Switzerland
Davos Platz sits at 1,560 meters in the Swiss canton of Graubünden—one of the highest towns in Europe and a place that has attracted the world's attention for reasons both sporting and cerebral. Before the World Economic Forum made "Davos" synonymous with global power brokering, this Alpine valley town was renowned as a tuberculosis sanatorium destination, its thin, dry air prescribed as a cure for lung disease by German physician Alexander Spengler in the 1860s. Thomas Mann immortalized the sanatorium experience in The Magic Mountain, set in a thinly veiled Davos that captured the peculiar, time-suspended quality of convalescent life at altitude. Today, the tuberculosis sanatoria have been converted into luxury hotels, the Forum convenes each January in the Congress Centre, and Davos has reinvented itself as a year-round Alpine destination of genuine distinction.
The town stretches along the Landwasser valley in two connected sections: Davos Platz (the main commercial center) and Davos Dorf (the village, closer to the ski areas). The Kirchner Museum, named for the German Expressionist Ernst Ludwig Kirchner who spent his final years in Davos, houses the world's largest collection of his Alpine-period works—intense, color-saturated paintings of the surrounding mountains that capture the psychological impact of this landscape with extraordinary power. The Winterpromenade and Summerpromenade trace scenic paths through the valley, connecting the two town centers through a landscape of meadows, forests, and traditional Walser farmhouses. The ice rink at Davos—Europe's largest natural ice rink—has hosted speed skating championships since 1896 and remains a winter gathering place of genuine community character.
Swiss mountain cuisine in Davos draws from the Graubünden tradition, one of the most distinctive regional food cultures in Switzerland. Capuns—chard leaves stuffed with a mixture of spaetzle dough, dried meat, and sausage, baked in cream—are the quintessential Graubünden comfort food. Bündnerfleisch, air-dried beef sliced paper-thin, is produced in the valley's dry mountain air and served as an appetizer alongside local cheeses and crusty bread. Pizzoccheri, buckwheat pasta layered with potatoes, cabbage, and melted Valtellina cheese, reflects the Italian influence that seeps across the nearby border. Fondue and raclette are winter staples, served in wood-paneled Stuben (traditional dining rooms) warmed by tiled ovens. The nearby Flüela and Albula passes are dotted with mountain restaurants—Bergrestaurants—where the combination of altitude, exertion, and spectacular views makes even simple dishes taste exceptional.
The mountain environment surrounding Davos offers adventure across all four seasons. In winter, the Parsenn ski area—shared with Klosters, the Prince of Wales's preferred Swiss resort—offers 300 kilometers of marked runs across a vast Alpine terrain, with the legendary Parsenn descent dropping over 2,000 vertical meters from the Weissfluhjoch to the valley floor. In summer, the same mountains transform into a network of hiking trails ranging from gentle valley walks to challenging Alpine crossings, with the Jakobshorn and Schatzalp accessible by cable car and funicular respectively. The nearby Flüela Pass leads to the Engadin valley and St. Moritz, while the Albula Pass route—which the Rhaetian Railway follows on its UNESCO-listed route through engineering marvels of viaducts and spiral tunnels—ranks among the most scenic drives in Switzerland. Cross-country skiing, ice climbing, mountain biking, and paragliding complete a year-round portfolio of outdoor pursuits.
Tauck features Davos Platz on its Swiss Alps and Alpine touring itineraries, recognizing the town's unique combination of cultural sophistication, mountain grandeur, and excellent infrastructure. The town is accessible by road, rail (the Rhaetian Railway connects Davos to the Swiss rail network via Landquart), and helicopter. Summer (June–September) offers the most comfortable temperatures for hiking and sightseeing, with long days and wildflower-covered meadows. Winter (December–March) is prime ski season, with reliable snow cover and festive atmosphere. The shoulder seasons of May and October bring smaller crowds and dramatic mountain transitions—late spring snow melt and autumn's golden larch forests respectively. Davos proves that a mountain town can be simultaneously a center of global influence, a shrine to Expressionist art, a world-class sports destination, and a community where a morning walk along the Promenade still begins with the sound of cowbells in Alpine pastures.