Winter Sports in Davos

R

eally very extensive slopes and bags of off-piste options - probably stands alongside the Engadin and the 4 Vallées as somewhere you could easily spend a whole season. Davos Dorf has access to the fabulous snow-sure Parsenn it shares with Klosters, but there is also good on and off-piste on other mountains served by the lifts from the town, for example the Jakobshorn from Davos Platz and the Rinerhorn from Glaris. In addition you can access the small areas at Pischa and Schatzalp or, from Klosters, access the Madrisa. The Parsenn can get busy at weekends, so it is worthwhile trying out one of the smaller areas or the generally quieter slopes on Parsenn below Goschnagrat. The slopes at the bottom of the Jakobshorn are best for beginners.

Davos is a busy town with lots going on, easy to get to by road or rail and a favoured destination since the mid nineteenth century when it became established as a high-altitude health resort by a German refugee, Dr Alexander Spengler, on the run from a death sentence in his home country. It became one of the very first winter sports resorts, popularised by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who came here to accompany his sick wife and got hooked on skiing. He wrote about his experiences on his return to England, fuelling an interest in the activity. At Bolgen, the resort had the very first t-bar system in Europe. James Riddell eulogised about the Parsenn in his 1957 book on Swiss ski resorts: "Parsenn! One word is enough. It is a word that crops up all o'er the world, whenever and wherever skiers meet."

Best of the Slopes

The breath-taking 14k, 2000m drop off Weissfluhjoch to Küblis is one of the longest runs in the Alps, but the unpisted trails down to Fideris and Jenaz are even longer. The Parsenn is a huge, wonderful area with quiet corners and plenty of off-piste, Jakobshorn is particularly good for boarders.

Where to Eat and Party

The Weissfluhgipfel is the classiest mountain restaurant. After a day on the piste, the Bolgenschanze, near Davos Platz and the Jakobshorn base station, is the best place to rendezvous. A lot of the nightlife is spread around town, but the Hotel Europe at the bottom of the Schaltzalpbahn is a good place to hang out with several bars to choose from. The best restaurants are along the Promenade: Glow (+41 81 416 43 43) at #115 and Restaurant Pöstli in the Morosani Posthotel (+41 81 415 45 00) at #42.

Getting There

By Public Transport

The best destination to access the downhill slopes by public transport in this ski area is Davos Platz or Dorf. Dorf Station, 5 minutes to Parsenn mountain railway for main pistes. Davos Platz, 5 minutes to Jakobshorn cable car. (Davos Glaris 5 minutes to Rinerhorn cable car.) The resort operates the Snow'n'Rail scheme, providing a discount on the combined travel ticket and lift pass. Click here for details of the Swiss Railways discount scheme.

• From Zurich the least travel time is 2 hrs 13 mins with as few as 1 changes going via Landquart.
• From Basel the least travel time is 3 hrs 22 mins with as few as 1 changes going via Landquart.
• From Berne the least travel time is 3 hrs 18 mins with as few as 2 changes going via Zurich / Landquart.

By Road

Please refer to a map and check local conditions for accurate routing information.

• The road distance from Zurich is around 148 km and the journey time is roughly 1 hr 55 mins.
• The road distance from Basel is around 232 km and the journey time is roughly 2 hrs 45 mins.
• The road distance from Berne is around 273 km and the journey time is roughly 3 hrs 15 mins.
• The road distance from Geneva is around 436 km and the journey time is roughly 4 hrs 55 mins.

Get road directions at Google Maps

Nearby Resorts

The resort's ski area is linked to Klosters.

Weather Outlook

View detailed snow forecast for Davos at: snow-forecast.com

Latest Resort Report

MySwitzerland report for Davos

Piste Map for Davos

Larger piste map for Davos

Map

Get directions from Google in a new window or tab

Accommodation in the Resort & Nearby

• $$$$ Ameron Swiss Mountain Hotel, Davos (4*) Ranked by Tages-Anzeiger #8 amongst 4* Swiss hotels.
  +41 81 544 19 19 https://ameroncollection.com/de/davos-swiss-mountain-resort
• $$$$ Hard Rock Hotel, Davos (4*) Ranked by Tages-Anzeiger #20 amongst 4*Swiss hotels.
  +41 81 41 51 60 https://www.hardrockhotels.com/davos/
• $$$$ Waldhotel, Davos Ranked #1 in Davos by TripAdvisor.
  +41 27 472 76 00 https://www.waldhotel-davos.ch/
• $$$ Grischa - DAS Hotel, Davos (4*) Ranked #3 in Davos by TripAdvisor. Hotel with good child facilities centrally located on Davos Platz.
  +41 27 472 76 00 https://www.hotelgrischa.ch/en/
• $$$ Sheraton Davos Hotel Waldhuus, Davos (4*) Family hotel, ranked #4 in Davos by TripAdvisor.
  +41 81 417 93 33 https://www.sheratondavoshotelwaldhuus.com/
• $$$ Steigenberger Belvedere, Davos Ranked #2 in Davos by TripAdvisor.
  +41 81 415 60 00 https://en.steigenberger.com/Davos/Steigenberger-Grandhotel-Belvedere
• $$$ Kinderhotel Muchetta, Davos Family hotel.
  +41 81 410 41 00 https://www.kinderhotel.ch/
• $$$ Hotel Schatzalp, Davos Rated a historic hotel by the Swiss Tourist Board.
  +41 81 415 51 51 https://www.schatzalp.ch/
• $$$ Sunstar Parkhotel, Davos Ranked #7 in Davos by TripAdvisor.
  +41 27 472 76 00 https://davos.sunstar.ch/
• $$$ Hotel Meierhof, Davos Ranked #5 in Davos by TripAdvisor.
  +41 81 416 82 85 https://hotel-meierhof.com/en/
• $$ Hotel Edelweiss, Davos Ranked #6 in Davos by TripAdvisor.
  +41 81 416 10 33 https://www.hotel-edelweiss-davos.ch/
• $ Davos Youth Palace, Davos (Hostel)
  +41 8 141 01 92 https://www.youthhostel.ch/en/
• $$$$ Hotel Vereina, Klosters (4*) Ranked by Tages-Anzeiger #14 amongst 4*Swiss hotels.
  +41 81 410 27 27 https://www. vereinaklosters.ch
• $$$$ Chesa Grischuna, Klosters (3*) Highly regarded by Tages-Anzeiger.
  +41 81 422 22 22 https://www.chesagrischuna.ch
• $$$$ Hotel Walserhof, Klosters Ranked #1 in Klosters by TripAdvisor.
  +41 81 422 22 22 https://www.walserhof.ch
• $$$ Hotel Sport, Klosters (3*) Family hotel.
  https://www.hotel-sport.ch/
• $$$ Hotel Alpina, Klosters Ranked #2 in Klosters by TripAdvisor.
  https://www.alpina-klosters.ch/
• $ Klosters Youth Hostel, Klosters (Hostel)
  +41 81 422 13 16 https://www.youthhostel.ch/en/

Find accommodation at Bookings.com