Davos is a multifaceted resort. It’s one of the oldest ski areas in the Swiss Alps and the largest in its region; the favoured destination of a young Prince Charles, a hub for great writers from Arthur Conan Doyle to Thomas Mann, and of course, since 1971, the home of the World Economic Forum.
I arrived there in March earlier this year, taking the three-hour train ride from Zurich via Landquart. Winter 2023/24 was a busy season for the resort, with good snow conditions throughout. Shooting past lakeside vistas, soaring crags, and pristine green meadows, I had a good feeling. There’s nothing like that first taste of Alpine air, which I found on the platform at Landquart by the banks of the Rhine.
My destination was one of the largest towns in the Alps, with a year-round population of 12,000. Davos has a strong local community, a rich history, and above all, great skiing, as I soon found out.
Day 1: Parsenn
With a Davos Klosters Regional Lift Pass, visitors can explore several ski areas. Parsenn and Jakobshorn are the biggest and most accessible, though if you’re looking for a quieter adventure, try Pischa, Rinerhorn, or Madrisa.
I started my trip on the funicular from Davos Dorf to Weissfluhjoch (2,662m) at the top of Parsenn, an area known for its 12km “Nostalgia Run” down to the village of Klosters. Parsenn has a “spider” lift network, meaning that wherever you are on the mountain, you’ll find your way back to the top. From the lift station and rental shop at Weissfluhjoch, you can take the cable car up to Davos’ highest point on-piste, Weissfluhgipfel (2,844m), before descending one of Parsenn’s long black runs.
If you’re just up for the panoramic view (which unfortunately for me was a whiteout), the Berghaus Weissfluhgipfel is the perfect pitstop. I tried their deliciously fresh delicatessen platter, stocked with local dried beef, gruyere cheese, and traditional Swiss birnbrot (fruit bread). The Berghaus offers overnight accommodation at the top of the mountain with breakfast included: a great opportunity for making first tracks on a calm morning.
As the oldest ski area in Davos, Parsenn boasts the first mountain rescue team in Europe. From humble beginnings with carrier pigeons and touring skis in the early 20th century, the Parsenn ski patrol inspired similar initiatives across the Alps. Nowadays a team of just twelve (and a dog) rescues between four and five hundred people a season and is responsible for piste-marking. They’re helped by Parsenn’s SLF: the oldest, and largest snow research centre in the world, and once just a wooden hut on Weissfluhjoch. The SLF specialise in avalanche research—their daily report is essential if you’re thinking of going off-piste.
After trying the mountaintop in difficult conditions, I took the No. 13 black down to the small settlement of Wolfgang. It’s a great ride through some gorgeous, forested gullies, and after heavy snowfall is the perfect spot for some backcountry. After shredding powder, you can reward yourself with a hearty dish of hänslitoast (a sort of Swiss rarebit) and a stein of Calanda at Kessler’s Kulm—King Charles’ old stomping ground.
Parsenn hosts several annual ski races. The historic Parsenn Derby is an amateur alpine event, very popular with Davos locals and free for anyone to compete in. If you’re visiting in early January, you might spot a few MPs in the British-Swiss Parliamentary Ski race: a form of “chairlift diplomacy” running since 1956. Unsurprisingly, the Swiss usually win.
Parsennbahn
Overnight in the Grischa Hotel
I was fortunate to stay in the Grischa Hotel during my time in Davos Platz. Located directly opposite the train station and Pendelbahn cable car, the hotel is one of the most convenient in the resort.
That convenience comes at no cost to Grischa’s quality of service. The four-star hotel has an excellent reputation among its Swiss clientele, particularly for its five in-house restaurants. Guests can choose from Chinese, Japanese, and local cuisine, or dine in its gourmet and fondue lounges, each with its own design aesthetic from Sakura garlands to rustic pine panelling. I chose the hotel’s “local” restaurant, sampling deliciously fresh char fillet, truffle linguini, and pizokel (a sort of buckwheat dumpling), cleansed with the customary espresso.
As far as refreshments, Grischa has a vast, well-stocked wine cellar. For a truly unique experience, parties of ten to fifteen can book an evening wine-tasting session, with local charcuterie and expertly paired wines from nearby Landquart. The hotel’s main bar pours craft Weissbier from Monsteiner: the highest brewery in Europe and a twenty-minute drive from Davos, making it a popular destination for summer visitors. For smokers, the hotel has a luxury lounge with leather armchairs, mood lighting, and a range of Cuban cigars.
Grischa was officially opened in 2011 as a merger of two pre-existing hotels. Designed by Zurich-based Fischbach Alberich, its decor blends sleek, contemporary styles with 1960s Italian aesthetics: burgundy carpets, black oak, and Microgramma-style fonts. Several art pieces are unique to the hotel, including the enormous handblown light fitting in its lobby. Most of the photography on its walls comes from its owner and depicts the surrounding Alps.
Outside of the World Economic Forum (when the hotel is fully booked), Grischa has ninety-three rooms with several suite options, the largest having a fireplace, three rooms, and a kitchen. In line with its sustainability goals, the hotel offers no disposable toiletries, is mostly solar-powered, and has eco-friendly lighting throughout.
Davos
Day 2: Jakobshorn
I woke to sublime conditions for a day on the Jakobshorn (2,590m). The blizzard on day one had left a heavy powder dump, and clear blue skies.
The quickest route to the Jakobshorn’s summit is via the Pendelbahn cable car, which opens bright and early at eight o’clock. Conveniently, my rental shop was at the Pendelbahn’s base station. If you’re looking to rent, Bardill is a great option, with an expert team, efficient service, and a large stock of Atomic, Stöckli, and Völkl skis.
Atop the Jakobshorn, you’ll find stunning views of Davos Platz and the surrounding valley. Keep an eye out for east Switzerland’s Matterhorn lookalike, the Tinzenhorn (3,173m), as you’re cruising the smooth blues down from the lift station.
While lacking the long history of Parsenn, Jakobshorn was notable for ending the culture war between boarders and skiers in the 80s and 90s, brokering peace via techno parties at its summit, with giant rösti pans. While the techno has since ended, Jakobshorn is still a popular destination for skiers and boarders alike, with great off-piste opportunities on the far side of the mountain.
Before the sun could turn it to slush, I cruised along the No. 10 at the mountain’s base: a quiet and relaxing forest blue, passing mini waterfalls and hikers. Taking the two-man chair up from Carjöl, I arrived at the top of Jakobshorn’s newest run: a very steep black designed for racing through the trees. As the snow was perfectly groomed and there was no one on it, I ended up skiing laps on one of my favourite runs this season.
After a morning of speedy carving, I found lunch on the sunny terrace of the Fuxägufer, conveniently placed atop the same Carjöl chair. A cheese fondue with a pint of Weissbier, overlooking snowy mountains and spruces, might just be the Swiss dream.
CREDIT Davos Klosters
Berghotel Schatzalp & The Magic Mountain
My trip to Davos coincided with the one-hundredth anniversary of Thomas Mann’s modernist masterpiece, The Magic Mountain. Set at the Berghotel Schatzalp 300m up the mountainside, Mann’s novel solidified Davos’ reputation as a health resort in the 1920s.
Today you can visit the Schatzalp (1,861m) via the funicular on Davos Platz’s main promenade. The hotel is a fantastic example of Swiss belle époque architecture and a popular wedding venue. Aside from the clientele, very little has changed from its pre-WWII days as a TB hospice, including original chandeliers, elevators, and furniture. Strolling across its front lawn, surrounded by snowy forest, it reminded me of an Edwardian dollhouse, or the set of a Poirot mystery.
Even if you’re not interested in history or literature, the Schatzalp is a great location to get away from the hustle and bustle of downtown Davos, with an outdoor bar open to non-hotel guests. I was completely at peace, sitting in the sunshine on the hotel portico, looking out across the Alpine valley. Because of its quiet surroundings and fresh air, the Schatzalp is still a popular health destination, with a large botanic garden providing the herbs for its drinks and dishes. Many hikers visit during the summer, and there are several toboggan runs through the trees.
For determined skiers, the hotel has a private slope and chairlift available to guests. You won’t find any reds or blacks: like the hotel itself, the Schatzalp’s piste is designed for maximum relaxation. Moreover, it’s exclusive: the Davos Klosters pass won’t give you lift access. For tourers and backcountry skiers, Schatzalp provides unprecedented opportunities, away from the main slopes at Parsenn and Jakobshorn, with a maximum elevation of 2,346m at the Strela-Pass.
CREDIT Davos Klosters
Ice hockey with HC Davos: a night to remember
After a long day on the slopes, you might want to check out Davos Platz’s nightlife. I had a few après-ski pints in Ex, a large ski bar and local favourite since 1965.
However, for a taste of real Swiss culture, I went along to that evening’s ice hockey match held in the cavernous and beautifully-designed Eisstadion Davos. Alongside football and skiing, ice hockey is Switzerland’s biggest sport and Hockey Club Davos (HCD) are a strong contender in the national league. I joined a mass of local fans piling into the arena to see their team play French-speaking rivals, Lausanne HC.
While Davos narrowly lost after a hard-fought match, the atmosphere was like nothing I’d experienced at a ski resort: more intimate than a football or rugby match, more electric than tennis or badminton. It’s a huge event in the Swiss calendar that most tourists aren’t privy to. It’s also loud: Davos’ concrete hall fits around 7,000 spectators, and tonight it seemed the whole canton had turned out to support HCD with thunderous applause.
If you’re looking for something different or for some weeknight entertainment, ice hockey is one of Davos’ best (and oldest) attractions.
Davos Wintersport-Museum
Before departing Davos, I poked my head into the resort’s Wintersport-Museum, nestled in a little side street off the town’s main promenade. It’s officially open 16:30–18:30 on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but the two curators were kind enough to give me a private morning tour.
While not the most obvious activity, I can highly recommend the Museum for a snowy afternoon. There’s more to the history of snowsports than you’d expect, and as one of the oldest ski towns in the Alps, Davos has a lot of history. What began as a small farming community became a highly desirable health resort in the mid-19th century, when Dr. Alexander Spengler visited and began publishing journals on the remarkably healthy lungs of locals to English and German readers. Spengler and his son, Carl, were instrumental to the early days of the resort—bringing the first hotel, the railways, and in 1923, ice hockey—immortalised in the Spengler Cup.
Much to my pride, the curators informed me that it was a Scot who brought skiing to Davos: none other than Sherlock Holmes author, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. While accompanying his wife Jean to the Alps as she recovered from TB, Doyle sought out a recreational activity. With the Brahman brothers, he made a legendary winter ascent and skied down to Arosa—marking the beginning of ski tourism in Davos. True to his country, Doyle was also the first to play golf in Davos, though he struggled to maintain a course that the farmers’ cows wouldn’t eat.
First TBar Davos 1934
The Wintersport-Museum is lovingly preserved and covers the full range of snowsports history, from the days of Doyle to the 2023 Spengler Cup. Special attractions include the first T-bar in the world, built in 1934 in Davos; 1950s ski jump pioneer Andreas Däscher’s skis; and the competition outfit of snowboarding world champion Daniela Meuli. If you’re looking for inspiration for your next winter wardrobe, you’ll find vintage fits from Davos’ past too—I particularly liked the neon pink and green shell suits.
Further info
For more information on snowports at Davos Klosters, visit their website. To find accommodation and buy tickets for Swiss transport, check out their Ferienshop.
Destination Davos Klosters: www.davos.ch
Switzerland Tourism: www.myswitzerland.com
A wide variety of accommodation is available in both Davos and Klosters, for the complete list please visit www.davos.ch or www.klosters.ch.
Hotel Grischa Davos doubles are priced from £214 (CHF 237.50) per room per night based on 2 sharing B&B i.e. £107 (CHF118.75) per person; a one week stay based on 2 sharing B&B and including a 6-day lift pass is £993 (CHF1,110) per person. There is a minimum of two-night minimum stay at weekends during peak season.
Reservations: www.hotelgrischa.ch
Note all prices converted at exchange rate £1 = CHF 0.89 and may change at any time.
Access: Davos Klosters is approximately 2 ½-hours from Zurich Airport by rail, direct to either Davos or Klosters stations.
