Davos Ski Resort
At 1,560m Davos is one of the highest towns in Europe. Together with the more village-like Klosters, it shares a large ski area ("Davos Klosters") with big verticals and 320km of mostly intermediate-friendly runs, plus some epic off-piste itineraries for better skiers.
Davos and Klosters share a large ski area known as “Davos Klosters“. There are 320 km of Alpine ski runs and over 200km of cross-country ski trails, which is more than enough for a week’s holiday, whatever your standard. The slopes are split into 6 separate sectors located on both sides of a 20km long steep valley: Rinerhorn, Jacobshorn, Pischa and Schatzalp-Strela are all closer to Davos; Parsenn (the largest sector) lies in between Davos and Klosters; and finally Madrisa is on the far side of Klosters.
Most of the pistes are steepish blues and reds, and perfect for most intermediates. Advanced skiers will want to venture off-piste, on either marked but unpatrolled official itineraries, or unofficial routes that take you far from the piste network, for which a guide is recommended. But even the official runs can be well over 10km long as they wind their way from the top of Weissfluhgipfel (2845m). If snow condition permit, you can ski all the way down to Davos (1560m), Klosters (1190m), Serneus (990m) and even Kublis (810m). If you think your technique might let you down on such a long journey, there are plenty of ski schools to help you improve.
Davos itself is officially split into Davos Dorf and Davos Platz but it is not easy to tell where one starts and the other stops. And Davos is very much a town rather than than a picture-postcard Swiss mountain village. It hosts the World Economic Forum every January, and is also home to the Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research, and there are office blocks, shops, a casino, a theatre, a cinema, a museum and a gallery, as well as the hotels, restaurants and bars you would expect in a ski resort.
Those wanting somewhere less urban should stay in Klosters. This favourite Alpine haunt of the Prince of Wales still has a rural, family-friendly atmosphere, despite it having grown into a medium-sized ski resort with more Gault Millau gourmet points (the Swiss equivalent of Michelin stars) per resident than anywhere else in Switzerland.
Whatever option you choose, there is no shortage of accommodation, with plenty of hotels and apartments and some chalets. Davos and Klosters are easily reached by car or train from Zurich Airport in 2-3 hours, making them very ‘weekendable’, although you will need a lot more than a long weekend to make the most of the skiing.
Helpful Links
- Accommodation in Davos and Klosters. Hotels, Chalets, Self-Catering Apartments, Package Holidays, Where to stay… Read more >>>
- How to get to Davos and Klosters. Nearest Airports and Railway Stations, Airport Transfers, Hire Cars… Read more >>>
- Ski Schools & Guides in Davos and Klosters. Ski & Snowboard Schools, Mountain Guides, Private Instructors… Read more >>>
- Discounted Ski & Snowboard Rental in Davos and Klosters:
- ALPINRESORTS.com works with several ski hire shops in Davos Platz, Davos Dorf, Klosters and Klosters Dorf and can secure you savings of up to 50% if you book online via this link.
- SKISET also has outlets in both resorts and has agreed to give online booking discounts to Ultimate-Ski readers for Davos ski hire here and for Klosters ski hire here.
Davos Pros & Cons
+ Big ski area (linked by bus and rail)
+ Long, wide, undulating ski slopes
+ Extensive off-piste, easily accessible
+ Good cross-country trails
+ Easily reached by road or rail from Zurich
+ Charming Swiss mountain restaurants
+ Lively apres ski if you know where to go
+ Lots to do and plenty for non-skiers
– A large town, lacking resort atmosphere
– Ski areas are spread out and not lift-connected
– Lift system mostly efficient but needs upgrading
– T-bars might pose problems for some
– Just one black run down to town from Parsenn
– Street taxis are scarce, so best to phone for one