Christmas and New Year in the Engadin: a guide from Sils Maria

In the Engadin the Christmas markets are over by 20 December, the ski lifts above Sils open on 19 December, and the week from Christmas Eve to 1 January is peak season across the valley. Sils Maria is at 1,800 m at the head of the lakes, about 12 km by road from St. Moritz. This guide covers Christmas and New Year from the Schweizerhof, Sils Maria: the Sils and St. Moritz markets with 2026 dates, the village church 80 m from the hotel, what runs on 25 December and 1 January, sleigh rides into Val Fex, New Year's Eve in St. Moritz, and when to book.

Two Christmas markets: St. Moritz on 1 and 2 December, Sils on 20 December

In 2026 the St. Moritz Christmas market runs on two days only, Tuesday 1 and Wednesday 2 December, 16:00 to 20:00, on the Plazza Mauritius in the pedestrian zone, with regional food, handmade gifts and live music. Celerina follows on 5 December, Samedan on 6 December and Zuoz on 12 December.

The Silser Weihnachtsmarkt, Marcho da Nadel in Romansh, closes the series on Sunday 20 December 2026, 14:00 to 19:00, around the Dorfplatz in Sils Maria, the square in front of the hotel. Stalls sell handicrafts, decorations and local food, with punch and mulled wine. That afternoon there is a fairy-tale hour for children at 16:00, and at 19:30 the choirs Cor Viva, Viva Voice and Viva Kids sing in the Offene Kirche. The market and the concert are on the same day, so arrive by the afternoon of 20 December to see both.

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in Sils Maria

The Offene Kirche San Michael is the village church, at Via da Marias 96, 80 m from the hotel door. It dates from 1597 and is open every day from 06:00 to 23:00. The Reformed parish, refurmo Oberengadin, holds the Christmas Eve and Christmas Day services here; the 2026 times are published on refurmo.ch in December.

At the hotel, the Christmas package covers 21 to 26 December 2026 with a festive dinner on 25 December, a carriage ride into Val Fex and free public transport; prices and inclusions are on the Christmas package page. Half board is served in the Vuolp d'Or, the Arvenstube serves à la carte above the Fex gorge, and the Lounge Bar on level -1 has billiards for the evening; hours for all 3 are on the restaurants and bars page. The hotel's wellness area is closed for rebuilding until summer 2027; massages continue, and guests have free entry to the OVAVERVA pool and spa in St. Moritz instead.

What is open on 24, 25 and 26 December and 1 January

The lifts run. Corvatsch opens on 21 November 2026 from Surlej, and the Furtschellas cable car above Sils opens on 19 December 2026, first ascent 08:15, last descent 17:00, every day through the holidays. Corviglia above St. Moritz opens on 28 November. Corvatsch lights its Snow Night piste on Friday evenings, and in 2026/27 that includes 25 December and 1 January.

Buses and trains run on a holiday timetable on 24, 25 and 31 December and 1 January. Shops follow the usual Swiss pattern: open on the morning of 24 December, closed on 25 December, mostly open on 26 December, closed on 1 January. Restaurants take bookings for 24 and 25 December, and you need one.

All times here are approximate and given as a guide. Corvatsch sets its own operating times and adjusts them from season to season, so check the current details on corvatsch-diavolezza.ch before you go.

First ski days from the hotel door

The Schweizerhof is not ski-in, ski-out. The ski bus stops at the Dorfplatz directly in front of the hotel and takes 2 to 3 minutes to the Furtschellas valley station, which is 0.9 km away. From there Corvatsch-Furtschellas has 120 km of pistes, 14 lifts and a top station at 3,303 m, the highest in Graubünden. Furtschellas is the Sils side of the area, with a view onto the frozen Silsersee.

The hotel sells the Sleep+Ski pass at CHF 55 per person per day. It must cover every night of the stay and is valid across the Engadin St. Moritz region: 58 lifts, up to 88 pistes and 3 snow parks. Skis go in the ski room, opened with your room key, and boots dry overnight in the shoe room next door.

Sleigh rides into Val Fex

Val Fex starts at the edge of Sils Maria and is closed to private cars, so the way in is on foot, on skis or by horse-drawn sleigh. Two family firms, Coretti and Clalüna, run two-horse sleighs from the Dorfplatz. The ride takes 20 minutes to Fex Platta, 30 minutes to Fex Crasta with its church of Santa Margarita, and 50 minutes to Fex Curtins at the top of the valley.

Winter day fares for 1 to 4 people are about CHF 90 one way or CHF 140 return to Platta, and CHF 130 or CHF 240 to Curtins, each extra person from about CHF 20. A return fare includes a 2-hour stop; every further half hour costs about CHF 30. Night rides run on reservation only. Book a day ahead over Christmas. All prices here are approximate and given as a guide. Coretti and Clalüna set their own fares and adjust them from season to season, so check the current details on coretti.ch or claluena-sils.ch before you go.

29 December: the Sinfonia Engiadina concert and the lake walks

On 29 December 2026 the Sinfonia Engiadina plays in the Schulhaus Champsegl in Sils at 20:30: Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 24 with Szymon Nehring and Beethoven's Pastoral Symphony under Simon Gaudenz. Tickets start at about CHF 35, with presale from 20 November 2026, and the school is a few minutes on foot from the hotel.

By late December the Silsersee is usually frozen and the winter footpaths along it are open; the Chastè peninsula, 800 m from the hotel, is the shortest loop. Sunset comes before 17:00, so walk in the early afternoon.

New Year's Eve in St. Moritz, without fireworks

St. Moritz banned fireworks in June 2022 under Article 12 of its municipal police law, and the ban applies at the year change. Only sparklers and table fireworks are allowed, so there is no display over the lake. New Year's Eve in St. Moritz means dinners and gala evenings in hotels and restaurants, most of which sell out weeks ahead.

From Sils, the bus to St. Moritz takes about 20 to 25 minutes, and the night buses are included in your free transport, so you can go in for the evening without a car. Sils stays quiet, with dinner in the hotel and a walk to the lake before midnight. On 1 January the lifts open at their normal times and Corvatsch runs its Friday Snow Night again.

Free buses and trains from the second night

Every guest staying 2 consecutive nights or more between 1 November 2026 and 30 April 2027 gets ÖV-Inklusive: free 2nd-class travel on Engadin Bus, PostAuto, the Ortsbus St. Moritz and the Rhaetian Railway between Maloja, Cinuos-chel, Spinas and Alp Grüm on the Bernina line. It includes the night buses and your arrival and departure inside the zone, and children under 6 travel free. Cable cars are not included in winter, which is what the Sleep+Ski pass is for.

When to book

Rooms for Christmas week are the first to be fully booked. The days from 24 December to 1 January are the peak of the Engadin winter, and the Christmas package covers 21 to 26 December 2026 only. For a balcony room facing the valley or a table on 25 December, book in the autumn. Book Sinfonia tickets and sleighs early as well. Come and spend Christmas in the Engadin with us at the Schweizerhof, Sils Maria.

Schweizerhof, Sils Maria, a Faern Collection Hotel.

Questions guests ask

Is there a Christmas market in Sils Maria?

Yes. The Silser Weihnachtsmarkt is held on the Dorfplatz on Sunday 20 December 2026, 14:00 to 19:00, with a choir concert in the Offene Kirche at 19:30 the same evening.

Are there fireworks in St. Moritz on New Year's Eve?

No. Fireworks have been banned in St. Moritz since 2022; only sparklers and table fireworks are allowed.

Hero image: © Sils Tourismus