The train holds a unique fascination for human beings, even from childhood. It’s not just a means of transportation; it’s a suspended place where time seems to slow down. It almost seems like a metaphor for life: you get on, you cross the world, you have encounters that last a minute or a lifetime, and then you get off.
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Davos Klosters: Sports, nature, and culture in the Swiss Alps
Davos, which began developing in the late Middle Ages, has continued to evolve into a place brimming with attractions. Around 1200, it was the largest Walser settlement in eastern Switzerland. By the late 19th century, thanks to its high-valley microclimate, it had become a hub for tuberculosis sanatoriums. It later became one of Europe’s most famous ski resorts, also frequented by English and Dutch tourists.
While the construction of a modern conference center in 1969 sparked the promotion of conference tourism, culminating in the annual World Economic Forum, the sporting vocation that began with skiing has evolved into a myriad of options suited to every need and level of experience.
Pietro will be our guide for this day and a half in Davos Kosters and already the moment he welcomes us at the Davos Platz station he makes things clear: “Tomorrow we will focus on sports activities.”
A delicious dinner and a restful night at the splendid Alpine Inn Hotel completely recharged our batteries, and the next morning, with sunshine only visible in the mountains, we were ready to tackle this active day.
E-MTB in the Dischma Valley: one of the most beautiful routes in Davos Klosters
After renting two brand new full-suspension eMTBs, we leave the town of Davos behind us, pass the 18-hole golf course (there is another 9-hole course in Klosters) and head into the wonderful Dischma valley.
As dynamic and vibrant as Davos is, here, just 20 minutes away by eMTB, peace reigns supreme. Meadows as far as the eye can see, a stream, the soaring peaks nearing 3,000 meters: the Borterhorn to the west and the Schwarzhorn to the east, and the Scalettahorn closing the valley to the southeast. While in winter this is the realm of ski mountaineering, in summer it becomes a destination for trekking and mountain biking enthusiasts.
The route we’re taking is part of the Hüttentour, a very long route that ends, or begins, in Filisur. Don’t worry, we’ll be hiking much less than half of it.
We take it easy, enraptured by the surrounding landscape, and seize every opportunity to stop to take photos and shoot videos. Pietro explains that on this route, as on others, due to the terrain and altitude, several national athletes train during the summer season, and in fact we often whizz past cyclists or rollerskaters who have little in common with our tourist pace.
The Durrboden refuge marks the end of the paved road and our uphill journey. A good coffee, some water to quench our thirst, and we set off onto the dirt trail for the descent.
Low seat, open suspension. It’s impossible not to get excited when tackling a descent like this: whoops, switchbacks, and fords alternate between open sections dotted with rhododendrons and pastures, and forested sections shaded by larches and firs.
We enjoy this single-track with the right mix of adrenaline and peace, it’s been a long time since I’ve been on an eMTB and what better place to start again than in Davos-Klosters.
Adventure Park Davos: suspended courses, zip lines, and fun for everyone.
A couple of kilometers from the center of Davos we turn northeast towards the lake, entering the valley that leads to the Flüela Pass.
Hunger is building, and a stop under the trees at Chalet Velo is ideal to satisfy it, with a well-deserved hamburger and potatoes.
In addition to the very comprehensive skate parks and bike parks, which we won’t be exploring due to age restrictions, Adventure Park Davos offers a series of incredible aerial courses with increasing difficulty levels, from green to black.
We start right away by having a guide explain how the safety kits work, which, unlike via ferrata kits, offer a truly careless magnetic attachment and release system. Then we’re ready to try our first route. “Pietro, you go first, while I try to regain control.”
Looking around we see several children (you can recognize them by the relaxed and joyful way they climb), but there are many adults like us, who with a little more than average apprehension are having a blast.
We climb, we launch ourselves on zip-lines, we tackle passages on all sorts of improbable “Tibetan bridges” but no, I’m sorry but I’ll leave the black course and the bungee jump to others.
The light is already turning orange as we head back toward the city center, with a short detour to the lake first. Even on this turquoise body of water, there’s plenty of sporting activity to be had: wingfoilers and wakeboarders (thanks to the 190-meter cable), windsurfers, and paddleboarders enjoy the last rays of the sun, treating tourists to a spectacle of sport and color. We return to the hotel; tomorrow is our last intense day.
Landwasserwelt and Landwasser Viaduct: the symbol of the Rhaetian Railway
At ten in the morning, we bid farewell to our guide and board the historic train headed for Filisur. The sun is shining again today, so we alternate between the comfortable first-class carriage and the open panoramic carriage, not wanting to miss a single view.
After leaving our luggage at the storage room, we board the Landwasser Express, the rubber-tyred train that will take us to discover the last (but not least) attraction of our trip.
The name of the means of transport suggests the destination and, more importantly, introduces us to the Landwasserwelt (the world of Landwasser), five experiential worlds to explore: railway, culture, forest, and water, an exclusive experience for adults and children. We ride the train through the village of Filisur, and after a dirt road through the forest, the Ladwasser Viaduct appears in all its majesty, 65 meters of stone arches arranged in a circular arc, the last and most important masterpiece of engineering of the Rhaetian Railway. All that remains is to wait, but we won’t have to wait for long, for the arrival of a little Albula train that, like a seasoned stage actor, enters the stage to receive applause. With our eyes still filled with wonder, we board the first of the little red trains that will take us first to St. Moritz and then on to Tirano in Italy. Hours of unique views still await us, the wonder and relaxation that only a train journey through the mountains can provide.
