Last Updated on September 12, 2026
Davos Klosters mountains – superb skiing in a stunning Swiss setting
Davos is the highest city in Europe, 1,560 metres above sea level. Located in the Graubünden Canton in eastern Switzerland, this Alpine city is famous for hosting the World Economic Forum and for active leisure activities, with skiing among them. The Magic Mountain by German author Thomas Mann is inspired by Davos, with the main character, Hans Castorp, visiting his cousin at the sanatorium in Schatzalp. The sanatorium opened in 1900 for patients with tuberculosis who came to experience the healing powers of the mountain air. Today, the luxury hotel welcomes guests who stay to appreciate the mountain views.
Set amidst spectacular Alpine mountains, the Davos Klosters mountains are worth visiting for the views alone. The main lifts up the mountains reward you with stunning panoramic vistas.
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Skiing in Davos Klosters Mountains
The Davos Klosters ski area is one of the largest in Switzerland, with around 255 kilometres of skiing; the four main areas are Parsenn, Jakobshorn, Rinerhorn, and Madrisa. An efficient bus system runs regularly through the city, making it easy to travel between the different areas.
Parsenn
The largest of the ski areas is Parsenn, accessible from both Davos and Klosters. It has wide, sweeping runs leading down to both valleys. From Davos, take the Parsennbahn funicular up the mountain in two stages; alternatively, there is the rapid chair from the middle station, Mittelstation Höhenweg, to Weissfluhjoch.
The Parsennbahn can have long queues in the morning during peak weeks, so try to get there as early as possible after it opens at 8.15 am. When you reach the top, you can easily avoid crowds and find an almost empty piste. On my last day, I made an effort to start early to catch the first lift up, and I was rewarded with fresh tracks on perfectly groomed runs from Weissfluhjoch – a highlight of my ski break.
The highest point in the Davos Klosters mountains is Weissfluhgipfel, at an altitude of two thousand eight hundred and forty-four metres. Access is by the cable car from Weissfluhjoch; the viewing platform has an incredible view of hundreds of mountains stretching out in all directions. The black piste number 1 Nord Gipfel has excellent snow conditions and is a joy to ski. It joins the red piste 17; carry on until you reach the red run 21, a delightful, winding ski through the trees down to Klosters.
Klosters
The exclusive town of Klosters is renowned for attracting wealthy guests wishing to stay in luxury accommodation. Visitors to Klosters include celebrities and the British Royal Family, drawn to Klosters for its discreet setting.
The way up to the Parsenn area from Klosters is by the Gotschnabahn, a two-stage gondola that takes you to Gotschnagrat. From here, you can explore the wider ski area and make your way back down to Davos. Unlike many ski areas in the Alps, the planning here is perfect if you don’t like poling when slopes don’t meet up. Magic carpet tunnels take the effort out of getting up to a ridge to start a run.
Madrisa
The smaller ski area of Madrisa is reached by a ten-minute bus journey, then a gondola from Klosters station. Skiing in Madrisa is enjoyable; the pistes are relatively empty, so you can make the most of a day out if you are staying in Davos. There are some open, wide red runs with the route back down to the valley by pistes 9 and 10, the latter being a narrow track through the trees.
Rinerhorn
Another smaller ski area is Rinerhorn, with buses from Davos Platz every ten minutes. After a short bus ride, take the gondola up the mountain to access the ski area. Rinerhorn is another quiet place to ski with empty, wide runs.
As Rinerhorn is lower than the other ski areas, a lot of the snow here is artificial, with all lifts being T-bars. Whilst I loved the uncrowded runs, I found the long drag lifts hard on the legs after several days of hard skiing.
Jakobshorn
Jakobshorn is the second largest ski area in the Davos Klosters mountains, with a total of fifty-five kilometres, with direct access via two cable cars from Davos Platz station. A small white gondola brings pedestrians back up to the entrance of the cable car.
The world’s first T-bar lift was opened in the Bolgen area in 1934. With the reputation of being the party mountain, Après Ski is big on Jakobshorn with the famous Jatzhütte. Freestyle skiers will enjoy the thrills of the Jatzpark. Pedestrians can take the lifts up to soak in the views and enjoy a tasty lunch on the mountain. The pistes are wide but often more crowded than other parts of the mountains.
Mountain Restaurants
The Joch Diamond restaurant at the top of Weissfluhjoch. Recently renovated for the opening of the top-level restaurant, it is the perfect place to stop for a bite to eat or a drink on the sunny terrace.
The views of the mountains and the pistes down to Davos from Joch Diamond are breathtaking; you will not want to leave.
Located at the top of the Gotschnabahn cable car, the Gotschnagrat restaurant is a handy place to take a break and sample tasty mountain dishes. I tucked into a rösti with bacon and fried egg here; it was a delicious, hearty meal after a morning on the slopes.
Situated on the side of the red run 49 down to the chairlift up to Gotschnagrat, this small outdoor café and bar is a good place to pause for a drink and admire the views over the mountains and the Valley of the Monks.
The Madrisa-Hof mountain restaurant is situated on a sunny plateau in the heart of the Madrisa ski area. The outdoor terrace rewards you with spectacular mountain views. Stop here for a coffee and a slice of freshly baked cake. The comfortable seats are perfect for resting your legs.
The mountain restaurant Hubelhütte, at an altitude of two thousand two hundred and eighty metres in Rinerhorn, has an open terrace with deckchairs laid out on the snow. This is a great spot to stop on a sunny day to enjoy the scenery.
The Jakobshorn area is well served with mountain restaurants. Choose one situated away from the top of the lifts to avoid the crowds. We stopped for lunch at the stylish Clavadeler Alp, conveniently located just above the Clavadeler Bubble chairlift.
Discovering the Ski areas
If you are a solo traveller, take advantage of a guide instructor from the Swiss Ski School in Davos. Wearing the bright blue and yellow uniform, the colours of the Davos Klosters Mountains, your guide is easy to follow. I spent an excellent day exploring the Parsenn area, including skiing down to Klosters with Thomas. A local guide will always know where to find the best snow and empty pistes.
I am a member of the Ski Club of Great Britain, one of the benefits being social skiing with a group in those resorts where there is a Ski Club GB Rep. Whilst I enjoy skiing alone, it is good to have the company of like-minded skiers. I spent two days with Mark Fenton, the Davos rep, and a small group of other skiers. We had a great time skiing in the ski areas of Parsenn, Rinerhorn, Jakobshorn and Madrisa. As a rep, Mark took the effort out of working out bus times and had good knowledge of the best places to stop in the mountains.
Central Sporthotel Davos Platz
I stayed at the Central Sporthotel in Davos Platz. As the name suggests, this family-run hotel is conveniently located close to the centre of Davos Platz, with good access to the shops, station, buses and the cable car up to Jakobshorn.
Ski Hire
As I was travelling by train from Zurich Airport, I decided not to take my own skis. I was provided with skis from Angerer Ski Shop on the main street. The service from Silvan was exceptional. This shop specialises in supplying top ski equipment. I was extremely happy with my skis as they were perfect for my ski ability.
If, like me, you haven’t skied in the Davos Klosters Mountains, you should consider a holiday there. A four-day skiing holiday was just right to give me a much-needed ski fix. The scenery in the Swiss Alps is spectacular; there is plenty of skiing, whatever your ability, with a good choice of mountain restaurants to stop for a drink or a delicious lunch.
Factbox
I booked my ski holiday to Davos with Inghams Ski, a brand I trust, having worked for them for several seasons. I knew what I was looking for, and every part of the process was straightforward. I flew from Heathrow, the closest airport to my house, then caught the train from Zurich Airport to Davos Platz station.
I was gifted a three-day regional lift pass, three days of ski hire and a day with my guide Thomas from the Swiss Ski School in Davos.
For more information on ski lessons, guiding and group lessons in Davos, visit Swiss Ski School Davos.
When you buy a lift pass for three days or more, you automatically get a full regional pass with access to all of the ski areas. Click here for more details.
Davos Klosters Mountains is a great resource to discover more about the ski area.
If you are looking for inspiration for your next ski holiday, check out our Top ski resorts in Europe feature.
