Lake St. Moritz (German: ''St. Moritzersee'', Romansh: ''Lej da San Murezzan'') is a
lake
A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much large ...
at
St. Moritz
St. Moritz (also german: Sankt Moritz, rm, , it, San Maurizio, french: Saint-Moritz) is a high Alpine resort town in the Engadine in Switzerland, at an elevation of about above sea level. It is Upper Engadine's major town and a municipality in ...
,
Switzerland
). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
. With a surface of 0.78 km², it is smaller than the main lakes of the Upper
Engadin valley (
Lake Sils,
Lake Silvaplana
Lake Silvaplana (german: Silvaplanersee; rm, Lej da Silvaplauna) is a lake in the Upper-Engadine valley of Grisons, Switzerland. It takes its name from the village of Silvaplana. The lake is also connected to the nearby Lej da Champfèr. Together ...
).
Every January or early February, Polo matches are held on the lake. Compared to
polo
Polo is a ball game played on horseback, a traditional field sport and one of the world's oldest known team sports. The game is played by two opposing teams with the objective of scoring using a long-handled wooden mallet to hit a small hard ...
played in the summer, a slightly larger and lighter red ball is used that is easily visible in the snow.
For three weekends every February,
horse races
Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic p ...
are held on the frozen lake. These races called "White Turf" have been held since 1907 and brings the wealthy tourists to the lake for champagne and betting. This is also the location, where sports enthusiasts invented the sport of
skijoring
Skijoring (pronounced ) (Skijouring in British English) is a winter sport in which a person on skis is pulled by a horse, a dog (or dogs), another animal, or a motor vehicle. The name is derived from the Norwegian word ''skikjøring'', meaning "s ...
. In this type of race, thoroughbred horses compete without riders on their backs, but instead skiers in tow. While the sport is also played in other alpine countries, it still is mainly found in the region in which it as originated. The sport has evolved since the first race in 1906; the race as held on the road from
St. Moritz
St. Moritz (also german: Sankt Moritz, rm, , it, San Maurizio, french: Saint-Moritz) is a high Alpine resort town in the Engadine in Switzerland, at an elevation of about above sea level. It is Upper Engadine's major town and a municipality in ...
to
Champfer and as won by the President of Alpina Ski Club Philip Mark and his horse Blitz (German for lightning). Today, the race is run similar to other horse races, with all horses starting at the same time and running around the track. Steering is very difficult complicating the race significantly requiring great strength and skill on behalf of the athletes. The skier with the most points after the three races on consecutive Sundays is crowned the "King of the Engadin Valley". In addition to skijoring, traditional flat and trotting races over different distances are held. Until recently visitor parking was also located on the lake, but this practice has since been prohibited.
The first cricket tournament on the frozen lake took place in 1988.
English cricketer
David Gower parked his rental car on the ice in January 1990; overnight it broke through the ice and sank.
Gallery
File:Lake St. Moritz in winter.jpg, A view of Lake St. Moritz in winter 2013, Switzerland
File:Lake St. Moritz and St. Moritz town.jpg, Frozen Lake St. Moritz and St. Moritz town in winter
File:Lake St. Moritz and St. Moritz town in Switzerland.jpg, A view of St. Moritz from frozen Lake St. Moritz
See also
*
Engadine Line
The Engadine Line is an over long strike-slip fault in the Swiss canton of Graubünden, which extends into Italy and Austria. It runs along the Engadine Valley (which formed on the fault) and the Bregaglia Valley and offsets Austroalpine and P ...
*
List of lakes of Switzerland
*
List of mountain lakes of Switzerland
This is a list of high-altitude lakes in Switzerland. It includes all significant lakes, natural or artificial, with an area over 4 hectares and a height over 800 metres above sea level. This height approximately corresponds to the transiti ...
References
External links
Waterlevels of Lake St. Moritz
*
White Turf Horse RacesPictures from events on the lake St. MoritzCricket on Ice Trophy.Ice Cricket Challenge.
Lakes of Graubünden
Engadin
St. Moritz
St. Moritz (also german: Sankt Moritz, rm, , it, San Maurizio, french: Saint-Moritz) is a high Alpine resort town in the Engadine in Switzerland, at an elevation of about above sea level. It is Upper Engadine's major town and a municipality in ...
St. Moritz
{{Graubünden-lake-stub