Chur - Saint Moritz

Route: Vaduz - Chur - Saint Moritz - Vaduz
Duration: 9 h
Our first stop will be at Chur. With a settlement history of over 5000 years, Chur is the oldest city in Switzerland and the picturesque old town is considered one of the most fully preserved in the country. You will discover its sights during a leisurely stroll through the winding alleyways. Especially worth seeing are the episcopal palace, the Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption, and the superbly preserved buildings in the old town. Numerous boutiques, restaurants, bars, museums, and galleries, as well as regular markets and events, ensure the traffic-free old town has an almost Mediterranean charm. Chur offers a broad culinary range of Graubunden delicacies - with its own wine, alpine source water from every tap, Bündner specialities and international dishes served at its 130 restaurants. Over 500 shops and stores offer produce and wares from all over Graubunden. Also Chur's history of wine-growing reaches back 2000 years. It was the Romans who brought vines from southern Europe to the province of Rhaetia. Documents from the 12th to the 14th century are evidence that the vines were thriving throughout the Middle Ages and that there were extensive vineyards at the foot of Calanda. Next stop will be at the St. Moritz which is the world’s oldest ski resort, opened in 1864. It is located in the Swiss Alps, in the Upper Engadine region, at an altitude of 1.856 metres. Due to its elegance, exclusivity, innovation and its cosmopolitan atmosphere, St. Moritz is one of the world’s most famous ski resorts. It offers an attractive mixture of nature, sport, activity, culture and rest. More than 3.500 years ago a spring of therapeutic waters was discovered in the Alps, it was registered for the first time in the year 1.466 A.C. During the Middle Ages the healing waters were visited during the summer months. A church was built near the spring, and in the year 1519 Pope Leo X promised full acquittal to everyone who made a pilgrimage to the spring. In the year 1535 the great doctor Paracelsus spent a long period studying the curative properties of water, while residing in St. Moritz. Little by little, with the passing of years, the number of visitors has increased and some people started to build their housing in the surrounding areas. In the year 1830 St. Moritz had 200 inhabitants. The pioneers who built the first hotels and establishments have entered the history of tourism on numerous occasions. At first it was a summer holiday destination, till 1864, when the hotelier Johannes Badrutt challenged four of his clients to go back in the winter. If they liked St. Moritz in winter, all of them would receive all-expense-paid holiday during all the time they wanted. The customers were amazed discovering that the climate in the Swiss Alps during winter was more sunny than they expected, and besides they could enjoy a breathtaking and majestic snowy landscape never seen before. It was the beginning of St. Moritz as winter tourist destination, and since then its popularity has only increased. St. Moritz had the honour of being the host of the Winter Olympics Games in the years 1928 and 1948. It is a very outstanding enclave in the world of sports, where 4 Alpine Ski World Cups, more than 40 Bobsleigh World Cups, approximately 40 Engadine Ski Marathons, about 30 Windsurfing Marathons in Engadine, various Sailing World Championships and a great number of sport events have already been held.  During the tour you will see: Segantini Museum, Leaning Tower, Bronze bust of Johannes Badrutt, St. Moritz church , Bylandt Fountain, Mauritius Fountain, Chesa Futura and more. After we will return to Vaduz.
Price: Per person