Davos: There’s More to This Swiss Town than the World Economic Forum

It’s like SXSW in the snow. 

That’s an analogy I often use when I try to explain the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland. It only really works for someone who lives in Austin, Texas, and has seen how the SXSW Conference and Festivals take over and transform our downtown. The bar you might have hung out in with your friends on one night suddenly turns into the Land O’Lakes immersive, Instagram-able lounge the next.

Similarly, along Davos’ main shopping street, the Promenade, today’s shoe store becomes tomorrow’s Salesforce experiential lounge with panels of corporate executives discussing the big topics of the day. The name Davos itself has almost become an eponym for WEF’s Annual Meeting, much like Kleenex has become a generic term for facial tissue.

Thanks to my former employer’s strategic partnership with WEF, I was able to witness Davos’ transformation from a quiet Alpine ski town to a gathering place of celebrities and world leaders – complete with rooftop snipers to ensure the safety of high-ranking government officials. I even got to be there the one and only time that meeting took place in summer instead of winter.

I was only an external witness to the event. A worker bee making sure other people got in to the right places they needed to be. But I’ll never complain about working weekends and late nights when it comes with views of the Swiss Alps.

At 5,118 feet (1,560 meters) above sea level, Davos is actually the highest town in Europe. The area around it boasts five different ski resorts and more than 80 runs. I haven’t seen any of them.

What I can personally recommend, however, is a ride up the Schatzalp-Bahn, a funicular railway completed in 1899 that is easily accessed from the Promenade. During the day it makes the 47-degree incline run up the mountain every 15 minutes, and every 30 minutes in the evening. It leads up to the Berghotel Schatzalp which was once a sanitorium for tuberculosis patients made famous in Thomas Mann's 1924 novel "The Magic Mountain." Today the hotel retains its Art Nouveau architecture and furnishings that make you feel like you’re on the set of a Wes Anderson movie.

When I was there in the winter, it was evening by the time I made it up top. This meant a great view of the city lights and a delicious dinner at the Panorama Restaurant, but I couldn’t really take in that panoramic view of the surrounding mountains. 

Luckily, while there during the longer days of summer I was able to take in those sights. And while the view alone is intoxicating, a cocktail on the terrace was pretty good, too. I’ve never seen dandelions so big and so multitudinous. The lupin took me back to Texas and our revered bluebonnets. And while not native, back in the city’s center tulips brought an abundance of color not seen when the big event typically takes place there.

Another great thing about that one summertime visit was that it meant my daughter was on school break and I could take a few days of vacation with her after the event wrapped. We planned to meet up in Zurich and rather than departing by car with the rest of my teammates, I opted to take the train. (Tip: I find the Trainline app to be helpful for booking rail rides in Europe)

Davos offers an opportunity for some scenic day trips on trains with names like “Glacier Express” and the “Crocodile” that I’d love to take if I’m ever back again. But even my less touristy ride from city to city had landscapes along the way that were everything you envision when you think of Switzerland. And while I know I had to change trains once between the two cities, it was so simple to do that I can’t even remember the transfer. 

I wish I had more tips to share about fun things to do in Davos. My time there, like many other people’s, was taken up by the WEF event, but I could tell there is so much more to it than a conference center. So, on my wish list for a more relaxed return trip, which maybe you can do and tell us about in the comments, would include:

• Hiking or snowshoeing
• Paragliding (lots of options for that listed here)
• Visiting the Kirchner Museum
• Tasting the brews at Monsteiner Brewery
• Botanical Garden Alpinum
• And, of course, skiing or sledding