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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 Höhwald , overlooking Davosersee (tel 081/416 14
84, www.youthhostel.ch ; £5-10/$8-16; bus #6/11 to Seebühl). The
Sportzentrum beside the stadium has dorms (tel 081/415 36 36;
£15-20/$24-32), while the riverside Färich campsite (tel 081/416 10 43)
is ten minutes' walk from Dorf towards the Flüelapass.
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