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Davos, Switzerland

By Felice Hardy | on June 17, 2012 | 0 Comment
Ski Resorts
Davos, Switzerland | Welove2ski

Photo: © World Economic Forum/Andy Mettler

The Stats

Altitude: 1560m

Top Lift: 2844m

Ski area: 305km of piste

Adult lift pass: CHF332 for six days

site Official Site | site Ski Map | site Webcam

In a Nutshell

The town of Davos is no beauty, and its big ski area is rather bitty. But the mountains hereabouts are home to some sensational descents – both off-piste and off – as well as some top-notch mountain restaurants.

Essential Advice for the Perfect Trip

The large spa town of Davos has a life beyond skiing, for each winter it receives worldwide exposure when global movers and shakers gather for the World Economic Forum. While the likes of Barack Obama and Bill Gates are airing their predictions in the conference centre each January, skiers and riders are just as importantly engaged on the mighty mountain above.

The Parsenn is one of Europe’s classic ski areas, where the sport first developed in the early 1880s when a local businessman imported a pair of the new ‘Norwegian snowshoes’ from Oslo. They quickly became the rage, and a local carpenter carved copies. The trend soon caught the attention of the large foreign community in Switzerland’s top sanatorium resort for victims of tuberculosis.

It might have ended there but for the man who was about to become Britain’s first ski writer. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle had brought his terminally ill wife to Davos in the hope of a cure for TB. During the many months of her treatment he became hooked on skiing. He wrote about his experiences in Strand magazine and encouraged a whole generation of well-to-do Brits to come out and try it for themselves.

Nearly half a century slipped by before the first mountain railway was built, and then, in 1934, a local man came up with the invention of the drag-lift within weeks of a similar contraption being designed in Alpe d’Huez in France. Davos never looked back. As antibiotics put the sanatorium business into decline, winter sports became increasingly big business.

The town – the highest in Western Europe – is by no means attractive. Large hotels that are urban rather than alpine in construction and character straggle along the roadside for a couple of kilometres from the railway half of Davos Dorf to Davos Platz. Where you stay is of crucial important to ski convenience. Of the two sectors, Davos Dorf is best for skiing, while Davos Platz has most of the shops, restaurants, and nightlife. Regular buses run the loop of the one-way system, but it can be a long walk home to Davos Dorf late at night.

The Loveometer

Where to Ski Loveometer 75% | Welove2ski

We Love

We Hate

tick The varied off-piste.
tick The glorious mountain scenery.
tick The fact that there are so many completely different ski areas to choose from.
tick The fabulous Parsenn ski area.
tick Being able to ski down to some unspoilt hamlets and lovely little mountain restaurants in the Parsenn ski area.
tick The great snowboarding and freeride facilities.
cross The sprawling town – it’s almost a small city.
cross The slog to get up the Parsenn ski area by mountain railway each morning.

Continue Exploring Davos

  1. Guide to the Mountain

    Guide to the Mountain
  2. Where To Stay

    Where to Stay
  3. Where to Eat

    Where to Eat
  4. Where to Learn

    Where to Learn
  5. Where to Party

    Where to Party
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Author Description

Felice Hardy

Felice is one of the three editors at Welove2ski and contributes on skiing to a range of publications, including The Evening Standard, The Guardian, Conde Nast Traveller, Tatler, Harpers Bazaar, Country Life, BA Highlife and House & Garden. She started skiing at the age of three. She also enjoys hiking with her dogs and mountain biking in the Alps.

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