-umwelt/bodennutzung-bedeckung.gnpdetail.2016-0436.html |title=Arealstatistik Land Use – Gemeinden nach 10 Klassen |date=November 2016 |website=www.landuse-stat.admin.ch |publisher=Swiss Federal Statistical Office |access-date=27 December 2016 |archive-date=30 December 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161230085501/https://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/de/home/statistiken/raum-umwelt/bodennutzung-bedeckung.gnpdetail.2016-0436.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=SFSO2016>[https://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/de/home/statistiken/regionalstatistik/regionale-portraets-kennzahlen/gemeinden/daten-erlaeuterungen.assetdetail.328115.html Swiss Federal Statistical Office – Regional portraits] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308023542/https://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/de/home/statistiken/regionalstatistik/regionale-portraets-kennzahlen/gemeinden/daten-erlaeuterungen.assetdetail.328115.html |date=8 March 2021}} accessed 27 October 2016</ref>

The highest summit in the [[Eastern Alps]] is [[Piz Bernina]] at {{cvt|4,048.6|m|0}}, located {{cvt|15|km|1}} southeast of the village.

Before 2017, the municipality was located in the Oberengadin sub-district of the Maloja district, after 2017 it was part of the Maloja Region. It consists of the settlements of {{nowrap|St. Moritz-Dorf}} (elev. {{cvt|1830|m|round=5|disp=or}}), Bad ({{cvt|1775|m||round=5|disp=or}}), Champfèr ({{cvt|1825|m|round=5|disp=or}}), and the village section of Suvretta.

==Sport==
[[File:Cartier Polo World Cup on Snow 2008.jpg|thumb|Cartier [[Polo]] World Cup 2008]]
St. Moritz has been a resort for winter sport vacations since the 19th century. Students from [[University of Oxford|Oxford]] and [[University of Cambridge|Cambridge]] went there to play each other; the predecessor of the recurring [[Ice Hockey Varsity Match]] was a [[bandy]] match played in St. Moritz in 1885. St. Moritz was the host city for the [[Winter Olympic Games]] in [[1928 Winter Olympics|1928]] and [[1948 Winter Olympics|1948]], one of three cities to host twice, along with [[Innsbruck, Austria]], and [[Lake Placid, New York|Lake Placid]] in the United States. It also hosted the [[FIS Alpine World Ski Championships]] in [[FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 1934|1934]], [[FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 1974|1974]], [[FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 2003|2003]], and [[FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 2017|2017]].

Additionally, St. Moritz has hosted the FIBT World Championships ([[bobsleigh]] and [[skeleton (sport)|skeleton racing]]) a record 21 times. Since 1985, it has hosted Snow [[Polo]] St. Moritz, a tournament featuring many of the world's finest team and played on a specially marked field on the frozen lake.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.snowpolo-stmoritz.com/about/the-cradle-of-snow-polo/ |title=The Cradle of Snow Polo |publisher=Snow Polo World Cup |access-date=3 January 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170103120831/http://www.snowpolo-stmoritz.com/about/the-cradle-of-snow-polo/ |archive-date=3 January 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref>

St. Moritz is extremely popular in the summer months as an [[altitude training]] base for distance athletes, particularly [[cycle sport|cyclists]], [[running|runners]], and [[Racewalking|race walkers]]. Its popularity extends to the altitude, weather, world class [[sport of athletics|athletics track]], and availability of paths and trails in the area.

In 1904, the oldest and world's last remaining natural bob run was opened. The {{convert|1.72<!--2-->|km|2|abbr=on}} ice channel – also known as the world's biggest {{nowrap|"ice sculpture" –}} is built every winter from the ground up with only snow and water. The bob run hosted numerous world championships and was used in both Olympic Winter Games. In the early 1930s, some members of the bob club started taking guests along for taxi rides; today they run with slightly modified racing bobs.

For the 1928 games, the [[Cross-country skiing at the 1928 Winter Olympics|cross-country skiing]] and the cross-country skiing part of the [[Nordic combined at the 1928 Winter Olympics|Nordic combined]] events took place around the hills of St. Moritz.<ref>[http://www.la84foundation.org/6oic/OfficialReports/1928/1928w2.pdf 1928 Winter Olympics official report.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101217062055/http://la84foundation.org/6oic/OfficialReports/1928/1928w2.pdf |date=17 December 2010 }} Part 2. pp. 8-10. {{in lang|fr}}</ref> Twenty years later, once again the [[Cross-country skiing at the 1948 Winter Olympics|cross-country skiing]], the cross-country skiing part of the [[Nordic combined at the 1948 Winter Olympics|Nordic combined]], and the [[Ice hockey at the 1948 Winter Olympics|ice hockey]] events took place in St. Moritz.<ref>[http://www.la84foundation.org/6oic/OfficialReports/1948/ORW1948.pdf 1948 Winter Olympics official report.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080410085049/http://www.la84foundation.org/6oic/OfficialReports/1948/ORW1948.pdf |date=10 April 2008 }} pp. 6, 21, 23. {{in lang|fr|de}}</ref>

In addition to the above sports, St. Moritz is also well known as a destination for sailing. It is the host venue for the annual St. Moritz Match Race held on lake St. Moritz. The St. Moritz Match Race event is part of the prestigious [[World Match Racing Tour]] which covers three continents. The identical supplied (BLU-26) boats are raced two at a time in an on the water dogfight which tests the sailors and skippers to the limits of their physical abilities. Points accrued count towards the World Match Racing Tour and a place in the final event, with the overall winner taking the title ISAF World Match Racing Tour Champion.

[[File:St Moritz Panorama.jpg|thumb|centre|1000px|Sailing on [[Lake St. Moritz]]]]

==Tourism==
[[File:Exterior Hotel H 02.jpg|thumb|The Badrutt's Palace Hotel is considered the birthplace of winter sports<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.journeyhero.net/the-thrill-of-winter-sports-in-the-alpine-resort-of-st-moritz/ |title=The Thrill of Winter Sports in the Alpine Resort of St. Moritz |access-date=26 September 2020 |archive-date=28 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220928164924/https://www.journeyhero.net/the-thrill-of-winter-sports-in-the-alpine-resort-of-st-moritz/ |url-status=live }}</ref>]]
Thanks to its favorable location, St. Moritz enjoys over 300 days of sunshine a year. Every winter it hosts the "White Turf" horse race on the frozen [[Lake St. Moritz]], attended by the international [[upper class]]. Prominent property owners in St. Moritz included [[Sonja Ziemann]], [[Gunter Sachs]], [[Herbert von Karajan]], [[Lakshmi Mittal]], [[Ivan Glasenberg]], [[Mohammad Reza Pahlavi]], [[Maurizio Gucci]], [[Giorgio Armani]], [[Ingvar Kamprad]], [[Helmut Horten]], [[Giovanni Agnelli]], [[Silvio Berlusconi]], [[Remo Ruffini]], [[Dean and Dan Caten]], Andrei Melnitschenko, the [[Heineken N.V.|Heineken]] family, [[Aristoteles Onassis]] and [[Stavros Niarchos]].

Popular pastimes include [[skiing]], [[snowboarding]], and [[hiking]], and nearby there is also the world-famous [[Cresta Run]] [[toboggan]] course.

The year-round population is 5,600, with some 3,000 seasonal employees supporting hotels and rental units with a total of 13,000 beds. The [[Kulm Hotel St. Moritz]] is a large luxury hotel in St. Moritz.

==Main sights==
[[File:St. Moritz center.jpg|thumb|Plazza da Scoula<br />and [[St. Moritz library]]]]
*The Segantini Museum: dedicated to [[Giovanni Segantini]], a painter that lived the last five years of his life in [[Engadin]]e. The Segantini Museum is listed as a Swiss [[Swiss inventory of cultural property of national and regional significance|heritage site of national significance]].<ref>[http://www.bevoelkerungsschutz.admin.ch/internet/bs/de/home/themen/kgs/kgs_inventar.html Swiss inventory of cultural property of national and regional significance] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090501142322/http://www.bevoelkerungsschutz.admin.ch/internet/bs/de/home/themen/kgs/kgs_inventar.html |date=2009-05-01 }} 21.11.2008 version, {{in lang|de}} accessed 20-Oct-2009</ref>
*The [[St. Moritz-Celerina Olympic Bobrun|bobsled run]]: a very rare all-natural venue, typically open by mid-December
*Viewing the glacier landscape: there are a number of notable vistas. Much can be seen by descending from [[Diavolezza]] to the [[Morteratsch Glacier]].
*The {{convert|3300|m|abbr=on}} [[Piz Corvatsch]] with its [[ice cave]] and its lengthy {{convert|8|km|0|abbr=on}} [[piste]] down to St. Moritz-Bad.

==Climate==
St. Moritz has a [[subarctic climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]]: Dfc) due to its particularly high elevation near to the [[tree line]]. It has cool summers coupled with cold nights and very cold, snowy winters with highs around freezing and {{convert|254|cm|abbr=on}} of average annual snowfall. The average temperature, about 2 °C (36 °F; measured in the nearby town of [[Samedan]]), is extremely low compared to that of the [[Swiss Plateau]]. It is also significantly lower to that of [[La Brévine]], traditionally considered the coldest inhabited place in Switzerland.

{{Weather box
|location = St. Moritz ([[Samedan Airport]]), elevation {{convert|1709|m|ft|abbr=on}}, (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1901–present)
|metric first = Yes
|single line = Yes
|Jan record high C = 12.9
|Feb record high C = 11.7
|Mar record high C = 14.1
|Apr record high C = 21.0
|May record high C = 28.0
|Jun record high C = 32.0
|Jul record high C = 30.5
|Aug record high C = 29.2
|Sep record high C = 25.1
|Oct record high C = 21.4
|Nov record high C = 17.0
|Dec record high C = 13.4
|year record high C = 32.0
|Jan high C = -1.3
|Feb high C = 0.5
|Mar high C = 4.0
|Apr high C = 7.9
|May high C = 12.9
|Jun high C = 17.0
|Jul high C = 19.3
|Aug high C = 18.8
|Sep high C = 14.6
|Oct high C = 10.5
|Nov high C = 4.1
|Dec high C = -0.7
| year high C = 9.0
|Jan mean C = -8.4
|Feb mean C = -7.1
|Mar mean C = -2.4
|Apr mean C = 1.9
|May mean C = 6.7
|Jun mean C = 10.5
|Jul mean C = 12.3
|Aug mean C = 11.8
|Sep mean C = 7.9
|Oct mean C = 3.6
|Nov mean C = -2.1
|Dec mean C = -7.0
| year mean C = 2.3
|Jan low C = -15.8
|Feb low C = -15.6
|Mar low C = -9.6
|Apr low C = -4.3
|May low C = 0.1
|Jun low C = 3.2
|Jul low C = 4.7
|Aug low C = 4.7
|Sep low C = 1.3
|Oct low C = -2.6
|Nov low C = -7.8
|Dec low C = -13.4
| year low C = -4.6
|Jan record low C = −36.9
|Feb record low C = -35.1
|Mar record low C = -30.0
|Apr record low C = -21.7
|May record low C = -18.6
|Jun record low C = -9.5
|Jul record low C = -5.4
|Aug record low C = -6.7
|Sep record low C = -11.6
|Oct record low C = -21.4
|Nov record low C = -29.9
|Dec record low C = -34.4
|year record low C = -36.9
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 29.4
|Feb precipitation mm = 19.0
|Mar precipitation mm = 23.7
|Apr precipitation mm = 36.9
|May precipitation mm = 67.0
|Jun precipitation mm = 90.9
|Jul precipitation mm = 86.8
|Aug precipitation mm = 100.4
|Sep precipitation mm = 73.2
|Oct precipitation mm = 76.6
|Nov precipitation mm = 69.8
|Dec precipitation mm = 36.6
|year precipitation mm = 710.3
|snow colour = green
| Jan snow cm = 52.4
| Feb snow cm = 38.9
| Mar snow cm = 32.5
| Apr snow cm = 23.5
| May snow cm = 6.3
| Jun snow cm = 0.6
| Jul snow cm = 0.3
| Aug snow cm = 0.3
| Sep snow cm = 1.2
| Oct snow cm = 8.1
| Nov snow cm = 40.8
| Dec snow cm = 49.9
| year snow cm = 254.8
|unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm
| Jan precipitation days = 5.2
| Feb precipitation days = 4.2
| Mar precipitation days = 4.3
| Apr precipitation days = 6.0
| May precipitation days = 9.2
| Jun precipitation days = 11.0
| Jul precipitation days = 10.6
| Aug precipitation days = 11.0
| Sep precipitation days = 8.0
| Oct precipitation days = 8.1
| Nov precipitation days = 7.9
| Dec precipitation days = 6.1
| year precipitation days = 91.6
|unit snow days = 1.0 cm
| Jan snow days = 9.1
| Feb snow days = 7.4
| Mar snow days = 7.6
| Apr snow days = 5.8
| May snow days = 1.5
| Jun snow days = 0.3
| Jul snow days = 0.1
| Aug snow days = 0.1
| Sep snow days = 0.6
| Oct snow days = 2.0
| Nov snow days = 6.8
| Dec snow days = 9.1
| year snow days = 50.4
| Jan humidity = 78
| Feb humidity = 74
| Mar humidity = 70
| Apr humidity = 69
| May humidity = 70
| Jun humidity = 71
| Jul humidity = 72
| Aug humidity = 75
| Sep humidity = 76
| Oct humidity = 77
| Nov humidity = 79
| Dec humidity = 80
| year humidity = 74
|Jan sun = 120.0
|Feb sun = 121.3
|Mar sun = 147.4
|Apr sun = 150.2
|May sun = 164.4
|Jun sun = 185.8
|Jul sun = 199.1
|Aug sun = 180.9
|Sep sun = 154.9
|Oct sun = 138.1
|Nov sun = 103.2
|Dec sun = 102.0
|year sun = 1767.3
|date=August 2010
| source 1 = [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration|NOAA]]<ref name=NOAA1>{{cite web |title=World Meteorological Organization Climate Normals for 1991–2020 |url=https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/data/oceans/archive/arc0216/0253808/5.5/data/0-data/Region-6-WMO-Normals-9120/Switzerland/CSV/Samedan_06792.csv |work=World Meteorological Organization Climatological Standard Normals (1991–2020) |publisher=National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |access-date=13 December 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241213080931/https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/data/oceans/archive/arc0216/0253808/5.5/data/0-data/Region-6-WMO-Normals-9120/Switzerland/CSV/Samedan_06792.csv |archive-date=13 December 2024}}</ref>
|source 2 = MeteoSwiss (snow 1981–2010) <ref name=MeteoSwiss>{{cite web |title=Climate Norm Value Tables |url=http://www.meteoswiss.admin.ch/web/en/climate/swiss_climate/tabellen.html |url-status=dead |work=Climate diagrams and normals from Swiss measuring stations |publisher=Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology (MeteoSwiss) |access-date=23 January 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130514205349/http://www.meteoswiss.admin.ch/web/en/climate/swiss_climate/tabellen.html |archive-date=14 May 2013 |df=dmy-all}}</ref> KNMI<ref>{{cite web |title=Samedan extreme values |url=http://eca.knmi.nl/indicesextremes/customquerytimeseriesplots.php |publisher=[[KNMI (institute)|KNMI]] |access-date=8 November 2011}}</ref>
}}

==Demographics==
===Population===
St. Moritz has a population (as of {{Swiss populations date|CH-GR}}) of {{Swiss populations|CH-GR|3787}}.{{Swiss populations ref|CH-GR}} {{as of|2008}}, 38.0% of the population was made up of foreign nationals.<ref name=Population/> Over the 10 years up to 2009 the population decreased at a rate of 4.9%.<ref name=SFSO>[http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/en/index/regionen/02/key.html Swiss Federal Statistical Office] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160105172441/http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/en/index/regionen/02/key.html |date=5 January 2016 }} accessed 20-Oct-2009</ref>

{{as of|2000}}, the gender distribution of the population was 45.4% male and 54.6% female.<ref name=GR_Numbers>[http://www.gr.ch/DE/institutionen/verwaltung/dvs/awt/dienstleistungen/volkswirtschaftlichegrundlagen/Seiten/default.aspx Graubunden in Numbers] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090924000647/http://www.gr.ch/DE/institutionen/verwaltung/dvs/awt/dienstleistungen/volkswirtschaftlichegrundlagen/Seiten/default.aspx |date=2009-09-24}} {{in lang|de}} accessed 21 September 2009</ref> The age distribution, {{as of|2000|lc=on}}, in St. Moritz is; 423 children or 7.6% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 502 teenagers or 9.0% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 960 people or 17.2% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 1,055 people or 18.9% are between 30 and 39, 864 people or 15.5% are between 40 and 49, and 820 people or 14.7% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 532 people or 9.5% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 289 people or 5.2% are between 70 and 79, there are 121 people or 2.2% who are between 80 and 89, and there are 23 people or 0.4% who are 90 and older.<ref name=Population>[http://www.gr.ch/DE/institutionen/verwaltung/dvs/awt/dienstleistungen/volkswirtschaftlichegrundlagen/Seiten/Bevoelkerung.aspx Graubunden Population Statistics] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090827132227/http://www.gr.ch/DE/institutionen/verwaltung/dvs/awt/dienstleistungen/volkswirtschaftlichegrundlagen/Seiten/Bevoelkerung.aspx |date=2009-08-27}} {{in lang|de}} accessed 13 February 2010</ref>

In 2014 there were 2,822 private households in St. Moritz with an average household size of 1.84 persons. Of the 884 inhabited buildings in the municipality, in 2000, about 29.1% were single family homes and 40.8% were multiple family buildings. Additionally, about 19.9% of the buildings were built before 1919, while 8.6% were built between 1991 and 2000.<ref name=Housing>[https://www.pxweb.bfs.admin.ch/ Swiss Federal Statistical Office STAT-TAB - Thema 09 - Bau- und Wohnungswesen ] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170402001256/https://www.pxweb.bfs.admin.ch/ |date=2 April 2017 }} {{in lang|de}} accessed 5 May 2016</ref> In 2013 the rate of construction of new housing units per 1000 residents was 9.32. The vacancy rate for the municipality, {{as of|2015|alt=in 2015}}, was 3.18%.<ref name=SFSO2016/>

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; float:right;"
<!-- {| class="wikitable" style="float:right"
!-- {| class=wikitable style="text-align:center" -->
|- style="background:#e3e3e3;"
!colspan="2" | Historic Population<ref name=HDS>{{HDS|1543|St. Moritz}}</ref><ref name=GR_Numbers/>
|- style="background:#e3e3e3;"
! year
! population
|-
| 1803
| 183
|-
| 1850
|  228
|-
| 1900
|  1,603
|-
| 1910
|  3,197
|-
| 1950
|  2,558
|-
| 1960
| 3,751
|-
| 1970
| 5,699
|-
| 1980
| 5,900
|-
| 1990
| 5,426
|-
| 2000
| 5,589
|}

{| class=wikitable style="text-align:center"
|- style="background:#e3e3e3;"
!colspan="3" | Population by nationality (Census 2000)
|- style="background:#e3e3e3;"
!Nationality
!Number <br /><small>Without dual-citizens</small>
!Number <br /><small>Including dual-citizens</small>
|-
|align="left"|'''Switzerland''' || style="text-align:center;"| 3,079 || style="text-align:center;"| 3,527
|-
|align="left"|'''Italy'''|| style="text-align:center;"| 897 || style="text-align:center;"| 1,162
|-
|align="left"|'''Portugal''' || style="text-align:center;"| 435 || style="text-align:center;"| 445
|-
|align="left"|'''Germany''' || style="text-align:center;"| 202 || style="text-align:center;"| 232
|-
|align="left"|'''Serbia-Montenegro''' || style="text-align:center;"| 106 || style="text-align:center;"| 108
|-
|align="left"|'''Austria''' || style="text-align:center;"| 74 || style="text-align:center;"| 104
|-
|align="left"|'''France''' || style="text-align:center;"| 56 || style="text-align:center;"| 73
|-
|align="left"|'''Croatia''' || style="text-align:center;"| 62 || style="text-align:center;"| 63
|-
|align="left"|'''Spain''' || style="text-align:center;"| 33 || style="text-align:center;"| 41
|-
|align="left"|'''United Kingdom''' || style="text-align:center;"| 30 || style="text-align:center;"| 41
|-
|align="left"|'''Netherlands''' || style="text-align:center;"| 17 || style="text-align:center;"| 29
|-
|align="left"|'''Bosnia-Herzegovina''' || style="text-align:center;"| 27 || style="text-align:center;"| 28
|}

===Politics===
In the [[2015 Swiss federal election|2015 federal election]], the most popular party was the [[FDP.The Liberals|FDP]] with 31.0% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the [[Swiss People's Party|SVP]] (27.0%), the BDP (15.1%) and the [[Christian Democratic People's Party of Switzerland|CVP]] (11.0%).  In the federal election, a total of 1,428 votes were cast, and the [[voter turnout]] was 54.1%.<ref>[http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/de/index/themen/17/02/blank/data/07/03.html Swiss Federal Statistical Office - Nationalratswahlen 2015: Stärke der Parteien und Wahlbeteiligung nach Gemeinden] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160802003536/http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/de/index/themen/17/02/blank/data/07/03.html |date=2016-08-02 }} {{in lang|de}} accessed 18 July 2016</ref>

In the [[2007 Swiss federal election|2007 federal election]], the most popular party was the [[Swiss People's Party|SVP]] which received 34.9% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the [[Free Democratic Party of Switzerland|FDP]] (24.5%), the [[Social Democratic Party of Switzerland|SP]] (22.4%), and the [[Christian Democratic People's Party of Switzerland|CVP]] (17%).<ref name=SFSO/>

===Education===
In St. Moritz about 65.8% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory [[Education in Switzerland#Secondary|upper secondary education]] or additional higher education (either university or a ''[[Fachhochschule]]'').<ref name=SFSO/>

===Employment===
St. Moritz is a regional economic centre and a tourist community.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/de/home/statistiken/querschnittsthemen/raeumliche-analysen/raeumliche-gliederungen/analyseregionen.assetdetail.335600.html |title=Die Raumgliederungen der Schweiz 2016 |publisher=Swiss Federal Statistical Office |location=Neuchâtel, Switzerland |language=de, fr, it, en |date=17 February 2016 |access-date=14 December 2016 |archive-date=18 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180718205645/https://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/de/home/statistiken/querschnittsthemen/raeumliche-analysen/raeumliche-gliederungen/analyseregionen.assetdetail.335600.html |url-status=live }}</ref> {{as of|2014|In 2014}}, there were a total of 7,590 people employed in the municipality. Of these, a total of 24 people worked in 7 businesses in the [[Primary sector of the economy|primary economic sector]]. The [[Secondary sector of the economy|secondary sector]] employed 1,039 workers in 74 separate businesses. A minority (17.0%) of the secondary sector employees worked in very small businesses. There were 22 small businesses with a total of 533 employees and 3 mid sized businesses with a total of 329 employees. Finally, the [[Tertiary sector of the economy|tertiary sector]] provided 6,527 jobs in 768 businesses. In 2014 a total of 3,820 employees worked in 752 small companies (less than 50 employees). There were 14 mid sized businesses with 1,928 employees and 2 large businesses which employed 779 people (for an average size of 389.5).<ref>[https://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/de/home/statistiken/kataloge-datenbanken/daten.assetdetail.331681.html Federal Statistical Office -Arbeitsstätten und Beschäftigte nach Gemeinde, Wirtschaftssektor und Grössenklasse] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170105212437/https://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/de/home/statistiken/kataloge-datenbanken/daten.assetdetail.331681.html |date=5 January 2017 }} accessed 31 October 2016</ref> The [[Badrutt's Palace Hotel]] (Five Star) has a staff of 520 persons and is the biggest employer in St. Moritz.

In 2014 a total of 9.3% of the population received social assistance.<ref name=SFSO2016/>

In the second quarter of 2016 an average of 1,062 workers commuted from outside Switzerland to work in the municipality, representing a minority of the employees.<ref>[https://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/de/home/statistiken/kataloge-datenbanken/daten.assetdetail.336002.html Swiss Federal Statistical Office - Cross Border Workers] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161202035655/https://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/de/home/statistiken/kataloge-datenbanken/daten.assetdetail.336002.html |date=2 December 2016 }} accessed 27 October 2016</ref>

In 2015 local hotels had a total of 599,734 overnight stays, of which 69.2% were international visitors.<ref>[https://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/de/home/statistiken/kataloge-datenbanken/daten.assetdetail.252702.html Federal Statistical Office – Hotellerie: Ankünfte und Logiernächte der geöffneten Betriebe] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170105212902/https://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/de/home/statistiken/kataloge-datenbanken/daten.assetdetail.252702.html |date=5 January 2017}} accessed 31 October 2016</ref> In the same year there was one movie theater in the municipality with 267 seats.<ref>[http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/de/index/themen/16/02/01/data.html Swiss Federal Statistical Office - Kinoinfrastruktur nach Gemeinde und Kinotyp] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160926002720/http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/de/index/themen/16/02/01/data.html |date=2016-09-26}} {{in lang|de}} accessed 9 August 2016</ref>

===Languages===
Most of the population ({{as of|2000|lc=on}}) speaks German (58.8%), with Italian being second most common (21.8%), and Portuguese being third (6.6%).<ref name=SFSO/> Originally, the entire population spoke the Upper-[[Engadin]] Romansh dialect of [[Putèr|Puter]]. Due to increasing trade with the outside world, Romansh usage began to decline. In 1880, only 50.2% spoke Romansh as a first language. Romansh lost ground to both German and Italian. In 1900, 31% of the population spoke Italian as a first language, and in 1910, it was about the same. In the following years, the percentage of Romansh and Italian speakers both decreased against German speakers. In 1941, only 20% spoke Romansh, and in 1970 it was 8%. In 2000, only 4.7% of the population spoke Romansh.<ref>{{cite web |title=Wohnbevölkerung mit Hauptsprache Rätoromanisch, 2000 |url=https://www.atlas.bfs.admin.ch/maps/13/de/3079_3078_104_70/3011.html |url-status=dead |website=Statistical Atlas of Switzerland |publisher=Swiss Federal Statistical Office |date=2000 |access-date=9 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220516154013/https://www.atlas.bfs.admin.ch/maps/13/de/3079_3078_104_70/3011.html |archive-date=16 May 2022}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Languages in St. Moritz GR
|-
! rowspan="2"| Languages !! colspan="2" | Census 1980 !! colspan="2" | Census 1990 !! colspan="2" | Census 2000
|-
! Number !! Percent !! Number !! Percent !! Number !! Percent
|-
|[[German language|German]] || align=right | 3,092 || align=right | 52.41% || align=right | 3,186 || align=right | 58.72% || align=right | 3,286 || align=right | 58.79%
|-
|[[Italian language|Italian]] || align=right | 1,608 || align=right | 27.25% || align=right | 1,157 || align=right | 21.32% || align=right | 1,220 || align=right | 21.83%
|-
|[[Romansh language|Romansh]] || align=right | 569 || align=right | 9.64% || align=right | 338 || align=right | 6.23% || align=right | 264 || align=right | 4.72%
|-
|'''Population''' || align=right | 5,900 || align=right | 100% || align=right | 5,426 || align=right | 100% || align=right | 5,589 || align=right | 100%
|}

==Transportation==
[[File:648, St. Moritz, 2014 (07).JPG|thumb|St. Moritz is a regional hub for trains and buses]]
St. Moritz is the [[List of highest railway stations in Switzerland|highest town]] in the country with a railway station. [[St. Moritz (Rhaetian Railway station)|St. Moritz railway station]] is situated in the centre of the town, near the lakeshore and at the bottom of ''Via Serlas''. It is operated by the [[Rhaetian Railway]], and is the terminus for [[Albula Railway|Albula]] and [[Bernina Railway|Bernina]] railway lines. The [[Glacier Express]] and [[Bernina Express]] trains stop at St. Moritz.

Near the railway station is an important [[PostBus Switzerland|Swiss PostBus]] stop.

The [[St. Moritz–Corviglia funicular]] links St. Moritz with the [[Corviglia|Corviglia summit and ski area]].

==In popular culture==
[[File:Foster St Moritz.jpg|thumb|[[Norman Foster]]'s Chesa Futura in St. Moritz]]
*Featured in the opening scenes of ''[[The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934 film)|The Man Who Knew Too Much]]'', a [[1934 in film|1934]] thriller directed by [[Alfred Hitchcock]].
*Mentioned in [[James Bond]] films: ''[[Goldfinger (film)|Goldfinger]]'' of [[1964 in film|1964]] and ''[[For Your Eyes Only (film)|For Your Eyes Only]]'' in [[1981 in film|1981]].
*Ski scenes from James Bond movies ''[[The Spy Who Loved Me (film)|The Spy Who Loved Me]]'' and ''[[A View to a Kill]]'' were filmed at St. Moritz although attributed to other locations in the dialogue.
*Mentioned in the 1969 [[Peter Sarstedt]] hit "[[Where Do You Go To (My Lovely)?]]," describing a Euro [[Jet set|jet-setter]] who flies to St. Moritz<!-- during the winter -->.
*Mentioned in the popular 1990 romantic thriller novel ''[[Memories of Midnight]]'', by [[Sidney Sheldon]], as a ski-resort where the characters of Catherine Alexander and Kirk Reynolds go for vacation.
*Location of Kars' hideout in ''[[JoJo's Bizarre Adventure]] [[List of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure volumes|Part 2: Battle Tendency]]''.
*Mentioned in the [[2004 in film|2004]] film, ''[[The Prince and Me]]''.
*Shown in an episode of ''[[Smallville]]''; where Lois Lane's sister is running from the mob.
*Shown in a first-season episode of ''[[Cheap Seats (TV series)|Cheap Seats]]''. The [[Sklar brothers]] riff an episode of ''[[Wide World of Sports (U.S. TV series)|Wide World of Sports]]'' from the 1960s which showcased horse racing on a frozen Lake St. Moritz.
*Mentioned in the 1990 novel, ''Public Secrets'', by [[Nora Roberts]], as a vacation getaway for character Emma McAvoy.
* Included in the list of ski resorts in the refrain from the Global Deejays remix of the Sound of San Francisco (Snow Radio) version: "[[Kitzbühel]], [[Schladming]], [[Ischgl]], [[St. Anton]], [[Zillertal]], [[Seiser Alm]], [[Kaprun]], [[Aspen, Colorado|Aspen]], [[Semmering (ski resort)|Semmering]], St. Moritz, [[Cortina d'Ampezzo|Cortina]], [[St. Johann in Tirol|St. Johann]], [[Mount Everest]], [[Rocky Mountains]]".
* Part of the Netflix movie [[Army of Thieves]].
*The place where [[Maurizio Gucci]] hides from the Italian police, and meets [[Paola Franchi]], his future girlfriend (2021 movie ''[[House of Gucci]]'', 2001 book ''The House of Gucci: A Sensational Story of Murder, Madness, Glamour, and Greed'', but also real-life events).

== Notable people ==
* [[Stavros Niarchos]] (1909–1996), Greek magnate; lived in St. Moritz
* [[Bibi Torriani]] (1911–1988), Swiss ice hockey player and coach, [[IIHF Hall of Fame]] inductee
* [[Digby Willoughby (bobsleigher)|Lieutenant Colonel Digby Willoughby]] MC MBE (1934–2007), soldier and sportsman, chief executive of the St. Moritz Tobogganing Club from 1978
* [[Günter Traub]] (born 1939), German speed skater; lives in St. Moritz
* [[Gian Franco Kasper]] (1944 in St. Moritz – 2021) a Swiss ski official and president of the [[International Ski Federation]] (FIS) from 1998 to 2021
* [[Clifton Wrottesley]] (born 1968), Irish sportsman and British peer; lives in St. Moritz
* [[Thomas Flohr]] (born 1969/1970), Swiss billionaire businessman, founder and chairman of [[VistaJet]]; lives in St. Moritz

==See also==
*[[Hotel St. Moritz]] in New York, named after the village
*[[Tourism in Switzerland]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|St. Moritz}}
{{Wikivoyage|Saint Moritz|St. Moritz}}
*{{official website|http://www.gemeinde-stmoritz.ch}}
*[http://www.stmoritz.ch St. Moritz Tourism]
*{{HDS|1543|author=Silvio Margadant|date=21 January 2011|rm=2664}}
*{{Cite EB1911|wstitle= St Moritz | volume= 24 |last= Coolidge |first= William Augustus Brevoort |author-link= W. A. B. Coolidge| page = 32 |short= 1}}

{{Municipalities of the Maloja Region}}
{{Engadin villages}}
{{Olympic Winter Games Host Cities}}
{{1928 Winter Olympic venues}}
{{1948 Winter Olympic venues}}
{{Olympic venues cross country skiing}}
{{Olympic venues in ice hockey}}
{{Olympic venues Nordic combined}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:S Moritz}}
[[Category:St. Moritz| ]]
[[Category:Venues of the 1928 Winter Olympics]]
[[Category:1940 Winter Olympics]]
[[Category:Venues of the 1948 Winter Olympics]]
[[Category:Cultural property of national significance in Graubünden]]
[[Category:Lakeside resorts in Switzerland]]
[[Category:Olympic cross-country skiing venues]]
[[Category:Olympic ice hockey venues]]
[[Category:Olympic Nordic combined venues]]
[[Category:Populated places on the Inn (river)]]
[[Category:Ski areas and resorts in Switzerland]]
[[Category:Spa towns in Switzerland]]
[[Category:Venues of the 2020 Winter Youth Olympics]]