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Davos
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Twinned with Aspen, Colorado,
DAVOS
isn't so much a resort as a full-blown town, way up at 1560m. Its two halves, Davos-Platz and Davos-Dorf, are strung along a 4km ribbon of low-key development: Platz (to the west) is where most hotels and amenities are; Dorf (to the east) is where locals take refuge; and between the two is the giant Congress Centre, where every January political and business leaders of the World Economic Forum meet to discuss global cashflow, regularly sparking anticapitalist demos in the process. Davos is most famous for its toothpaste-fresh air and its consistently excellent snow cover, and has recently gained new life (and hipness) with the seal of approval of Switzerland's snowboarding cognoscenti. In summer, hotel prices plummet and the town becomes the hub of some beautiful walking trails. There are many routes up the slopes on both sides of the valley. The
Parsennbahn
funicular (
www.parsenn.ch
) heads from near Dorf station up the
Weissfluh
, the mountain which dominates the resort, terminating at the Weissfluhjoch, a col below the summit; from here, a cable car runs to the top, or the invigorating walk down takes a couple of hours. The
Schatzalpbahn
runs from behind the tourist office up into fragrant woods, where you'll find the
Alpinum
flower garden in summer (May-Sept daily 9am-5pm; Sfr3) and an excellent, free 2.5km toboggan run in winter. Focus of winter snowboarding is the
Jakobshorn
(
www.fun-mountain.ch
), rising south of Platz station, with good slopes and a half-pipe, plus long, scenic summer walking trails. There are dozens of easier walks, especially in the meadows and woods around the small
Davosersee
lake, a short distance east of Dorf, or you could
rent bikes
from Dorf station or a handful of sports shops around town. A huge open-air
ice rink
forms in winter in the large, central Sportzentrum. Some 2km east of Platz along the main street, Promenade, is the
Kirchner Museum
(Christmas-Easter & July-Sept Tues-Sun 10am-noon & 2-6pm; rest of year Tues-Sun 2-6pm; Sfr8), displaying vibrant works by the German Expressionist painter Ernst Ludwig Kirchner.
Trains stop at both Davos-Dorf and Davos-Platz, although postbuses direct from Chur can be faster. There are
tourist offices
opposite Dorf station and at Promenade 67 in Platz (both Mon-Fri 8.30am-6pm, Sat 8.30am-4/5pm; Dec-March also Sun 10am-noon; tel 081/415 21 21,
www.davos.ch
). A Guest Card gives free use of buses and trains between Platz and Dorf, and along 15km of the valley floor; this makes it easy to reach the
HI hostel
Hohwald
, overlooking Davosersee (tel 081/416 14 84,
www.youthhostel.ch
; ?5-10/$8-16; bus #6/11 to Seebuhl). The
Sportzentrum
beside the stadium has dorms (tel 081/415 36 36; ?15-20/$24-32), while the riverside
Farich
campsite
(tel 081/416 10 43) is ten minutes' walk from Dorf towards the Fluelapass. Other useful information
for tourists (each section contains more specific sub-sections): |
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Switzerland,
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