Innovative and Quirky – a Picture of St. Moritz

Mention St. Moritz, and most people probably think of the rich and famous staying at the renowned “Badrutt’s Palace”, the sailing regattas on Lake St. Moritz in summer, or the polo matches played on its frozen surface in winter.

However, a picture postcard from the holdings of the Rhaetian Museum reveals more – namely the true cradle of winter tourism in St. Moritz. The card shows the “Kulm”, established by legendary hotelier Johannes Badrutt, who allegedly made a bet with his English summer guests in 1864, claiming they would enjoy spending winter in St. Moritz. He won the bet, winter tourism became established, and the “Kulm” turned into a hotspot that shaped the history of both hotels and sports. It was here that Switzerland’s very first electric light was switched on in 1879. And the hotel's park, with curling and ice-skating rinks, served as the main venue for the 1928 and 1948 Winter Olympics.

If the picture postcard, dating from 1919, gives the impression something is amiss, rest assured – the church tower on the right of the image is indeed leaning. Even as early as the 19th century, the tower of the former Church of Saint Maurice was tilting toward the valley. Over time, the tilt increased to the point where today, with a leaning angle of 5.5 degrees, it is considered one of the most tilted towers in the world.