THE EVENT
The St. Moritz Polo World Cup on Snow takes place every year over four days at the end of January. More than 15,000 spectators attend as well as some of the world’s top polo players. British cavalry officers first played polo there in 1899 when they marked out a field in St. Moritz-Bad, but the modern incarnation has been played on the frozen Lake St. Moritz since 1985.
ARRIVAL
Fly into Kloten Airport in Zurich and it’s three hours by train to St. Moritz. The views are amazing as you wind slowly up through the mountains.
ATMOSPHERE
The backdrop of the mountains is absolutely stunning. There’s a great carnival-like atmosphere as everyone descends onto the frozen lake for the matches.
DINE
There are so many swanky restaurants in St. Moritz, but the best place to eat is up the mountain – the traditional ‘rösti’ (fried potato pancake) and a big sausage does the trick!
AFTER DARK
Dracula’s Ghost Rider’s Club is the number-one spot, more commonly known as ‘Dracs’. It’s a private members club with a strict rule of no filming or photography inside its vaults. Established in 1974, it is located in the Kulm Hotel. Members have their own engraved goblets.
RUB SHOULDERS WITH
Michael Schumacher was there, as well as Nacho Figueres, the polo player and Ralph Lauren model.
STAY
We had an amazing gala dinner at the Kempinski Grand Hotel des Bains, which is the social hub for the whole weekend.
MUST-DO
You can’t go to St. Moritz without attempting the Cresta Run – it’s an icy trough that you toboggan down, face-first at more than 50 mph. It is approximately three-quarters of a mile long with a drop of over 500 feet – and it definitely separates the men from the boys!
www.polostmoritz.com
March 14, 2013
VIP: St. Moritz Polo World Cup on Snow
by DOTW News
Tom Hudson, co-founder of British Polo Day, gives us an insider’s guide to the St Moritz Polo World Cup on Snow