Arosa is a great favorite of mine. A village in the Engadine, nestled in a remote Alpine valley at an altitude of 6,000 feet, reachable only by mountain railway or by a fairly harrowing, narrow and curvy mountain road, it provides an ideal setting for both summer and winter vacations. The summers provide opportunities for long hikes with superb vistas along the way or, if one is so minded, a number of climbs of varying levels of difficulty can be undertaken. There are the usual tennis courts and swimming pools and an active nightlife at the hotels. In winter there are fine ski slopes, two ice rinks, sledding paths and not too difficult walks on well cleared paths. The Kulm has the perfect location, right at the foot of the main ski slope. One can literally step out the front door, snap on one's skis and ski to the bottom of the lift. The hotel is a grand old lady, with its origins in the nineteenth century. It has been thoroughly modernized and given a new, unfortunately rather prosaic, facade. The public rooms are comfortable, the bedrooms vary in size from the average to the vast, depending on price. There is an elaborate spa with a sauna and an indoor pool. The hotel has no fewer than five restaurants. It's of course pricey. In summer the minimum daily rate for a double with breakfast is $300, in winter that goes up to $500. Consider that, with meals on top of that, this is probably what you'd expect to pay for a week long cruise on one of the luxury lines these days.
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