The Kulm Hotel St. Moritz has launched a new package that celebrates the exhilarating sport of kite surfing and its roots in the Engadine Valley. The Swiss Andrea Kuhn, runner-up world paragliding champion in 1987, is generally recognised as the first kite surfer in the world. It was he who first took off from the Corvatsch Glacier high above St. Moritz and, after a spectacular flight, touched down on Lake Sils before gracefully gliding across it as a kitesurfer.

Fantastic conditions – the majestic mountains, crisp air and, above all, the excellent side-onshore wind – have made the Engadine Valley a mecca for kite surfers ever since. The legendary Maloja wind always springs up with the precision of a Swiss watch just before noon, which is when colourful kites start to dart and dance across Lake Silvaplana. The thermal wind comes from the southwest and continues till sunset, providing a full afternoon’s kite surfing.

The Kulm Hotel St. Moritz’s three-night package gives guests a real chance of mastering this exciting watersport over a long weekend. Three mornings in a row – when there is a more gentle wind, before the Maloja picks up – participants will enjoy a private four-hour lesson with an instructor from the Swiss Kitesurf School (the first of its kind in the world with 18 years of experience).

During the first lesson, theory and a practical session learning to control the kite will take place on the kite surfers beach at Lake Silvaplana, then it’s out onto the lake where an instructor will provide coaching via a radio helmet, with a view to having participants proficient by the time they head home.

In the afternoons, guests are welcome to practise on their own, but it they’re already exhausted they might prefer to retire to the Kulm Spa St. Moritz for a little pampering, including – on one day – a 50-minute Kulm AktiVital massage to ease tired muscles. Alternatively, a stroll round the Kulm’s nine-hole golf course or a mountain hike or bike ride might appeal.

The Kulm Hotel St. Moritz’s Kite Surf Weekend package includes:
– Three nights’ half-board accommodation (dinner each night in a different restaurant at the hotel – The Pizzeria, Chesa al Parc & Grand Restaurant)
– Three four-hour private kite surfing lessons
– Use of all kite surfing equipment
– Transfers to/from kite surfing school at Silvaplana
– Use of the Kulm Spa St. Moritz, Kulm Golf St. Moritz & Kulm tennis courts for the duration of the weekend
– One 50-minute Kulm AktiVital massage
– Unlimited use of all open mountain railways in the Engadine/St. Moritz area

The package costs from CHF 2590 (approx £2000) per person sharing a double room and is valid till 4 September 2016.