Graubunden
Graubunden is Switzerland's largest ski canton and its most complete. St. Moritz brings the glamour and the sunshine, Davos Klosters brings serious mileage and freeride history, Laax owns the freestyle scene, and Arosa Lenzerheide quietly serves families better than any of them. The valleys are high, the snow is reliable by Swiss standards, and the trains run everywhere. Pick the resort by personality, not by the piste map, and Graubunden rarely disappoints.
Last reviewed April 2026
One canton, four personalities
Graubunden fills the southeastern corner of Switzerland, a knot of high valleys where the locals speak German, Italian and Romansh and the resorts grew up around spa towns and mountaineering villages. Unlike the French mega circuits, the ski areas here stand apart from each other: Davos Klosters with around 300 km across several sectors, St. Moritz with its sun soaked Corviglia and Corvatsch mountains, Laax with modern lifts and Europe's best parks, and Arosa Lenzerheide linked by cable car across the Urdental.
What unites them is altitude and infrastructure. Most skiing sits between roughly 1,200 and 3,000 m, higher than most of Austria, and the Rhaetian Railway threads the whole canton, so you can run this entire region without a car. This is where winter tourism was more or less invented, and it shows in the hotel stock.
Where to base yourself
Four main choices, each with a different temperament. The honest read on each, with links to the full reviews where we have them.
| Resort | Skiing | Best for | The verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Moritz | around 350 km on the Engadin pass | Glamour, sunshine, non skiers | The birthplace of winter tourism, sunny cruising and grand hotels, at grand prices. |
| Davos Klosters | around 300 km across several sectors | Mileage hunters and freeriders | A real town with serious skiing; Klosters adds the village charm Davos lacks. |
| Laax | around 220 km with Flims and Falera | Freestylers and modern comfort | The best parks and lift system in Switzerland, a young crowd, glacier up top. |
| Arosa Lenzerheide | around 225 km linked by cable car | Families and quiet weeks | Sheltered, friendly and underrated; the family pick of the canton. |
| Scuol | around 80 km in the Lower Engadin | Spa lovers and quiet skiers | Romansh culture, thermal baths and honest local skiing without the show. |
Davos and Klosters share one lift network and one review; read the Davos Klosters review and the deeper Davos Klosters area guide. For the St. Moritz decision, our Davos vs St. Moritz comparison settles it in one read.
Is Graubunden right for you?
Come here if you value reliable snow, uncrowded pistes by Alpine standards, and resorts with character that runs deeper than the lift system. Intermediates get the best of it everywhere, families should look at Arosa Lenzerheide first, experts will find the freeride culture around Davos and the Diavolezza steeps near St. Moritz, and non skiers are better served here, between the trains, spas and frozen lake events, than almost anywhere in the Alps.
Skip it if you want one giant linked circuit, doorstep apres mayhem, or bargain prices. The areas are large but separate, the nightlife is civilized rather than wild, and Swiss costs apply throughout. Austria beats it on noise and price; little beats it on breadth and polish. For the national picture, read our Switzerland country guide.
Getting there and getting around
Zurich is the gateway. Chur, the canton's capital, is roughly 90 minutes by train from Zurich airport, with Laax a short bus beyond, Davos and Arosa around two to two and a half hours total, and St. Moritz around three to three and a half by the scenic rail lines. Driving takes similar time; the Vereina car train shortcuts the Fluela pass to the Engadin in winter.
Day passes run around $75 to $95 depending on the resort, with multi day and regional cards cheaper per day. The hotel guest cards in several valleys bundle lift or transport perks, so check before you buy passes separately.
Book the extras and save
Lift passes, airport transfers and lessons are where a trip quietly leaks money. Booking ahead almost always beats the resort window price.
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Which is the best ski resort in Graubunden?
For most skiers, Davos Klosters, for the sheer breadth of terrain and the choice between town convenience and village charm. St. Moritz wins for glamour and sunshine, Laax for parks and modern lifts, and Arosa Lenzerheide for families.
Is Graubunden snow sure?
By Alpine standards, yes. Most skiing sits between roughly 1,200 and 3,000 m, the Engadin's dry climate keeps the snow cold, and the season runs from late November into April at the main resorts, longer on the high slopes above St. Moritz and Laax.
How do I get to Graubunden from Zurich?
By train via Chur, roughly 90 minutes from Zurich airport, then on to Laax, Arosa, Davos or St. Moritz. Total journeys run from about two hours to Laax up to three and a half to St. Moritz. The rail connections are good enough that most visitors skip the car entirely.
How expensive is skiing in Graubunden?
It is Switzerland, so plan accordingly: day passes around $75 to $95, mountain lunches that add up, and a comfortable week typically in the $2,000 to $4,000 band per person, rising fast at the grand hotels of St. Moritz. Scuol and Lenzerheide are the gentler bills.
Are the Graubunden ski areas linked together?
No single pass links the whole canton on snow. Arosa and Lenzerheide are linked by cable car, Davos and Klosters share one network, and St. Moritz spreads across several Engadin mountains under one pass. You choose a base and ski its area rather than touring between resorts.
Which Graubunden resort is best for non skiers?
St. Moritz, without much argument: frozen lake polo and racing, the Cresta Run, grand hotel spas and the Bernina and Glacier Express rail lines. Scuol's thermal baths and Arosa's winter walking trails are strong second choices.
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