Davos
Davos is a municipality and Alpine resort town in the Prättigau/Davos Region of the canton of Graubünden, eastern Switzerland, located at an elevation of 1,560 metres (5,118 ft) along the Landwasser River.[1] With a permanent population of around 10,900 residents across an area of 284 square kilometres, it consists of the settlements of Davos Platz and Davos Dorf, primarily German-speaking and focused on tourism and congress activities.[2] The town gained prominence in the 19th century as a pioneer in altitude therapy for tuberculosis, with physician Alexander Spengler establishing early treatments in the 1860s that transformed the remote Walser settlement—first documented in the 12th century—into a health destination, later inspiring Thomas Mann's The Magic Mountain.[3] [4] Economically, Davos thrives on winter tourism, hosting world-class skiing, curling championships, and ice hockey events at facilities like the Eisstadion Davos, while its modern congress centre has made it the site of the World Economic Forum's annual meeting since 1971, drawing thousands of political, business, and academic leaders for discussions on global challenges.[5] [6] These gatherings, however, have elicited criticisms of elitism and inconsistency, as high-profile attendees often arrive via private jets to address issues like climate change and inequality in a heavily secured, exclusive setting.[7]Etymology
Name origin and variants
The name Davos derives from the Romansh Tavau (also spelled Tarau in some dialects), the indigenous language of the Graubünden region where the town is located, reflecting its origins in a Rhaeto-Romanic speaking alpine community. This form first appears in historical records as Tavaus in a 1213 charter, marking the earliest documented reference to the settlement amid medieval land grants in the Prättigau valley. The shift to the modern German Davos occurred with the 13th-century immigration of Walser Germans, who adapted the name phonetically while introducing Alemannic influences to the local toponymy. Etymological interpretations of Tavau vary, with scholarly accounts proposing derivations from Latin de- ("from" or "of") combined with post ("behind"), denoting the valley's position relative to surrounding passes and settlements—a pattern common in Romansh place names for secluded alpine sites.[8] Alternative explanations link it to terms evoking pastoral or topographical features, such as a "sheep pasture" or ravine-like structure, though these remain less conclusively tied to primary linguistic evidence from the region's medieval charters.[8] Variants persist in multilingual contexts: Tavato or Tavata in Italian administrative usage, underscoring Graubünden's trilingual heritage (Romansh, German, Italian) without altering the core phonetic root.History
Medieval and early modern period
The Landwasser Valley, encompassing Davos, was initially traversed as a transit route during the Bronze Age (circa 1500–1000 BCE), but permanent settlement by German-speaking Walser migrants from the Upper Valais and nearby alpine regions began in the late 13th century, around 1280–1289, under enfeoffment by the Barons of Vaz who controlled the area.[9][10] These Walsers, driven by population pressures and seeking new high-altitude pastures, established cooperative herding communities focused on transhumant pastoralism, raising cattle and sheep across summer alp pastures and winter valleys.[11] Archaeological traces and early structures, such as the Church of St. Nicholas built in 1350, reflect this consolidation of Walser culture, including timber-framed houses adapted to harsh alpine conditions.[12] By the 15th century, Davos emerged as a key locale in regional alliances amid feudal tensions; in 1436, it hosted the founding of the League of the Ten Jurisdictions (Zehngerichtenbund), a pact among ten Prättigau-Davos communities for mutual defense and judicial autonomy, which integrated into Graubünden's Three Leagues system.[13][14] The area fell under Habsburg Austrian influence from the late 15th century, following claims after the Vaz barons' decline, but local leagues resisted centralization, allying with the Swiss Confederation during the Swabian War of 1499 to counter Habsburg expansionism and secure de facto independence.[15] Through the early modern era up to 1800, Davos's economy sustained small-scale alpine agriculture—cultivating rye, barley, and potatoes in valley floors—alongside dominant pastoral activities producing cheese and meat, and forestry yielding timber for construction, fuel, and charcoal.[11] Its position on passes like Fluela and Scaletta facilitated limited overland trade in goods such as salt, wine, and livestock, though conflicts and isolation constrained growth; mining remained marginal, confined to sporadic iron and copper prospects in surrounding Graubünden valleys rather than Davos proper.[16]Emergence as a health resort
In the mid-19th century, Davos, situated at an altitude of approximately 1,560 meters in the Swiss Alps, began attracting attention for its potential in treating pulmonary tuberculosis due to its dry, rarefied air and stable climate, which physicians believed inhibited bacterial growth and promoted recovery through rest and exposure.[4][17] German physician Alexander Spengler, who settled in Davos in 1853 after observing lower tuberculosis rates among locals compared to lowland migrants, pioneered altitude therapy there starting in the 1860s, emphasizing open-air rest cures involving prolonged sleep on balconies or in fresh mountain environments.[18][3] In 1868, Spengler co-founded the first specialized clinic for tuberculosis patients, marking the onset of Davos's shift from a modest alpine village to a burgeoning medical center.[19] This medical endorsement spurred an influx of patients from across Europe, transforming the local economy and prompting rapid infrastructure development between the 1860s and 1920. Hotels and sanatoria proliferated to accommodate demand, including the Grandhotel Belvédère opened in 1875, which catered to affluent consumptives seeking the "cure" of fresh air and isolation; by the late 19th century, over a dozen such facilities operated alongside private clinics, with local inns repurposed for convalescents.[20][21] Notable visitors underscored Davos's reputation: Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson, suffering from chronic lung disease, resided there from November 1880 to April 1881 at the Hotel Belvedere, where the climate temporarily alleviated his symptoms and inspired writings like essays on the curative environment.[22] By 1900, the town hosted thousands of tuberculosis patients annually, supported by more than 20 clinics offering hundreds of beds, fueling population growth from under 3,000 in 1850 to over 10,000 by 1910 as medical tourism boomed.[23][18] The allure persisted into the early 20th century, exemplified by German writer Thomas Mann's 1912 visit to Davos, where his wife Katia received treatment at a local sanatorium; this experience directly inspired Mann's 1924 novel The Magic Mountain, which depicted the psychological and physical toll of prolonged sanatorium life amid alpine isolation, drawing on observed routines of rest, diet, and social dynamics among international patients.[24][25] Empirical records from patient logs and medical reports of the era, including Spengler's own observations of improved vital capacities at altitude, lent credence to these practices, though later analyses would question their efficacy beyond supportive care.[3] This era established Davos as a preeminent European health resort for respiratory ailments until antibiotics diminished reliance on climatic therapies post-1940s.[17]Development of winter tourism
Winter tourism in Davos emerged in the late 19th century alongside its health resort phase, with British visitors introducing skeleton sledding, a precursor to modern bobsledding, which originated in the area before the formal Cresta Run was established elsewhere.[26] Pioneering ski events began in the 1880s, as Davos became a hub for early Alpine skiing experiments, including uphill skiing techniques that predated widespread lift infrastructure.[27] By the early 1900s, the resort hosted initial international ski races, solidifying its role in the sport's development.[27] The introduction of mechanical lifts marked a pivotal advancement; the Parsenn funicular railway opened in the early 1930s, providing direct access to extensive ski terrain and establishing Davos as the first resort worldwide to prioritize such infrastructure for skiing.[28] In 1934, the Parsenn area installed the world's first T-bar lift, enhancing uphill transport and enabling longer descents on runs like the 12-kilometer Parsenn route.[27] These innovations shifted emphasis from health cures to recreational snow sports, particularly as effective antibiotics diminished tuberculosis sanatorium demand starting in the 1940s and 1950s.[29][30] Post-World War II, winter sports infrastructure expanded with additional cable cars, sustaining tourism growth amid the decline of medical visitors.[30] By the late 20th century, Davos's ski domains, including Parsenn-Weissfluh, attracted increasing numbers of recreational skiers, contributing to a transition toward year-round appeal while winter activities remained central.[31] Recent data reflect this evolution, with Davos recording over 584,000 hotel overnight stays in early 2024-2025 periods, underscoring the enduring economic impact of winter tourism infrastructure built decades earlier.[32]Integration with global events post-1970
The European Management Forum, initiated by Klaus Schwab in 1971, convened its first annual meeting in Davos that January, drawing around 450 business leaders from Europe and beyond to the town's Congress Centre, which had opened in 1969.[33] Davos was chosen for its isolated alpine location, fostering focused discussions insulated from urban distractions, and Switzerland's longstanding neutrality, which positioned the venue as impartial ground for cross-border exchanges amid Cold War tensions.[34] [35] By 1974, the forum expanded to include politicians for the first time, marking a shift toward integrating governmental perspectives, while annual gatherings entrenched Davos as the fixed site, leveraging the town's infrastructure for secure, concentrated events.[36] As participation swelled—reaching thousands by the 1990s—the local economy adapted through infrastructural enhancements, including Congress Centre expansions in 1979 and 1989 to handle larger plenary sessions and simultaneous tracks. Security protocols evolved markedly post-1980s with rising global attendance and geopolitical risks; following the 2001 terrorist attacks and anti-globalization protests, measures intensified to include thousands of personnel, vehicle checks, and fenced security zones encompassing central Davos, with hotel perimeters reinforced.[37] [38] These upgrades, coordinated with Swiss federal authorities, enabled sustained operations amid threats but curtailed normal town access during the January week.[39] The forum's presence catalyzed service-sector growth, generating seasonal employment in hospitality, logistics, and interpretation—bolstered by contracts with over 40 hotels that expanded rooms to meet demand—contributing to Davos's transition from health-focused tourism to a hybrid event economy.[38] However, the influx strained local resources, including water supplies, traffic congestion on narrow alpine roads, and housing availability, prompting temporary resident relocations and elevated costs that locals associate with annual disruptions despite the fiscal influx.[40] [39]Geography
Topography and location
Davos occupies the upper Prättigau/Davos Valley, also known as the Landwasser Valley, within the eastern Swiss Alps of Graubünden canton, at an elevation of 1,560 meters above sea level. The settlement centers on the narrow valley floor along the Landwasser River, which flows northward through the region toward its confluence with the Rhine downstream. This positioning places Davos amid steep alpine slopes rising sharply from the river basin.[41][42][43] The municipality spans 284 square kilometers of predominantly mountainous terrain, bounded by prominent peaks including the Flüela-Schwarzhorn at 3,146 meters as its highest point, with extensive glacial coverage in the upper elevations contributing to the area's hydrological features. Surrounding summits, such as those exceeding 2,500 meters in the nearby ranges, enclose the valley, isolating it geologically while providing natural barriers and scenic overlooks. Davos maintains close proximity to the neighboring municipality of Klosters approximately 10 kilometers to the west along the valley axis, with regional connectivity facilitated by the Rhätische Bahn railway line originating from Landquart to the north.[41][44][41]