Top 5 Winter Activities in Davos

A pioneer for mountain activities, Davos has an exciting array of winter amusements on and off the slopes.

Serena Norton

Published:13 Nov 2020

Last update:4 Feb 2025

The highest town in Europe at 1,560m above sea level, it comes as no surprise that Davos was an early trendsetter regarding winter activities in the mountains. As the home of the oldest ice hockey tournament in the world (Spengler Cup) and with the first historic sledge race taking place in Davos in 1883, winter activities have always been a huge part of Davos’ history. Today there are numerous activities to enjoy on and off the piste.

1. Fly headfirst down the hill on an airboard

Ever dreamt of surfing on snow? Well, now you can with the unique activity of airboarding in Davos which takes place on the slopes of Pischa. Lie down on your inflatable sledge and off you zoom, steering by shifting your weight left and right. This is effectively body boarding on snow and unlike skiing and snowboarding in Davos, does not require a great deal of skill so anyone can have a go.

There are four marked pistes leading into the valley where you can airboard and boards are available to rent at the Pischa valley station for CHF 35 per day. Two hour sessions with a guide for up to eight people are available at CHF 80.

STAY: Tivoli Lodge - Situated just 200 metres from the ski lifts, head to the slopes from this beautiful chalet to try airboarding.

Tobogganing in Davos — DDO/Stefan Schlumpf

2. Race each other down the slopes on a toboggan

Hosting the first official toboggan race in 1883, Davos is the cradle of international tobogganing with over eight toboggan runs to race each other down. With steep turns and 33 bends, children and adults alike will love the fast pace of the 3.7 km long sledge run at Rinerhorn. On Wednesday and Friday evenings, you can toboggan by the light of the moon with the sledge run open from 7 pm to 11 pm.

Another classic run is the Schatzalp, a 2.8 km prepared run situated 300 vertical metres above Davos. Sledgers will have to negotiate 18 corners through the magical forest of the Shatzalp down towards Davos Platz.

STAY: Penthouse Elbert Lodge - Located on Oberwiesstrasse, Elbert Lodge is just short walk from the boutiques, restaurants, train station and cable cars.

3. Discover the secrets behind local produce

If you enjoy the taste of mountain cheeses or a cold refreshing local craft beer, then why not take a peek behind the scenes and discover how these local products are created.

BierVision Monstein is the highest brewery in Switzerland with a show brewery in the idyllic village of Monstein. Made from crystal-clear Monstein spring water, Swiss hops and spicy malt, visitors can try this award-winning beer, take a guided tour and even brew their own Monstein beer during a brewing seminar. For another beer-related experience, the Davos Craft Beer Brewery offers 1.5 tours by appointment with extensive tasting of the handcrafted beers.

4. Take to the ice at Davos Sports Centre

All forms of ice sports are available at Davos’ modern sports centre. Situated in the centre of Davos, the centre encompasses the famous Vaillant Arena (Eisstadion Davos) where many ice hockey competitions take place, including the Spengler Cup, as well as a Training Centre for lessons.

Try your hand at curling, Bavarian curling, ice hockey or figure skating. Speed skating is also possible at ‘World of Ice’ on an oval ice track surrounding the ice hockey field.

STAY: Chalet Chocolate Box - Located in Davos Dorf, this chalet is just a 5 minute drive from the World of Ice.

Paragliding in Davos — Martin Heckmeier/Air Davos Paragliding

5. Experience the thrill of paragliding

Fly like a bird over the magnificent mountain ranges as you enjoy a tandem paragliding flight. There are six paragliding providers in Davos with various take-off points on Parsenn, Gotschna and Jakobshorn. Air Davos offer a panoramic flight with breathtaking mountain views starting at CHF 170 (including photos and a video). The flight takes between 15 and 35 minutes depending on the upwind and thermal.

STAY: Chalet Jakobshorn- For further impressive views over Davos, stay at this beautiful stand-alone mountain escape.

Experience winter in Davos stay in one of our luxury ski chalets.

Luxury Chalets in Davos

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