Davos has welcomed wanderers for centuries and it's the perfect spot for a summer holiday in the Swiss mountains. It’s known as Tavau in Romansh - the language of the people who founded the town in the Middle Ages. Several centuries later, it was reinvented as a mountain health resort that cared for the likes of Robert Louis Stevenson and became a centre for speed skating and ice hockey in the snow-laden winters. Come summer, the mountain slopes shed their snow and it’s the turn of the hikers and bikers. Walking holidays to Davos are your chance to explore some of the 700 kilometres’ worth of trails around here – as well as the local rail network which includes the incomparably scenic Bernina Express.
Davos: the little city determined to change the world
Davos has always been a little place with big ambitions, going from Middle Age village to star-studded health resort to a darling of the ski world. These days, it hosts the World Economic Forum and is home to world-class research centres for everything from allergies to avalanches. And yet it still feels like a small town. You can walk from one end of Davos to the other in less than an hour… if you manage to resist the art galleries, restaurants, spas, historic forest cemetery and lake in-between, that is.
Easy escapes into nature
You don’t have to go far to get out into nature. The Landwasser river runs through Davos and the lake glimmers at the city’s northern edge - peacock-blue waters filled with sailing boats, wakeboarders, pedalos and paddle boarders. Stroll the water’s edge to admire the forested foothills and mountains layered beyond. Footpaths and a funicular clamber up to the Schatzalp alpine gardens, which showcase herbs, kitchen vegetables, wildflowers and botanical plants from around the world - as well as beautiful views and walking trails, of course.
Walser valleys and historic wine routes
For adventures a little further afield, jump aboard the buses and distinctive scarlet trains that chug through the green valleys. You can choose from easy valley rambles such as Sertig - where the Walser people settled in the 13th century, building distinctive wooden farmsteads that are still working farms today - or choose a more challenging hike to see the lakes set high in the wild glacial valleys.
The long-distance Via Valtellina route also runs through Davos. This vital pack mule route once kept towns en route supplied with wine from the Valtellina region over the Italian border. The section that runs south from Davos leads through peaceful valleys and – if you’re feeling energetic – to the Scaletta Pass, the highest point of the route at just over 2,000 metres. These trails are also a hit with mountain bikers; in fact, the Davos region is one of the best places for mountain biking in Switzerland.
The Flüela Valley: from families to sunset chasers
Davos Adventure Park lays out zip lines, high ropes and tree-top challenges amongst the forests at the mouth of the Flüela Valley, along with pump tracks and a skatebowl. Continue up the valley, and you’ll come across a high mountain pass that marks the drainage divide between the Rhine and Danube rivers. It’s spectacular up there at any time of day, but really shines at sunrise and sunset.
The Flüela Pass is also the start of walks to the Jöriseen lakes – bright turquoise jewels set into dramatically bleak mountain plateaus. Alternatively, hop on a bike and pedal to the scenic hut at Alp Sardasca, cutting down a three-hour hike to a 1.5-hour bike ride. Best of all, the zoom back downhill only takes 45 minutes.
Why book a summer holiday in Davos with Inghams?
At Inghams, we do walking holidays differently. With no fixed itinerary, you have more time in your destination and the freedom to walk as much or as little as you like, discovering some of the Graubünden region's best walking routes and activities at your own pace.
With 90 years of outdoor travel experience, our holiday packages to Davos include flights, transfers, and accommodation, so you can relax and leave the small details to us. Our experts can help you choose the best holiday for you, and our team overseas can give you the inside scoop on how to spend your time away with us.
