Nestled in Switzerland’s picturesque Engadin Valley, the town of St. Moritz is best known for its status as a legendary alpine resort with world-class ski hills, scenic lake views, and après glamour. The town has been a favorite destination among cultural icons for over 150 years, with past visitors including Audrey Hepburn, Coco Chanel, and Alfred Hitchcock.
As much as St. Moritz’s history is steeped in ski and winter sport culture, there’s a parallel legacy of art and culture which can be found there. St. Moritz and the surrounding landscapes of the Engadin region have long inspired artists and thinkers like Giovanni and Alberto Giacometti and Friedrich Nietzsche, as well as contemporary artists like Jean-Michel Basquiat, Gerhard Richter, and Julian Schnabel. Legendary arts dealer Bruno Bischofberger opened the town’s first gallery in 1963, but the area’s art-world notoriety is still going strong today.
Whether you’re seeking an arts-infused respite from the slopes or you’re exploring St. Moritz as a cultural destination in its own right, you’ll be rewarded with galleries, arts and design events, and design-forward stays. Here are our favorites.
The boutique traveling design fair NOMAD gathers gallerists, artists, designers, and art enthusiasts to St. Moritz (the picturesque town is its flagship location). Visitors can explore NOMAD’s showcase of collectible design and contemporary art, with the fair acting as a platform for conversations centering design, landscape, art, and architecture. This winter, the ninth edition of NOMAD will return to St. Moritz from February 12 to 15, 2026. The event will be hosted in the renovated Villa Beaulieu, a former wellness clinic called Klinik Gut. The space is to be reimagined for exhibitions as “more spacious, still central, and with extraordinary panoramic views,” according to Nicolas Bellavance-Lecompte, cofounder and director of NOMAD.
Alvaro Barrington spoke with Hans Ulrich Obrist about art as an encounter shaped by personal history, culture, and community.
With his strong artistic presence in St. Moritz, Vito Schnabel’s gallery has exhibited works from both established and emerging contemporary artists. “Over the last ten years since we inaugurated our space here, more and more galleries have opened, and there are now art fairs and other art events throughout the busy season,” says Schnabel. “While there is a much bigger audience now, it’s still very much a small-town feel.”
This dome-shaped building is home to the works of Giovanni Segantini, a prolific 19th-century painter who worked in the area and often painted outdoors, bringing his equipment and supplies high into the mountains. The building was designed by St. Moritz architect Nicolaus Hartmann specifically to house this artist’s works, including the impressive and unfinished triptych “Life – Nature – Death.” Segantini is known for his Alpine landscapes and use of divisionism, which infuses his paintings with a captivating luminosity that’s best experienced in person.
While not technically located in St. Moritz but just outside it, in the surrounding Engadin Valley, those interested in contemporary art would be remiss not to venture to Muzeum Susch. On the grounds of a former monastery within the tiny Alpine town of Susch, the museum was founded by Polish entrepreneur and art collector Grażyna Kulczyk with a focus on contemporary art from women artists and site-specific installations.
Starting December 13, 2025, the museum will open an exhibition of the work of Croatian artist Edita Schubert, who worked across sculpture, performance, and installation. The exhibition, “Profusion,” will be the first major retrospective of the artist’s work outside of Croatia, and will include her installation work, self-portraits, and more.
Hotels are also playing into the city’s artistic side. Grace La Margna is a relative newcomer on the St. Moritz hotel scene, reopening in 2023 as the newest hotel in the town in 50 years. Grace La Margna brings a contemporary sensibility to the historic Art Nouveau property dating back to 1906 with a modern wing, featuring interiors that are a marked shift from the old-school ornate and period-style decor common throughout the area. Instead, Grace La Margna brings in elevated furnishings, natural materials such as limestone and granite, and an airy, neutral color palette through contemporary design from Divercity Architects in collaboration with London-based interior designer Carole Topin.
Just outside of St. Moritz, at the arts-focused Hotel Castell Zuoz, guests can explore the art-filled hallways of this castle-esque hotel, which reopens for the winter season on December 13, 2025. The historic space puts art in the spotlight, with an abundance of work that can be discovered simply by wandering through the sprawling property.
The hotel’s charming rooms feature interior design from Ben van Berkel and Caroline Bos of Amsterdam’s UNStudio, or aromatic Swiss pine design by St. Moritz architect Hans-Jörg Ruch. The Red Bar from Zurich architect Gabrielle Hächler and artist Pipilotti Rist is ideal for a late-night glass after a day on the mountains. Downstairs at Castell Zuoz, a hammam infused with glowy, ombré light is a transportive destination to relax and recharge.
