Welcome to Davos! Ride cogwheel trains past pine forests dusted like sugar cookies, sip hot chocolate where Thomas Mann once scribbled drafts, and ski down runs that stretch like silver ribbons through the Alps. Davos is where alpine charm meets high-altitude grandeur — and visitors come for the world-class skiing and the prestigious World Economic Forum.
☑️ Davos Checklist
- Book your Flight: Fly into Zurich Airport (ZRH), then take the scenic 2.5-hour train ride to Davos Platz
- Reserve your Hotel: Stay at a historic alpine lodge or slopeside chalet for ski-in mornings and snowy terrace views
- Join your Tour: Book a guided Parsenn ski tour or a ride on the Schatzalp funicular for the full Davos experience
⛷️ Day 1: Slopes & Summits
- Parsenn Ski Day: Start at the red train that takes you up to Weissfluhjoch, then spend the day carving down legendary alpine runs with views that stretch to Austria — this is Davos’ crown jewel, where skiing feels timeless
- Lunch at Höhenweg Hut: Pause for rösti and sausage at a slope-side hut where boots thud on wood floors and laughter rises with the steam from your mug
- Afternoon Glacier Run: Take a final descent through tree-lined trails as the sun turns the peaks a bruised pink
- Après-Ski at Bolgen Plaza: Order a mulled wine or cold lager, pull up a seat on the patio, and watch the last skiers roll in like tired champions
- Stroll Promenade Davos: As the sun drops behind the peaks, wander Davos’ main drag lined with bakeries, watch shops, and pine-scented air
- Kirchner Museum Evening Visit: Open late during peak season — see mountain-inspired expressionist works in a building that feels half gallery, half sanctuary
- Dinner by the Fire: Settle in at a traditional Grisons tavern with venison stew, creamy polenta, and flickering candlelight warming the carved walls
🚡 Day 2: Heights & Heritage
- Schatzalp Funicular Ride: Board the nostalgic 1899 wooden car and ascend to this old sanatorium-turned-hotel where the silence is thick with history and snow
- Thomas Mann Path: Walk the alpine trails behind Schatzalp that inspired The Magic Mountain — each step a quiet nod to the ghosts of old Davos
- Botanic Garden (Summer) or Snow Trails (Winter): In warmer months, stroll the alpine garden filled with high-altitude plants; in winter, snowshoe through whispering spruce
- Lunch at the Schatzalp Terrace: Sit under wool blankets and sip hot soup while the whole valley stretches out beneath your fork
- Visit the Wintersport Museum: Learn how Davos became Europe’s first winter sports town — with antique sleds, wooden skis, and posters that make you wish for a time machine
- Vaillant Arena Tour or Skate Session: Step inside this iconic hockey arena and either catch a game or lace up your own skates and glide in loops under soaring beams
- Evening Cable Car Ride to Rinerhorn: End the day high above it all, watching the mountains swallow the light while the town flickers to life far below
🛷 Day 3: Sleds & Keepsakes
- Morning Toboggan at Schatzalp: Race down the curving, icy track where generations of children (and adventurous adults) have flown past pines with snow in their lashes
- Lake Davos Stroll: Walk the perimeter trail around the frozen lake, where locals fish through holes and sunlight bounces off the ice like polished stone
- Lunch at Lake Chalet: Order käsespätzle and salad with lingonberries on the side, then let yourself linger by the window as skaters drift past
- Shopping on Promenade: Pick up cowbell keychains, embroidered edelweiss linens, local honey, pine-scented soaps, and hand-carved wooden sled ornaments
- Visit the Kirchgasse Quarter: Wind through the older part of town with narrow alleys and timber-framed houses that haven’t rushed in decades
- Spa Afternoon: Soak your ski-weary muscles in thermal waters, steam rooms, or an open-air pool with mountain views
- Farewell Cheese Fondue: Gather around a bubbling pot and dip cubes of bread as the Alpine air cools and your final night warms from the inside out
📅 Davos Calendar
- Spengler Cup Ice Hockey (Dec): Europe’s oldest invitational tournament brings fans and firecrackers to the Vaillant Arena
- World Economic Forum (Jan): The world’s elite descend for big talks and bigger security — book lodging early if visiting this month
- Snow Polo World Cup (Jan): Watch horses and mallets charge through snow in St. Moritz, just a short trip away
- Davos Nordic Races (Feb): Elite cross-country skiers compete across snowy trails and roaring crowds
- Davos Festival (July/Aug): Classical music fills churches, halls, and mountain trails during this summer cultural highlight
- Alpine Cattle Descent (Sept): Cows decorated in flower crowns clomp down from summer pastures in a tradition full of bells and butter
- Christmas Market at Postplatz (Dec): Wooden stalls, spicy nuts, and snowflakes make for a postcard-perfect holiday scene
💡 Davos Tips
- Rent Gear in Town: No need to haul skis or snowshoes — top-quality rentals are easy and everywhere
- Altitude Takes a Toll: Hydrate more than you think you need to, and take breaks if you feel light-headed
- Trains Are Part of the Trip: The scenic ride from Zurich is almost as charming as Davos itself — sit by the window
- Don’t Skip the Kirchner Museum: Even non-art lovers tend to fall under its snowy spell
- Tobogganing is No Joke: The runs are fast — gloves, boots, and brakes (a.k.a. your heels) are mandatory
- Mornings Are Quiet: The town moves slow before 9 a.m., especially in snow season
- Try the Local Meats and Cheeses: Grisons air-dried beef, mountain cheese, and fresh butter are regional treasures worth the splurge
🫕 Davos Menu
- Käsespätzle: Soft egg noodles tangled with bubbling mountain cheese and fried onions — blissfully good after a day in the cold
- Capuns: Swiss chard leaves stuffed with spiced dough and ham, swimming in creamy sauce — a Graubünden specialty
- Grisons Dried Beef (Bündnerfleisch): Thin, salty slices aged in alpine air and perfect alongside dark bread and sharp cheese
- Barley Soup (Gerstensuppe): Smoky, thick, and served steaming with root vegetables and bits of bacon — a mountain classic
- Cheese Fondue: A bubbling pot of local cheeses, white wine, and garlic — bread cubes optional, joy required
- Rösti: Crispy fried grated potatoes, often topped with a fried egg or sausage — comfort food, Swiss-style
- Nusstorte: A caramelized walnut tart from nearby Engadine — sweet, dense, and best with black coffee or schnapps