Klosters Village Guide 2026

Klosters at a glance

Photos via Google. Contributed by Dominik Schwaiger, Hans-Peter Dotter, Welt Reisen.

What Klosters is really like

Klosters and Davos share the same big mountains but could not feel more different as places to stay. Davos is a busy, functional town; Klosters is a pretty, low key chalet village that has quietly drawn royalty and discerning regulars for generations and wears its status lightly. There is no flash here, no parade of logos, just handsome timber buildings, good hotels and restaurants, and a calm that the people who love Klosters guard jealously.

From the village the Gotschna cable car lifts you onto the Parsenn, one of the great ski mountains of the Alps, and a separate lift accesses the gentler, sunnier Madrisa. You get serious, varied terrain and the run of the whole Davos Klosters area, then come home to a village that feels like a village rather than a resort. For the full breakdown of terrain and ratings see our Klosters ski resort review.

Where to stay in Klosters

Klosters comes in two parts. Klosters Platz is the main hub, gathered around the railway station and the Gotschna cable car onto the Parsenn, with the best concentration of hotels, restaurants and shops and the easiest access to the headline skiing. Klosters Dorf is the smaller, quieter satellite just down the valley, home to the Madrisa lift and a good choice for families who want that gentler mountain on the doorstep. Most first time visitors should aim for Platz for convenience and life.

Accommodation leans upmarket and traditional, with a strong line in comfortable and luxurious hotels and smart chalets, reflecting the village's refined reputation. Expect most stays to sit in the $2,000 to $4,000 per person band, with the finest hotels and chalets reaching $4,000 to $8,000. The skiing is not generally ski in ski out from the door; you make a short walk or bus ride to the Gotschna or Madrisa lifts, which is the price of the village charm. Use the short form below to have your dates and group priced quickly.

Get chalet and lodging quotes

For a faster quote on where to stay in Klosters, send the short form below and operators who know Davos Klosters will price your dates and group, including the choice between busy Klosters Platz and family friendly Klosters Dorf.

Riding from the village

The skiing is the real reason Klosters punches above its quiet reputation. From the Gotschna cable car you reach the Parsenn, a vast, high mountain of long, sweeping descents, including the legendary runs all the way down to Klosters and the valley villages that drop well over a thousand meters of vertical in one glorious go. The full Davos Klosters pass adds Jakobshorn, Pischa and the rest, around 300 km in total, so there is more terrain than most people can cover in a week.

For freeriders and strong skiers this is a serious mountain. The Gotschna and the off piste flanks of the Parsenn hold excellent powder and challenging lines, and the area has a real big mountain feel, which is why it draws committed riders alongside the gentle crowd. Madrisa, by contrast, is the sunny, family friendly mountain with gentle cruising, a good park and some of the easiest learning terrain, ideal for children and a relaxed day. Boarders do well across the area, with the high terrain and the Jakobshorn freestyle scene over in Davos within reach. The one honest catch is that the area is spread across separate mountains, so linking them by ski and train takes planning and time.

Apres ski and evenings

Klosters keeps its evenings calm and civilized, which is exactly the point. There are good restaurants, characterful bars and excellent hotel dining, and the mood is relaxed and grown up rather than rowdy. A drink by the fire and a fine dinner are the order of the day, not a night of dancing on tables.

If you want a big party scene, Klosters is deliberately the wrong choice, and the livelier bars and clubs of Davos are a short train ride away when you fancy a bigger night. For couples, families and groups who want quality and quiet in the evening, the village is a refined pleasure.

For families and non skiers

Klosters is a strong family choice, especially with Madrisa as your home mountain. Madrisa is sunny, gentle and well set up for children, with easy learning terrain and family facilities, and basing in quiet Klosters Dorf puts it on the doorstep. The village itself is calm and safe, and ski school is excellent. For how the area compares, see our pick of the best family ski resorts in Switzerland.

Non skiers are well served for such a peaceful place. There is winter walking on prepared trails, sledding, the scenic mountain railways and the easy charm of the village to fill a day, plus the option of a train trip into Davos for shopping, skating or its wider facilities. A non skier who likes a quiet, pretty base will be content here, though those wanting constant activity may find it sleepy.

Getting around

Klosters is easy to move around despite being spread between Platz and Dorf. A free ski bus and the frequent local train link the two parts of the village and connect on to Davos, so reaching the Gotschna, Madrisa and the wider area is straightforward without a car. The village is walkable within each part, and the railway is genuinely useful here, tying the whole Davos Klosters region together. A car helps for the transfer and wider exploring but is not needed day to day.

Getting there

Klosters is one of the more convenient big Swiss resorts to reach. Zurich is roughly a 1.5 to 2 hour journey, and the standout option is the train: Klosters has its own station on a direct line, so you can travel from the airport to the village almost entirely by rail, stepping off close to the Gotschna cable car. Driving is straightforward too, over the Prattigau valley road. Arrange transfers or rail help through our transfer partner, and put cover in place through our travel insurance partner before you travel. For the wider picture see our guide to ski resorts near Zurich.

Lift passes, lessons and ski hire

The full Davos Klosters pass is around $80 a day and is the one to buy, since it opens the Parsenn, Madrisa, Jakobshorn and the rest of the roughly 300 km area on a single ticket. A cheaper option covering just the Klosters mountains exists for those who will stay local, but most visitors want the full run of the region. Compare current pass options through our lift pass partner, book lessons or a guide through our lessons partner, and sort skis or a board through our ski hire partner before you arrive to skip the queues.

When to go

Klosters skis well right across the season thanks to the height of the Parsenn. January and February bring the coldest, most reliable snow and the best powder on the Gotschna and the high Parsenn flanks, the prime time for freeriders. March and April offer long, sunny days that suit the gentle Madrisa mountain and a relaxed family pace, with the high terrain holding good snow later than the valley runs. The famous long descents to the valley are best earlier in the season or after a good snowfall, since their lower sections depend on cover. Whenever you visit, the Parsenn rewards an early start to enjoy the long top to bottom runs in good light.

The honest bottom line

Klosters is the connoisseur's way to ski Davos Klosters. For intermediates, experts, freeriders and families who want around 300 km of serious, varied terrain led by the magnificent Parsenn, wrapped in a pretty, peaceful, upmarket village rather than a busy town, it is one of the most quietly rewarding bases in the Alps.

The honest trade off is pace and convenience. Klosters is deliberately sedate, the lifts sit a short walk or ride from the chalets, the area is spread across separate mountains that take time to link, and the upmarket tone is reflected in the prices. If you want lively apres, doorstep ski in ski out or a budget week, look elsewhere. If you want big skiing and a refined, calm village, Klosters is hard to better. If you want this trip priced by specialists, tell us your dates and budget below and we will route your brief to operators who know Davos Klosters.

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