Like a Fairy Tale - White Turf
In 1907, an exclusive international event took place on Lake St. Moritz for the first time. Now, carried out every year, White Turf is one of Switzerland’s top events. Horses and jockeys from all corners of the globe compete on the frozen lake. It’s a place to enjoy a stroll, clink glasses with friends and acquaintances, to see and be seen a small, elegant world filled with energy, passion and leisure.
Everything has its own rhythm. There is a time for everything. Day turns to night. The earth circles the sun. Autumn turns into winter. High tide follows low tide. Similarly, the racing days at White Turf in St. Moritz enjoy their own rhyhm. It changes every half hour. At every full and every half hour, hundreds of visitors pour out of the VIP tents and relocate to the grandstands or the rails of the racecourse. Jockeys warm up with their horses. Bets are made. Tension rises. Shortly before the start you can hear a pin drop. The opening of the start boxes unleashes untamed energy. A murmur goes through the stands. At the rails, spectators cheer on the jockeys and their horses. Jubilation breaks out. The winner is named. Then, everyone returns to the tents. Laughter, chatter and clinking of champagne glasses abounds. And then, again, everyone pours out of the VIP tents and returns to the rails of the racecourse.
Everything has its own rhythm. There is a time for everything. Day turns to night. For guests at the Carlton Hotel St. Moritz, night becomes a fairy-tale experience. Each of the 60 suites faces south with a view of the lake. The evening sky over the opposite mountain range is turning violet and orange, and from the window you can observe last-minute preparations for White Turf on the frozen lake. Each suite is decorated in a different way, colourfully and in a wide range of fabrics. Chic and dreamy, entirely in agreement with the distinctive style of the designer, Carlo Rampazzi. His motto is: when on vacation, if you expect the same drab interior as at home, why not stay home in the first place? However, if you decide to take time out at a five-star hotel, you should be enchanted and feel the magic. Like in a fairy tale, time to feel like a king or queen.
Related Stories
After Bern and Lucerne, thirst and the desire to discover the local delicacies have brought our editor to Basel. Situated at the so-called Rhine knee, the sublime Grand Hotel Les Trois Rois proved to be a comfortable starting point for liquid adventures and the search for top-shelf cocktail establishments.
Discover more
The railway station in Zweisimmen in the Bernese Oberland only has seven platforms, yet a group of strikingly elegantly dressed winter travellers have gathered here. A designer from New York in a shiny brown fur blouson approaches us to make sure he’s in the right place – does the train to Gstaad leave from here?
Discover more
Why head out on a walk, embark on a hike or go running in Montreux? Because your dopamine will thank you! Being outdoors in the Swiss Riviera offers the perfect way to do some sightseeing, complete with a bit of light training, or a hard session – depending on what kind of activity you are looking for. On top of that, you’ll also feel instantly happier. Here are my favourite spots:
Discover more
Thousands of tiny golden leaves and dots are shining in the sun. I notice them even before I see the famous yellow stores above the balconies upon arriving at the Fairmont Le Montreux Palace.
Discover more
Shall we call it the crème de la crème, or does the spa world deserve its own seal of excellence? There are various reasons I hadn’t yet made it to the Bürgenstock Resort Lake Lucerne, with its breathtaking views and beautiful spa. But this only proved that good things are worth the wait, and that sometimes, reality exceeds expectations.
Discover more
A museum for the ears, trekking with llamas, saunas on Lake Zurich, world-class design and, of course, plenty of culinary highlights: discover four popular Swiss destinations from a different perspective with the travel guide from our food author Alexander Kühn - and enjoy the comfort of five Swiss deluxe hotels!
Discover more
The unthinkable happened: my favourite Thai restaurant in Zurich closed down. Actually, it was just a humble Thai shop/takeaway cooking a most yummy lunch. Communal tables, colourful cushions, exotic fruit and silly crackers lying around, a big altar praising His Majesty King Chulalongkorn, you know.
Discover more