The resort
At 1,560 m, Davos calls itself Europe's highest city. Its congress center, the Spengler Cup ice hockey tournament and Thomas Mann's sanatorium history give it a life beyond skiing. Winter sports have a long history here too, from the first sled race in 1883 to the world's first T-bar on the Bolgen slope in 1934.
The skiing
Six mountains around Davos and Klosters share roughly 300 km of pistes and 57 lifts. Parsenn has about 97 km of wide, long pistes and a 12 km descent to Küblis. Reach it by the Parsennbahn funicular from Dorf or the Gotschnabahn from Klosters.
Jakobshorn, above Platz, is the freestyle mountain, with JatzPark at about 2,500 m. Pischa focuses on freeride, while Schatzalp/Strela promotes slower skiing. Rinerhorn and Madrisa are the family options; Madrisa is above Klosters. A regional pass covers all six, but you travel between them by bus or train rather than skiing a continuous circuit.
Snow & weather
Skiing mostly runs from 1,500 to 2,844 m on high, open mountains. Check monthly temperatures in °C and °F, precipitation and clothing advice on the Davos snow & weather page.
Lessons & ski schools
Davos offers ski and snowboard instruction for adults and children. Confirm the mountain and meeting point when booking: a course on one side of town may not fit neatly with the rest of your group’s plans.
Passes
Choose a whole-region Davos Klosters Mountains ticket or a single-mountain pass through davosklostersmountains.ch. For a season ticket covering several destinations, the TopCard includes Davos Klosters, Arosa Lenzerheide and Flims Laax.
Where to stay
Dorf and Platz are the two main parts of Davos, each with a railway station; there are also four outlying districts. Stay in Dorf for the Parsennbahn, or Platz for Jakobshorn and the congress center. Klosters, one valley over, offers a village base with access to the same mountains and pass.
Getting there
Take SBB to Landquart, then the Rhaetian Railway to Davos Dorf or Davos Platz. Zurich airport is about 156 km away. Drivers leave the highway at Landquart; local buses connect the town.
Beyond the pistes
There are eight sled runs. Schatzalp's 2.8 km route has 18 bends and ends in Platz; Madrisa's runs 8.5 km to Saas. Rinerhorn offers night sledding on Wednesdays and Fridays.
Off the sled runs, there are winter walks on Schatzalp, natural ice at Dorf and hockey at the Spengler Cup arena.
Who it suits
Davos suits skiers who want long runs and a different mountain each day, as well as families using Rinerhorn or Madrisa. The town has plenty of places to stay and things to do. Expect to use local transport if you want to explore all six mountains.
Quick answers
How is the skiing arranged in Davos? Six mountains share a regional pass: Parsenn, Jakobshorn, Schatzalp/Strela, Pischa, Rinerhorn and Madrisa. Together they have around 300 km of pistes and 57 lifts. Plan on choosing a mountain each day and using buses or trains between them.
What is the Parsenn? Parsenn is the largest Davos Klosters ski area, with around 97 km of pistes and a 12 km descent to Küblis. Take the Parsennbahn from Davos Dorf or the Gotschnabahn from Klosters. The lift company describes it as the cradle of skiing in Switzerland.
How do you get to Davos? Take SBB to Landquart, then the Rhaetian Railway to Davos Dorf or Davos Platz. Zurich airport is about 156 km away; drivers leave the highway at Landquart. Choose your station and accommodation around the mountain you plan to ski.