Davos & Klosters

One of the highest towns in the Alps and home of the World Economic Forum, with the Parsenn and Jakobshorn ski areas linking to Klosters, plus lovely summer hiking and lakes.

Davos and Klosters lie in the canton of Graubünden in southeastern Switzerland, strung along the Landwasser and Prättigau valleys. At around 1,560 m, Davos is one of the highest towns in the Alps. In the 19th century it was famous as a sanatorium resort for lung disease, providing the setting for Thomas Mann's The Magic Mountain, and today it hosts the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum. The town is split into Davos Dorf and Davos Platz, linked by the Promenade, the main street lined with hotels, shops, the Kirchner Museum and the Congress Centre. About 10 km to the north is quieter Klosters, a favourite ski spot of the British royal family. Winter (Dec–Apr) is ski season: the Parsenn area links Davos and Klosters from the Weissfluhjoch, and there are also the Jakobshorn, Rinerhorn, Pischa and Madrisa ski areas, along with Europe's largest natural ice rink and several toboggan runs; the Spengler Cup ice hockey tournament in late December is a big draw. Summer (Jul–Sep) is for hiking, mountain biking and lakes, and side valleys such as Sertig and Dischma preserve their traditional farmhouse scenery; some cable cars close in June and October. Getting there: from Zurich, take the train and change at Landquart onto the Rhaetian Railway, about 2.5 hours in total. Heading south via Filisur, you can see the Landwasser Viaduct and join the Albula line to Bergün and St. Moritz. Overnight guests usually receive the Davos Klosters guest card, which in summer gives free travel on local buses and some cable cars. Plan on 3–5 days; during the WEF annual meeting (late January) hotels are expensive and traffic is restricted.

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Itineraries