Hotels in Davos

Davos: Europe's Highest Alpine Town

At 1,560 metres above sea level, Davos is the highest city in the Alps and one of the highest in Europe. Situated in the Landwasser Valley of Graubünden canton, it sits roughly 150 km southeast of Zurich by road. The town divides into two centres: Davos Platz (the commercial hub) and Davos Dorf (quieter, closer to the ski lifts). Thomas Mann set his novel The Magic Mountain here in 1924, drawn by the same clear mountain air that made Davos a 19th-century tuberculosis sanatorium destination.

Where to Stay

Most hotels cluster along the Promenade in Davos Platz or near the Parsenn cable car base in Dorf. Winter visitors come for the Parsenn-Gotschna ski area, one of the largest in Switzerland with over 300 km of marked runs. January draws a different crowd — global leaders attending the World Economic Forum, which has met here annually since 1971. Summer visitors use Davos as a base for hiking the Jakobshorn and Rinerhorn ridges, and for watersports on Lake Davos.

Practical Tips

• Getting there: Direct trains from Zurich HB take approximately 2.5 hours via Landquart; book seats ahead during WEF week in January.
• Season: Ski season runs roughly December to April; summer hiking peaks July–August.
• Altitude: Pack layers — temperatures drop sharply after sunset even in July.