Klosters

Think of Klosters and the image of the British Royalty on a ski vacation may come to mind. Nestled in a romantic landscape not far from the Austrian border, the quiet ski resort of Klosters is situated in the heart of the Graubenden region, southeast of Zurich. Klosters has its own ski area, the Madrisa, but it also shares an expansive snow covered arena, Parsenn, with the fashionable Davos, which is ten km away. Frequented by the rich and famous, Klosters offers 170kms of great beginner to advanced skiing on both sides of the valley.

This traditional ski resort is a made up of two villages Dorf and Platz. Dorf has a sleepy old-world charm and is closer to the gentle beginner slopes while Platz is glitzy with high end stores and vibrant social life. Both have plenty of Alpine charm. The skiing is suitable for all abilities and advanced skiers have challenging on- and off-piste runs. Beginners can gain confidence at Parsenn with its gentle, developing runs, while intermediates have plenty of long blues and reds. The lift system at Klosters includes the Gotschna cable car, named after Prince Charles, a regular skier here. Local transport is necessary to access other ski areas.

Klosters has preserved much of its Alpine charm as it is not part of the mass tourist beat. It is expensive and quite up-market, but there is skiing for everyone here. Snowboarders have access to two terrain parks and a half-pipe, while a range of activities and facilities off the slopes are on offer, including 30kms of winter walking trails up and down the valley, alongside the river and up the mountains. A popular trail is the walk to the old village Montbiel and the well known old Garfiun restaurant, where cross-country skiers and walkers relax in the sun and take a well-earned rest.

Other non-skiing activities include ice-skating, curling and snowshoeing. The slopes around Gotschna are perfect for horse-drawn sleigh rides, sled runs and prince watching! A fitness centre, sauna, squash and tennis courts are among indoor facilities at Klosters. There are great on- and off-snow restaurants, but generally the evenings are rather quiet.