Klosters Switzerland

Friendly and quaint Klosters was the destination of my first ski experience in the Swiss Alps. The village of Klosters is situated in Davos/Klosters ski region in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. During my stay I skied Parsenn and Jakobshorn mountains in Davos/Klosters, and had a wonderful day trip to the smaller Scuol Motta Naluns ski resort.

The area is dotted with small villages, the larger towns of Davos and Kloster being the exception. On the ski mountains it appears you are on top of the world, white jagged peaks stretch into the distance in all directions. The place has a fun and peaceful vibe with a remote feel that seems far away from the stress and pace of the modern world. Yet from Zurich it is an easy 90 miles by train ride to Klosters Platz.

Klosters Platz

Parsenn is the favorite mountain in the ski area and straddles both Klosters and the larger town of Davos. From Klosters, Parsenn is easily accessed by the large Gotschna cable car. Parsenn offers a vast amount of ski terrain with long wide open runs above tree line. You can ski all the way to Davos on Parsenn. Davos has a ski train, the Parsennbahn funicular, to take you back up the mountain.  I highly recommend Berghaus Alte Schwendi on the mountain for lunch or a ski break.  Schwendi has a cozy terrace where you can to soak up the sun and take in the view.

Parsenn Mountain, looking down toward Davos

A popular way to end the day is ski the 12 km trail down through the forest to the hamlet of Kublis. From Kublis you hop on the train to get back to Klosters. The trail is narrow at times, I found it to be more like a downhill cross country ski experience. By accident I also ended up in another small village that was not lift served one day. A local bus eventually came by and took be back to Klosters, so no worries.

Sunny day on Jakobshorn Mountain

Jakobshorn is another fun mountain, it seems to be popular with the younger crowd and snowboarders. While it took several days to explore all the terrain of Parsenn, in one day I was able to ski most of Jakobshorn.

Scuol – Motta Naluns.

Motta Naluns above the town of Scuol is a Swiss treasure. With 50 miles of ski trails and 4000 ft vertical it is not small, yet has the charm of a locals only, small village ski mountain. The long Traumpiste run (dream slope) down to the village of Sent is the perfect way to end the day. From Sent a ski bus will take you back to Scuol.

Scuol – waiting for the bus back after skiing down to Sent on the dream slope.

A highlight of the day was visiting the nearby Tarasp Castle after skiing. The walk uphill to this impressive fortress is well worth it. Tours are limited so plan in advance. Getting there – Scuol is an easy train ride from Klosters. Tarasp is a very short ride on the local bus in Scuol.

Links:  Davos Klosters Ski Region
     Scuol Mottal Naluns