Monday, September 13, 2010

Ski High Altitude Society


Gstaad, in Switzerland, is perhaps more famous for its international high society than for it’s skiing. It’s located in the German-speaking section of the Canton of Berne in the southwestern part of the country. Valentino has a house there, as did the Buckley’s. King Juan Carlos of Spain famously broke his pelvis there. He broke it skiing.

Cortina, or more precisely Cortina d'Ampezzo, nestled in the Dolomites in the Italian Alps, is another famous ski destination known for its après-ski scene. The town hosted the 1956 Winter Olympics and was used in a scene from the James Bond picture, For Your Eyes Only.

St. Moritz, in Switzerland, is arguably more famous, if a bit more common. One of the oldest ski resorts in Europe, it hosted the Winter Olympics in both 1928 and 1948. It is also home to the Cartier Polo World Cup on Snow; an annual high-goal tournament featuring many of the world's finest teams. The tournament lasts four days and is played on a specially marked field located on a frozen lake.

Megève, in France, started its development as a ski resort in the 1910s when the Rothschild family started to spend their winter vacations there after becoming disenchanted with St. Moritz. In 1921, Baronne Noémie de Rothschild opened a hotel which boosted the resort's development. By the 1950s Megève was one of the most popular ski resorts in Europe, and was featured in the opening scenes of Charade with Audrey Hepburn, where her character meets Cary Grant.

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