Autumn may be just around the corner but there are still plenty of events to keep visitors to the Engadine valley entertained right up until the middle of October.

 

For sporty types, there are numerous competitions in which to either participate or simply spectate.  The Swiss Irontrail takes place over the weekend of 9 to 11 August; the longest and toughest trail starts from Pontresina and incorporates stunning mountain scenery as well as covering 201kms (approx 125 miles) of rocky terrain over three days - definitely not one for the feint-hearted!

 

The following week, from 14 to 18 August, the spectacular windsurfing and kite-surfing regatta called Engadinwind 2013 will be held on Lake Silvaplana, as will the Engadine windsurfing marathon, the largest and most traditional event of its type. The active may wish to take part, but - on account of the brightly coloured sails and the acrobatic nature of this sport - Engadinwind is equally enjoyable for the audience sitting lake-side.

 

The 12th Nationalpark Bike Marathon, giving mountain bikers a unique perspective of Switzerland's only national park, as well as that of the Italian Stelvio, is scheduled for 31 August.

 

For cultural visitors to the Engadine, the ever-popular Festival da Jazz continues till 11 August, with free Round Midnight Concerts taking place in the legendary Sunny Bar of the Kulm Hotel St. Moritz, swiftly followed by the 17th Celerina New Orleans Jazz Festival, which takes place over the weekend of 23 to 25 August. 

 

For those keen on the visual arts, the St. Moritz Art Masters from 23 August to 1 September is a "Walk of Art" that links various exhibition venues in and around the resort, including the Kulm Hotel St. Moritz, with art by regional, national and international artists, particularly Chinese this year, on display.  Guided tours take place daily and there will be a series of talks co-led by Hans Ulrich Obrist, Co-Director of the Serpentine Gallery in London. 

 

From 10 to 13 October, visitors can enjoy the magnificent colours of the Engadine's autumn leaves during the day and the dulcet tones of some great singers in the relaxed ambience of Pontresina in the evening during Voices on Top, which includes private concerts at Grand Hotel Kronenhof.  This year, Irish pop star Sinéad O'Connor tops the bill, alongside well-known Swiss act 77 Bombay Street, a family "boy" band and winner of a national talent contest.

 

Finally, St. Moritz has a treat in store for car enthusiasts, with the second staging of Passione Engadina, a meeting of vintage Italian motors dating to 1983, over the weekend of 23 to 25 August, when many of the cars and their drivers will be in residence at the Kulm Hotel St. Moritz.  The guest of honour at this year's event is Lamborghini, which is celebrating its 50th birthday in 2013.  Taking part in the races will be a rare Lamborghini Miura Targa, one of the fastest road cars ever created. 

To enjoy the Pontresina-based events, stay at Grand Hotel Kronenhof (www.kronenhof.com); rates start from CHF460 (approx £315) per night for two people sharing a double room including half-board.  Reservations can be made by phone on +41 81 830 3030 or via email reservations@kronenhof.com.

To enjoy the St. Moritz-based events, stay at the Kulm Hotel St. Moritz (www.kulm.com); rates start at CHF525 (approx £360) per night for two people sharing a double room including half-board. Reservations can be made by phone +41 (0) 81 836 80 00 or via email reservations@kulm.com.  

 

 

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Notes for editors

Grand Hotel Kronenhof, located in Pontresina, six miles from St. Moritz, offers the best of both worlds: the chance to enjoy the glitz of St. Moritz, while staying in a peaceful mountain village. 

 

Grand Hotel Kronenhof has a rich and interesting history, having first opened its doors in the first half of the 19th century as a guesthouse. However, the main part of the current building, which is a registered historical landmark, was built at the very end of the 19th century in Neo-Baroque style. The latest addition, completed in November 2007 and costing CHF 35 million (approximately £24 million), consists of 28 new guest rooms and a stunning spa complex covering more than 2000 square metres.

 

The spa is certainly one of the hotel's highlights and has been named "the best Alpine spa" (according to Tyler Brule writing in the FT, November 2009). Facilities include a 20m indoor infinity pool with counter-current system, a flotation pool with underwater music, a wide range of saunas and steam rooms, a luxurious private suite for couples to enjoy wraps and massages together, and - for the perfect final touch - a crackling log fire in the relaxation room.

 

Gourmet cuisine is also a speciality at the Grand Hotel Kronenhof. Awarded the title of GaultMillau Hotel of the Year in 2009, it has four restaurants (the formal Grand Restaurant in an elegant Neo-Baroque vaulted room, Gourmet Restaurant Kronenstübli - awarded a Michelin star in November 2011 and 17 GaultMillau points - serving international cuisine with a local flair, the traditional bowling lanes where Swiss raclette is served and the informal Le Pavillon for light lunches).

 

Finally, Grand Hotel Kronenhof is renowned for its extensive children's activities and facilities (a kids' playroom and Rondelle, a restaurant just for younger members of the family).

 

Recent awards for the Grand Hotel Kronenhof include Best Hotel in Switzerland 2013 according to TripAdvisor®, a TripAdvisor® Certificate of Excellence for the third year running in 2013, the HolidayCheck Award 2010-2013 (most popular hotel in Switzerland, four years in a row) and a place in a list of the top ten best holiday hotels in Switzerland compiled by renowned Swiss newspaper SonntagsZeitung and in a list of the top ten most welcoming luxury hotels in the country put together by Switzerland Tourism.

 

Previous awards include first place in the Best Of Swiss Gastro (gourmet category), GaultMillau Hotel of the Year 2008, the 'Bilanz' hoteliers of the year award presented to Heinz E. and Jenny Hunkeler in 2008, and a Michelin star for the Gourmet Restaurant 'Kronenstübli'.

Kulm Hotel St. Moritz was the first hotel to be built in St. Moritz. The Kulm Hotel opened its doors in 1856 and immediately became popular for summer spa and painting holidays, particularly among the British who comprised around 75% of the hotel guests. The owner of the Kulm Hotel, Johannes Badrutt, initiated winter holidays to St. Moritz from 1864.

 

Since the 19th century, the Kulm Hotel has changed considerably through expansion and renovation, but the fabulous location at the heart of St. Moritz with views over the Lake remains the same. A member of The Leading Hotels of the World, Kulm Hotel St. Moritz has 173 rooms, five restaurants (offering formal dining, French fine dining - the Gourmet-Restaurant the K awarded 15 points by GaultMillau, Italian, local Engadine specialities and Japanese with 13 GaultMillau points), the extensive  Kulm Spa St. Moritz (with a 20 m indoor pool with underwater music, various saunas and steam room, a Jacuzzi, a fully-equipped gym and treatment rooms, all with stunning views over Lake St. Moritz) and six conference rooms, with capacities ranging from 50 to 500 people.

 

Entertainment and sports facilities include the 9-hole Kulm Golf Course St. Moritz, three tennis courts, a natural ice rink, a curling field and the Marmotta Club for children. The Kulm Hotel St. Moritz is inextricably linked to the Cresta Run through the Sunny Bar, where tobogganing pilots have congregated for decades; the walls are lined with trophies and images of famous people who have hurled themselves down the infamous ice track.

 

Awards in 2013 for the Kulm Hotel St. Moritz include a place in a list of the top ten best holiday hotels in Switzerland compiled by renowned Swiss newspaper SonntagsZeitung and the top ten most welcoming luxury hotels in the country list put together by Switzerland Tourism.

 

In 2012, the Kulm Hotel's Gourmet Restaurant the K received 15 GaultMillau points and, in the latest ranking list of Switzerland's best winter hotels, Kulm Hotel St. Moritz ranked at number 4 in the category of five star hotels as 'one of the best managed and most excellent hotel in the Alps with immaculate consistency'.

 

Both the Kulm Hotel St. Moritz and its sister property Grand Hotel Kronenhof are owned by the Niarchos family.

 

For more information, please contact:
Sue Heady
Director
Heady Communications
T: 01608 651 692
M: 078 5595 0705
E: sue@headycommunications.com