Where to Stay in Davos

Davos sits at around 1,560 m in the Landwasser Valley in the canton of Graubünden, eastern Switzerland — widely described as the highest town in the Alps. It made its name as a high-altitude health resort in the 19th century (the setting of Thomas Mann's "The Magic Mountain"), grew into one of the cradles of Alpine ski tourism, and today is equally known for hosting the World Economic Forum (WEF) each January. Paired with neighbouring Klosters, it offers Switzerland's largest ski region.

Here's what to know before booking: how to get there, when to go, and where to stay — with a live price comparison to find your room.

Getting to Davos

Davos is reached by train from the north via Zurich and Landquart — the journey from Zurich takes roughly 2h15, with a scenic regional leg up into the mountains. The nearest big rail hub, Chur, is about 1h25 away and is a common starting point for the Glacier Express and Bernina Express. Davos is a long, narrow town with two centres — Davos Dorf and Davos Platz, each with its own station — and a free ski bus and frequent trains link it to Klosters in about 20–30 minutes.

When to visit

• Winter (mid-November–April): peak ski season; thanks to its high-altitude slopes Davos is one of the more snow-sure resorts in the Alps. Note the WEF takes over the town in late January.
• Summer (June–September): extensive hiking and biking, the lake for swimming and watersports, cooler mountain air.
• Spring & autumn: quiet shoulder seasons — less busy than St. Moritz, though some mountain services pause.

What to do

Skiing — the Davos Klosters region

The region spans five main ski areas on one pass. Parsenn is the largest and most famous, topping out at the Weissfluhjoch/Weissfluh (~2,844 m), with long descents toward Klosters and Küblis; the historic Parsenn funicular (running since 1931) is the oldest ski railway in the world. Jakobshorn is the freestyle and après-ski mountain; Rinerhorn, Pischa and Madrisa (above Klosters) round out the terrain.

Lake Davos & summer

The Davoser See at the northeast edge of town warms up in summer for swimming, kayaking and SUP, with walking trails around the shore. The surrounding mountains open up hundreds of kilometres of hiking and biking routes.

The Schatzalp & the Magic Mountain

A funicular climbs to the Schatzalp, where the Art Nouveau hotel and its sun terrace inspired Thomas Mann's novel. There's an alpine garden up top and a long toboggan run back down to Davos Platz.

Culture & sport

The Kirchner Museum holds the world's largest collection of works by the expressionist Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, who spent his later years here. Davos is also a hockey town: HC Davos and the historic Spengler Cup tournament (first held in 1923) are local institutions, played at the ice arena beside what was long Europe's largest natural ice rink.

Where to stay

Davos stretches along the valley, so location mostly comes down to which centre — or whether you prefer quieter Klosters:

• Davos Platz: the larger, livelier centre — congress centre, shopping promenade, most hotels and nightlife, Jakobshorn at hand.
• Davos Dorf: the northeastern end, by the lake and the Parsenn funicular — handy for that ski area and a touch calmer.
• Klosters: the smaller, traditional village down the valley (~20–30 min), connected to the same ski region — quieter and often better value.

As a major resort and congress town, Davos has plenty of large hotels; rates spike during the WEF and peak ski weeks but are more reasonable in the shoulder seasons. The comparison below pulls live rates for your dates.

Hotels in Davos — live map

Explore where hotels sit around Davos, with live prices for your dates. Drag, zoom and click a marker to book.

Nearby destinations

Davos sits at the heart of Graubünden's mountains:

• St. Moritz — the Engadine resort, over the passes
• Zurich — the gateway city, ~2h15 by train
• Arosa — the neighbouring Graubünden resort

See all 16 Swiss destinations →