Dec. 19, 2020 8:00 am ET
ST. MORITZ, Switzerland Rainer Pototschnig just wanted to go skiing. This year, his choice was Switzerland or Switzerland.
All other countries around the Alps are closed for ski tourism because of the Covid-19 pandemic, so the 46-year-old from Vienna, Austria, got up at 3 a.m. on a recent morning and drove eight hours with his girlfriend to reach this upscale Swiss resort. The couple stayed in a hotel and avoided crowds while skiing.
“I thought this out. I didn’t just get in the car and start driving,” said Mr. Pototschnig, who works in advertising and made the ski weekend his girlfriend’s Christmas gift. “Skiing can be safe if you avoid the partying,” he said.