Page "St. Moritz" Paragraph 6

Although it received some visitors during the summer, the origins of the winter resort only date back to September 1864, when St. Moritz hotel pioneer, Johannes Badrutt, made a wager with four British summer guests: that they should return in winter and if it was not to their liking, he would pay for the cost of their journey from London and back.

If they found St. Moritz attractive in winter, he would invite them to stay as his guests for as long as they wished.

This marked not only the start of winter tourism in St. Moritz but the start of winter tourism in the whole of the Alps.

The first tourist office in Switzerland was established the same year in the town.

St. Moritz developed rapidly in the late nineteenth century and the first electric light in Switzerland was installed in 1878 at the Kulm Hotel and the first curling tournament on the continent held in 1880.

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 and by 1896 St. Moritz became the first town in the Alps to install electric trams and opened the Palace Hotel.

In 1906, a horse race was held on snow ( 1906 ) and on the frozen lake ( 1907 ).

The first ski school in Switzerland was established in St. Moritz in 1929.