Polo played at altitude on a metre of ice, in a town that has been doing improbable things in winter for a century and a half
Snow Polo St Moritz: Three Days on a Frozen Lake
What Makes It Different
It should not work and it does. The lake freezes hard enough to carry horses, spectators and a marquee, the snow gives the ponies grip, and the setting — mountains on every side, a town on the shore — makes it the most photographed polo of the year.
It also sits inside a St Moritz winter season that includes the Cresta Run, White Turf horse racing on the same lake and a hotel scene with very few equals.
Where to Start
- Treat it as a week, not a match — the polo is three days inside a season worth more than that
- Book St Moritz early — January is peak, and the good hotels are committed the previous spring
- Dress for the lake — it is an outdoor event on ice at 1,800 metres
- Plan the arrival — the valley is reached by mountain pass or by rail from Zurich
Arrange It With Perfect.Live
Tell us when you are in the Engadin and we will build the week around the lake
The Week Around the Polo
White Turf racing runs on the same frozen lake, the Cresta Run is a few minutes away, and the Engadin winter season fills everything between them.
For most of our members the polo is the anchor rather than the whole trip, which is why the week is built first and the match tickets second.
How We Help
- Hospitality on the lake
- A hotel in a town that fills a year ahead
- The rest of the Engadin season arranged around the polo
- Transfers from Zurich that account for a valley reached by mountain pass
Frequently Asked Questions
Over three days each January, on the frozen lake at St Moritz.
The ice is measured and the event has run for decades. It carries horses, spectators and structures.
White Turf racing on the same lake, the Cresta Run and the full Engadin winter season.
Via Zurich, then by road or by the Rhaetian Railway through the mountains.
Serious winter clothing. It is an outdoor event on ice at altitude.
A red ball, studded horseshoes and a shorter pitch on snow. The game is faster to follow and the ponies work harder.
Close to a year for the hotels. January is the peak of the Engadin season and the good rooms are committed early.
