Lake St. Moritz Monastery
Alpine lake in St. Moritz hosting winter events
Above the town of St. Moritz in Grisons, Lake St. Moritz sits below alpine slopes where seasonal regattas, winter ice events and lakeside promenades draw visitors for boating, walking and hotel terraces.
Lake St. Moritz at a Glance#
Address: St. Moritzsee (Lake St. Moritz), 7500 St. Moritz, Canton of Graubünden, Switzerland
Website: https://www.stmoritz.ch
Hours: Always open (outdoor public lake)
Admission: Free
About Lake St. Moritz#
Lake St. Moritz is a small alpine lake in the Engadin valley, adjacent to the spa and resort town of St. Moritz in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. The lake and its shoreline are integral to the town’s tourist facilities and events calendar.
The frozen lake surface is used in winter for high-profile sport and social events and as a groomed flat area for seasonal activities; in summer the waters and surrounding promenades are used for walks and leisure. Hotels and promenades line parts of the shore and there are short lakeside walking routes.
The lake sits within the urban area of St. Moritz, surrounded by alpine slopes and resort infrastructure; the town itself is the nearest centre for accommodation and visitor services, and the lake is easily reached on foot from the town’s hotels and public spaces.
- Winter events: In winter the lake regularly freezes and is used as a temporary surface for organised events such as horse racing, polo and other ice-sports during scheduled festivals.
How to Get to Lake St. Moritz#
From St. Moritz town center the lake is a 10-15 minute walk (follow Via Serlas/Promenade). By rail, St. Moritz Bahnhof is the nearest major stop on the Rhaetian Railway; taxis and local buses serve the lakeside. Driving: follow Kantonsstrasse through St. Moritz and look for signs to the Promenade/Seepromenade.
Tips for Visiting Lake St. Moritz#
- If visiting in February, check the White Turf horse-racing schedule (three Sundays in February) - the lake turns into a racetrack and the atmosphere is one-of-a-kind.
- Approach the lake from the east side for the best view of the frozen surface and the town silhouette; park-and-walk from St. Moritz Bahnhof is 10-15 minutes.
- In summer, look for the marks of long-booted fishermen on the south shore; they still use the same piers that mattered in the 19th century.
Best Time to Visit Lake St. Moritz#
Best visited in winter for the arresting spectacle of events on the frozen surface, summer for calm water and walking.
Weather & Climate near Lake St. Moritz#
Lake St. Moritz's climate is classified as Subarctic - Subarctic climate with cool summers (peaking in July) and freezing winters (coldest in January). Temperatures range from -14°C to 17°C. Moderate rainfall (825 mm/year).
| Month | Comfort | Temp | Feels | Rain | Sky | Humidity | Wind | UV | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Poor | -14° - -2° | -13° | 41 mm | partly cloudy | 87% | 2.4 m/s | 0.2 low | 8.9h |
| February | Poor | -14° - 0° | -12° | 29 mm | partly cloudy | 89% | 2.5 m/s | 0.3 low | 10.2h |
| March | Poor | -9° - 2° | -7° | 41 mm | partly cloudy | 90% | 2.8 m/s | 0.7 moderate | 11.8h |
| April | Poor | -5° - 5° | -3° | 56 mm | overcast | 84% | 2.8 m/s | 1.0 high | 13.4h |
| May | Acceptable | 0° - 11° | 3° | 81 mm | overcast | 80% | 2.6 m/s | 1.3 high | 14.8h |
| June | Poor | 3° - 15° | 7° | 100 mm | overcast | 77% | 2.5 m/s | 1.7 very high | 15.6h |
| July | Good | 4° - 17° | 11° | 99 mm | partly cloudy | 77% | 2.5 m/s | 1.7 very high | 15.2h |
| August | Good | 4° - 17° | 11° | 105 mm | partly cloudy | 79% | 2.3 m/s | 1.4 high | 14.0h |
| September | Acceptable | 1° - 14° | 6° | 90 mm | partly cloudy | 81% | 2.4 m/s | 1.0 moderate | 12.4h |
| October | Acceptable | -3° - 9° | 1° | 81 mm | partly cloudy | 83% | 2.4 m/s | 0.5 low | 10.7h |
| November | Poor | -8° - 3° | -6° | 60 mm | partly cloudy | 87% | 2.4 m/s | 0.2 low | 9.3h |
| December | Poor | -13° - -1° | -11° | 42 mm | partly cloudy | 87% | 2.4 m/s | 0.1 low | 8.5h |
