Davos

Davos. A high-altitude town in the Swiss Alps, located within the canton of Grisons. It is internationally renowned as the host of the World Economic Forum annual meeting and as a major destination for winter sports and alpine tourism. The municipality encompasses the distinct villages of Davos Dorf and Davos Platz, situated along the Landwasser river in the Prättigau valley.

Geography and climate

Situated on the Landwasser river in the Prättigau valley, the town lies at an elevation of approximately 1,560 meters, making it the highest city in the Alps. The surrounding area is dominated by prominent peaks such as the Jakobshorn, Parsenn, and Schatzalp, which form part of the extensive Rhaetian Alps. This high-altitude location results in a typical alpine climate characterized by cold, snowy winters and cool, moderately sunny summers, with reliable snow cover that has been central to its development. The topography includes the adjacent Lake Davos, a reservoir created by the construction of a dam on the Landwasser, which is used for hydroelectric power and recreation.

History

Originally a remote Romansh-speaking farming community, its modern history began in the 19th century when Alexander Spengler, a German physician, identified its dry mountain air as therapeutic for pulmonary diseases. This led to the establishment of numerous sanatoriums, including the famous Schatzalp sanatorium, transforming it into a leading European health resort. The arrival of the Rhaetian Railway in 1890 dramatically improved accessibility, facilitating its evolution from a therapeutic center to a tourist destination. Throughout the 20th century, it gained prominence in winter sports, hosting events like the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2009, and cemented its global status with the founding of the World Economic Forum by Klaus Schwab in 1971.

Economy and tourism

The local economy is overwhelmingly driven by tourism, centered on both winter sports and summer alpine activities. It forms a key part of the extensive Parsenn ski area, one of the largest in Switzerland, and also offers renowned cross-country skiing trails and facilities for ice hockey on the natural Lake Davos. Beyond skiing, the resort attracts visitors for hiking, mountain biking, and conferences, with major infrastructure including the Davos Congress Centre and the Europa-Park resort complex. Other significant economic activities include some light industry, medical research linked to its historical sanatoriums, and hydropower generation from local rivers and reservoirs.

Culture and events

It is globally synonymous with the annual January meeting of the World Economic Forum, which attracts international leaders from politics, business, and academia to the Davos Congress Centre. The town hosts significant sporting events like the Spitex Cup in cross-country skiing and has a strong cultural scene featuring the Davos Festival for classical music and the Ernst Ludwig Kirchner museum, dedicated to the famous German expressionist painter who lived and worked there. Traditional customs of the Grisons region, such as Chalandamarz, are still observed, and the local dialect is a variant of Swiss German.

Transport

Access is primarily provided by the Rhaetian Railway, which connects it to the rest of the Swiss Federal Railways network via the Albula Railway line to Filisur and onward to Chur. The town is also served by the Davos Platz railway station and the Davos Dorf railway station, with the famous Bernina Express passing through the region. Road access is via the Flüelapass and the main highway from Landquart, while local transport includes an extensive network of buses and cable cars, such as the Parsennbahn and Jakobshornbahn, linking the town to the ski areas. The nearest international airports are in Zürich and St. Gallen-Altenrhein Airport.

Category:Resorts in Switzerland Category:Municipalities of the canton of Grisons