Davos travel guide

Why visit Davos

At 1,560 metres above sea level, Davos holds the title of the highest town in Europe — a fact that immediately explains both its historical significance and its enduring appeal. The altitude drew tuberculosis patients in the 19th century, when the combination of clean air, strong sunshine, and dry mountain climate was understood (correctly) to be beneficial for respiratory illness. Grand sanatoriums were built; writers and intellectuals followed. Thomas Mann set The Magic Mountain here, and the atmosphere of a place simultaneously removed from normal life and intensely focused on the human condition still clings to the long valley in ways that most ski resorts never develop.

Today Davos is perhaps better known outside Switzerland for the World Economic Forum — the annual gathering of global political and business leaders that occupies the resort every January and generates extraordinary security and media attention. But this association, while real, tells only a fraction of the story. The skiing at Parsenn is genuinely world-class — one of the largest and most varied ski areas in Switzerland, with runs descending to several different valley villages across an enormous connected terrain. The summer hiking is excellent. The lake at the centre of the town is a hub of activity from kayaking to sailing in summer and curling and ice-skating in winter.

Davos is a longer, more linear town than the classic circular resort village and can feel less immediately atmospheric than Zermatt or St. Moritz. But it has a depth of character — the literary and intellectual heritage, the sanatorium architecture, the sense of a real working community above the resort layer — that rewards visitors who look beneath the surface.

Getting to Davos

By train

The train from Zurich to Davos Platz takes approximately 2 hours 20 minutes via Landquart, where the Rhaetian Railway’s narrow-gauge line begins its dramatic ascent of the Prättigau valley. The route is scenic and the Rhaetian Railway network is one of the most beautiful in the Alps. The Swiss Travel Pass covers this route.

From St. Moritz, the journey via Filisur and the Albula Railway takes about 1 hour 45 minutes — a spectacular route through the Albula Tunnel and across the famous Landwasser Viaduct.

By car

From Zurich, the drive takes about 1 hour 40 minutes via the A3 motorway and the Prättigau valley road. The valley road is kept clear of snow in winter but can be slow in heavy snowfall.

Getting around

Davos sprawls along a 5-kilometre valley, with Davos Dorf at the northern end (closer to the Parsenn funicular and several ski areas) and Davos Platz at the southern end (the town centre, train station, and lake). A frequent local bus connects the two ends and the various ski lift departure points. The ski bus is free with a valid lift pass.

Top things to do in Davos

Skiing at Parsenn

The Parsenn ski area — accessed by the Parsennbahn funicular from Davos Dorf and by lifts from the Weissfluhgipfel — is one of the great ski experiences in Switzerland. The terrain extends over a massive area from the Weissfluh summit at 2,844 metres down to the Küblis valley at 830 metres — a vertical drop of over 2,000 metres on the famous Wang run, making it one of the longest ski runs in the Alps.

The Parsenn connects with the neighbouring resort of Klosters (beloved of the British royal family for decades) via the Gotschnagrat, creating a combined ski area of exceptional variety. For intermediate and advanced skiers, the Parsenn terrain is superb: wide, open pistes at altitude, dramatic ridge routes, and the long valley runs that characterise the best of Alpine skiing.

The full Davos ski area also includes Jakobshorn (popular with snowboarders), Rinerhorn (quiet and family-oriented), and Madrisa (above Klosters, excellent for families and beginners).

The Schatzalp and Berghotel Schatzalp

The most evocative location in Davos is the Schatzalp — the terrace above the town reached by a short funicular ride from Davos Platz. Here stands the Berghotel Schatzalp, a grand sanatorium-era hotel built in 1900 that served as one of the inspirations for Thomas Mann’s fictional sanatorium in The Magic Mountain. The hotel still operates, now as a winter-sport and hiking hotel. Even if you don’t stay, the funicular ride to the Schatzalp terrace for lunch and a walk through the botanical garden is a very worthwhile excursion.

Lake Davos

The Davosersee at the southern end of the valley is the largest mountain lake in the Graubünden region. In summer, it attracts swimmers, windsurfers, kayakers, and sailors; the lakeside promenade is the social heart of the town. In winter, the lake freezes and hosts Europe’s highest open-air ice skating rink — a vast expanse of natural ice, floodlit in the evenings, that has been a Davos institution since the early 20th century.

Hiking the Sertig and Dischmatal valleys

Two side valleys cut south from Davos into the surrounding mountains: the Sertigtal and the Dischmatal. Both are accessible by bus and both have outstanding hiking. The Sertigtal leads to the Sertig Pass and the traditional Walser village of Sertig Dörfli; the Dischmatal provides access to the Flüela Pass route and some of the most remote walking in the Graubünden. These valleys are far quieter than the main ski area and offer an authentic Alpine character.

The Kirchner Museum

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner was one of the founding artists of German Expressionism and spent the final two decades of his life in Davos, where the mountain light and the Davos landscape became the subjects of some of his greatest paintings. The Kirchner Museum, designed by the Swiss architects Gigon/Guyer, holds the world’s largest collection of his work. The building itself — translucent glass panels over a clean rectangular volume — is an architectural masterpiece. Allow two hours for the permanent collection and special exhibitions.

The world’s highest natural bobsled track

The Davos bobsled track, opened in 1903, is one of the oldest and highest natural ice tracks in the world. In winter, the track hosts international competitions and also offers public rides in push-bob vehicles — a genuinely exhilarating experience that requires no previous bobsled experience. Book well in advance as public sessions sell out.

Where to stay in Davos

Davos Dorf

The northern end of the valley, close to the Parsennbahn funicular and the Strela cable car, is the most convenient location for serious skiers who want immediate lift access. The area has a good selection of hotels from mid-range to high-end.

Davos Platz

The town centre has the main train station, the largest concentration of shops and restaurants, and direct access to the lake. Several large hotels operate here, including the Steigenberger Grandhotel Belvédère — the WEF’s principal hotel and one of the grandest addresses in Davos.

Klosters

The neighbouring village of Klosters (20 minutes by train) is smaller, quieter, and more charming than Davos. It has been a favourite of the British royal family for skiing holidays since the 1970s. Staying in Klosters gives the Parsenn ski area access via the Gotschnagrat without the scale of the Davos resort.

Food and drink in Davos

Bündner cuisine

Graubünden’s distinctive food culture is well represented in Davos. Bündnerfleisch — air-dried beef cured in the mountain air — appears on virtually every menu and at every cheese counter. Bündner Gerstensuppe (barley and vegetable soup with smoked ham) is the most warming and satisfying regional dish after a day on the ski slopes. Maluns (grated potato cooked slowly in butter, served with cheese and apple sauce) is a local speciality that appears on mountain restaurant menus.

The regional cheese — Bergkäse and various alpine varieties — is excellent. Davos has several good cheese shops where you can taste and buy directly.

Restaurant scene

The WEF effect has raised the standard of Davos restaurants considerably over the past decades. Several excellent restaurants operate year-round, while others are specifically ski-season establishments. The mountain restaurants above the Parsenn are generally good; lunch on the Weissfluhgipfel with the full panorama of the Graubünden Alps is one of those Alpine experiences worth planning specifically around.

Day trips from Davos

Klosters

Twenty minutes by train, Klosters has a different character from Davos — more intimate, more traditional, and with the Prättigau valley landscape on its doorstep. The combined Davos-Klosters ski area makes it the natural companion destination.

St. Moritz

The Albula railway from Davos via Filisur to St. Moritz is one of the great scenic routes in the Alps, crossing the famous Landwasser Viaduct and tunnelling through the Albula Pass in a series of spiral tunnels. The journey takes about 1 hour 45 minutes. Combining Davos and St. Moritz in a single Graubünden trip gives a comprehensive view of the canton’s mountain culture.

Arosa

Reachable by the extraordinary Chur-Arosa mountain railway (itself a UNESCO World Heritage Site), Arosa is a car-free resort 30 minutes from Chur that connects by ski lift to Lenzerheide — creating one of the largest ski areas in Graubünden. From Davos, the connection via Landquart and Chur takes about 2 hours.

Zurich via the Glacier Express connection

The Glacier Express and the Bernina Express scenic railways are both accessible from Davos via St. Moritz — a spectacular way to move between destinations.

Practical tips

WEF dates

The World Economic Forum typically takes place in the third or fourth week of January. During this period, security is extreme, access to many areas of Davos is restricted, and accommodation is taken over by Forum delegates. Avoid these dates unless you specifically intend to engage with the Forum.

Altitude

At 1,560 metres, Davos is higher than most European cities but not high enough to cause significant altitude effects for healthy adults. The skiing goes to nearly 2,900 metres; take the first day at altitude gently.

Cross-country skiing

Davos is one of the best destinations in Switzerland for cross-country (Nordic) skiing. The 75-kilometre network of groomed cross-country tracks through the valley and side valleys is extensive and well-maintained. This is a significant differentiator from downhill-focused resorts.

Costs

Davos is somewhat more affordable than St. Moritz or Zermatt while still being a premium Swiss resort. Budget CHF 80-120 per person per day for ski passes; CHF 40-70 for a mid-range restaurant dinner. See the Switzerland budget guide.

When to visit Davos

Winter (December to March) is the primary season. The Parsenn ski area is typically reliably snow-covered from December; high-altitude terrain from November. March offers excellent spring skiing conditions with strong sunshine.

Summer (June to September) is the other main season, with hiking, lake activities, and mountain biking. The valley is green and flower-filled from late June. The Kirchner Museum and the Schatzalp make summer visits culturally rich as well as physically active.

May and November are very quiet — many restaurants and facilities close entirely, and the town can feel half-empty. These months offer the best prices but limited activity options.

See the best time to visit Switzerland guide for seasonal details. Davos pairs naturally with St. Moritz as a Graubünden double, or can be included in a 7-day Switzerland itinerary that combines urban and mountain experiences via the efficient rail connections covered by the Swiss Travel Pass.

The literary Davos

Thomas Mann’s The Magic Mountain is the most famous literary work set in Davos, but Mann spent only three weeks here (visiting his wife at the Waldsanatorium in 1912) before transforming his impressions into a seven-year fictional stay for Hans Castorp. The novel’s portrait of the sanatorium world — its cosmopolitan community of patients from across Europe, its debates about civilization and illness, its strange relationship with time — captures something real about pre-war Davos even while fictionalising everything.

The actual sanatorium era produced a remarkable concentration of intellectual and artistic activity in Davos. Hermann Hesse, Robert Louis Stevenson, and Arthur Conan Doyle all visited. The combination of altitude, clean air, and enforced rest created conditions for reading, writing, and conversation that the health resorts uniquely provided.

Today, the Kirchner Museum’s collection of Davos landscapes allows visitors to see the valley as the artist saw it — the sharp mountain light, the simplified forms of snow-covered slopes, the specific colours of the Davos sky — and to compare that vision with the unchanged topography visible from every window.

The Landwassertal and the approach from Chur

The railway journey from Chur to Davos via Filisur traverses one of the most spectacular sections of the Rhaetian Railway network. The route passes through the Landwassertal — the Landwasser valley — crossing the famous Landwasser Viaduct: a curved, single-track structure carrying the train 65 metres above the valley floor and disappearing directly into the cliff face in a tunnel. This is one of the most photographed railway structures in the world and is included on the UNESCO World Heritage designation for the Rhaetian Railway. Sit on the right side of the carriage (heading toward Davos) for the best view.

Mountain biking in summer

Davos has developed an excellent mountain bike network over the past decade, with over 600 kilometres of marked routes covering everything from gentle valley paths to challenging technical descents from the Parsenn and Jakobshorn areas. The Bike Kingdom — the branded network used by Davos and Klosters — has a dedicated app and map service covering all routes and difficulty levels. Bike rental and guided tours are available throughout the summer season from multiple operators in the village.

The Schatzalp botanical garden

Adjacent to the Berghotel Schatzalp, at 1,860 metres above sea level, the Alpengarten Schatzalp is one of the highest botanical gardens in Europe. Over 3,500 Alpine and mountain plant species are cultivated here, many of them rare or threatened. The garden is open in summer and provides an extraordinary context for understanding the plant life visible throughout the Davos hiking network. Entry is modest; the combination of a garden visit with lunch on the Schatzalp terrace and a walk through the Thomas Mann landscape is one of the most rewarding half-days in Davos.

Practical note on the Glacier Express

From Davos, the Glacier Express to Zermatt is accessible via St. Moritz — a short train journey away. Combining Davos and St. Moritz in a single Graubünden visit, then departing on the Glacier Express for Zermatt, creates one of the most spectacular Swiss itineraries available. The Swiss Travel Pass covers the rail segments and provides discounts on the scenic train supplement. See the Glacier Express guide for booking details and seat reservation advice.

Planning your Davos visit

Three nights gives enough time for a full day on the Parsenn, a Schatzalp and Kirchner Museum day, and a day trip to Klosters or St. Moritz. For a ski holiday specifically, a week allows proper exploration of the full Davos-Klosters ski area including the longer runs to Küblis and the Madrisa family area above Klosters.

Davos is less obviously beautiful as a resort village than Zermatt or Klosters — it is a working town first and a resort second — but this very ordinariness is part of its appeal for visitors who want an authentic Swiss mountain experience rather than a manufactured glamour. The depth of its cultural, literary, and sporting heritage rewards curious visitors who go beyond the ski lifts and the WEF associations to discover what the valley has always offered: clear air, strong light, dramatic scenery, and a sense of genuine remoteness from the lowland world. The Swiss Travel Pass covers all the rail connections and makes combining Davos with the broader Graubünden region an affordable and seamlessly connected experience.