UP, UP AND AWAY
I can’t believe it, this is another one to cross off my to do list. It’s amazing that I’ve come this far in my life, having travelled quite a lot and never been in a helicopter. I’m really excited about this, it’s not something I would have thought of doing here myself, so I’m really glad I’ve let the Ski Cool guys decide on activities for me. We arrive at the helicopter just in time to lift off. Swiss Helicopter have many tours to choose from, including taking you up on to the mountains for some off piste skiing. I’m on a scenic tour over St. Moritz. As we take off, I’m wearing headphones and listening to the pilot, who guides us during the trip. To be honest though, once in the air and over the mountains, the scenery is so breathtaking, it’s impossible for me to concentrate on the commentary. As we pass over some of the highest peaks, I can see skiers on the top of the mountains, the slopes are incredibly steep. We fly over the Bermina massif glacier and St. Moritz before coming back down to earth. This is a must-have experience, amazing! There’s no better way to see the vast array of mountains and lakes than from the air. I would have happily stayed up there for the rest of the day.
The Hotel
The Nira Alpina hotel is situated in the village of Surlej, five kilometres from St. Moritz. The hotel is unique in that it’s connected to the Corvatsch cable car station via a private walkway. You can ascend to the highest ski point in just fifteen minutes. In the summer, the adjoining cable car leads to spectacular high-altitude hiking and biking trails. The hotel isn’t just great for ski access though, it has a spa which offers organic spa treatments. For the kids, there’s a great club, where the kids can play while their parents ski. For kids who want to learn to ski, there’s also direct access onto the children’s slopes.
All of the rooms at the hotel are spacious and each one has a balcony with a view of the mountains.
The decor is modern and comfortable and the hotel was refurbished just 2 years ago. Each morning, I awake refreshed with the sun blazing on to my balcony. I discover the hotel bakery, which is full of temptation, but no, I won’t have a cupcake for breakfast, I’ll stick to a croissant. For dinner, I really like the menu at Stars bar and restaurant at the Nira Alpina.
Stars Bar and Restaurant
This evening, Ski Cool have arranged for me to have dinner at the hotel’s restaurant and I meet with Stephanie, the Director of Sales & Marketing for a pre-dinner aperitif. I’m keen to try out the menu, which is a mixture of Asian spices and flavours from around the world. Executive Chef Marek Wildenhain and his team have created an innovative menu with a focus on fresh seasonal foods and exotic flavours.
The Stars bar has lovely views of the mountains and is the perfect place to unwind after a long days ski. The hotel is very relaxing. Everything here is done very efficiently, but seems so friendly and effortless. I feel very much at home.
To start with, we have a selection of the Asian plates for sharing. The emphasis for this menu, Stephanie explains, is to encourage sharing.The food is beautifully presented and tastes just as good as it looks. For dessert, I’ve selected Baked Alaska with green tea ice cream and passion fruit.
Something I’ve never tried before arrives at the table, called a Choc o’Roll. And then another. The first is a large round slab of chocolate with a handle which shaves off a thin layer. You can keep going on this until it’s all gone! The second is a lemon flavoured white chocolate variation. I’m in chocolate heaven.
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