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St. Moritz is the plus ultra of winter glamour - a haven for
German and Italian aristocracy and the jet-setters who come in
February and March. Long a favorite of movie stars, it also attracts
internationally prominent people in politics, the world of finance,
and the arts. St. Moritz may well be the most fashionable resort in
the world.
On the southern side of the Alps in the Upper Engadine, at an
altitude of 1,800 Mts. (6,000 ft.), St. Moritz (San Murezza in
Romansh) was originally known for its mineral springs, which were
discovered, probably by the Celts, some 3,000 years ago. From Roman
times through the Middle Ages visitors came here in the summer to
experience the curative powers of the spring waters. The hamlet
first appears in written history in an official document referring
to the sale of the Upper Engadine by a count to the bishop of Chur
in 1138. It was first referred to as a spring by the Swiss-born
alchemist and physician known as Paracelsus. |
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