Davos (, ; or ; ; Old ) is an Alpine resort town and municipality in the Prättigau/Davos Region in the canton of the Grisons, Switzerland. It has a permanent population of (). Davos is located on the Landwasser river, in the Rhaetian Alps, between the Plessur and Albula Ranges.
The municipality covers nearly the entire valley of the Landwasser, and the centre of population, economic activity and administration is two adjacent villages, Davos Dorf (engl.: Davos Village) and Davos Platz (Davos Place), which are above sea level.
Davos gained prominence in the 19th century as a mountain health resort. Since 1971, it has hosted the World Economic Forum, an annual meeting of global political and corporate leaders. With its long history of winter sports, Davos also has one of Switzerland's largest ski resorts and hosts the international Spengler Cup, an ice hockey tournament, every December.
Name The name is first recorded in the 13th century as Tavaus. It may derive from Vulgar Latin *Tovani (accusative *Tovanes), meaning "people of the ravine", or else from an adjective *tovatum (accusative plural *tovatos), meaning "(areas) covered by ravine debris". In both cases, the root word would be *tovum, "ravine", a vulgar reflex of tubus. The reference would be either to the Schiatobel or to the Albertitobel, two ravines overlooking the town.
History
The current settlement of the Davos area began in the High Middle Ages with the immigration of Rhaeto-Romans. The village of Davos is first mentioned in 1213 as Tavaus. From about 1280 the barons of Vaz allowed German-speaking Walser colonists to settle and conceded them extensive self-administration rights. In 1289 an agreement between the people of Davos and the baron of Vaz included that the Davoser citizens would not have to pay personal taxes, only the Government of Davos had to pay a yearly amount of goods to the baron of Vaz.Max Pfister (1989) p.14 Davos became the largest Walser settlement area in eastern Switzerland. Natives still speak a dialect that is atypical for Grisons, showing similarities with the German spoken in Raron in Canton Valais. In 1338, with the death of the last Baron of Vaz, Davos came into possession of Frederick V, the Count of Toggenburg, who was the brother of the wife of the deceased baron. Davos retained its right to elect its Landamman independently.
In 1436, the League of the Ten Jurisdictions was founded in Davos.Pfister, Max (1989).p.15 In 1438, Davos received additional rights in an agreement in which the League of the Ten Jurisdictions and the rights received in the older treaty from 1289 were both acknowledged.Pfister, Max (1989).p.16 With this agreement, Davos was exempted from trade taxes in the territory of the Ten Jurisdictions and only obliged to provide men for military services within the territory of eight of the Ten Jurisdictions. In 1443 Davos came under the control of the Counts of Montfort, under which Davos also retained its rights. In 1450 an alliance between the League of the Ten Jurisdictions and the League of God's House was signed. The Counts of Montfort reached a financial impasse and sold Davos to Duke Sigmund of Tyrol in 1466. This lead Davos to search for support of the two other Raethian leagues and a treaty with the Grey League was reached in 1471.Pfister, Max (1989).p.17 As a result, Davos refused to follow the orders of the Austrian Empire. Eventually a compromise was found, under which Davos would come under the control of the House of Matsch, but Austria kept a right to repurchase Davos.
From the middle of the 19th century, Davos, modeled on Görbersdorf (now Sokołowsko), became a popular destination for the sick and ailing because the microclimate in the high valley was deemed excellent by doctors (initiated by Alexander Spengler) and recommended for lung disease patients. Robert Louis Stevenson, who suffered from tuberculosis, wintered in Davos in 1880 on the recommendation of his Edinburgh physician George Balfour. Arthur Conan Doyle wrote an article about skiing in Davos in 1899. A sanatorium in Davos is also the inspiration for the Berghof Sanitorium in Thomas Mann's novel Der Zauberberg (The Magic Mountain). Between 1936 and 1938, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, then at the end of his life and living in Davos since 1917, depicted Davos and the Junkerboden. His painting has a both Romantic and pantheistic atmosphere and simplified formal structure.
The several sanatoria in Davos attracted a great number of German patients, of which many remained in Davos. As a result, during World War II, in which Switzerland remained neutral, Davos was a centre of Nazi activity in Switzerland. Nowhere else in the country were there more NSDAP members as a share of the population. In the many German-led sanatoria and schools, Nazi salutes and flags were de rigueur. Swiss Nazi leader Wilhelm Gustloff's 1936 assassination in Davos led to tensions with Nazi Germany. At the end of the war, Federal Councillor Ernst Nobs described Davos as "more Nazi-infested than any other Swiss place". In 2022, Davos mayor Philip Willhelm commissioned a study from historian Stefan Keller documenting the history of Nazi influence in Davos.
During the natural ice era of winter sports, Davos and the Davos Eisstadion were a mecca for speed skating. Many international championships were held here, and many world records were set, beginning with the Norwegian Peder Østlund who set two world records in 1898, and four in 1900. The only European Bandy Championship was held in the town in 1913. Subsequently, Davos became a ski resort, especially frequented by tourists from the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. After peaking in the 1970s and 1980s, the city settled down as a leading but less high-profile tourist attraction. The American Van Leer family immigrated from here with their former Valär surname. Today Valärs still live and are members of government.
Geography
Topography
The main village of Davos lies at the top of the narrow valley of the Landwasser at an altitude of , just below the Wolfgang Pass. Lake Davos is northeast of the village, formerly the source of the Landwasser.
The municipality of Davos () has an area (as of the 2004/09 survey) of , including most of the Landwasser valley and its side valleys.
Of that area, about 35.0% is used for agricultural purposes, and 22.2% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 2.3% is settled (buildings or roads) and 40.5% is unproductive land. In the 2004/09 survey a total of or about 1.2% of the total area was covered with buildings, an increase of over the 1985 amount. Over the same time period, the amount of recreational space in the municipality increased by and is now about 0.22% of the total area. Of the agricultural land, is fields and grasslands and consists of alpine grazing areas. Since 1985 the amount of agricultural land has decreased by . Over the same time period the amount of forested land has increased by . Rivers and lakes cover in the municipality.Swiss Federal Statistical Office - Regional portraits accessed 27 October 2016
The Wolfgang Pass divides the waters flowing into the Landquart from the valley of the Landwasser, and has a year-round road and Rhaetian Railway connection. Crossing the pass leads to the village of Klosters and the Prättigau. Three long side valleys reach out to the south from the main valley of the Landwasser, one of which leads to the Flüela Pass and the Engadin beyond.
Political divisions The whole municipality of Davos is divided into six Fraktionsgemeinden: Davos Dorf, Davos Platz, Davos Frauenkirch, Davos Glaris, Davos Monstein and Davos Wiesen. The names of the Fraktionsgemeinden correspond to their largest village within.
Smaller populated places in the municipality are the village of Davos Clavadel, the hamlets of Laret, Wolfgang, Obem See, Meierhof, Stilli, Bünda, and Spina (in the main Landwasser valley), and Tschuggen, Dörfji, In den Büelen, Hof, Teufi, Gadmen, Am Rin, Dürrboden, Sertig Dörfli, Oberalp, Inneralp (in the side valleys).
Until 2017, the municipality was located in the Davos subdistrict of the Prättigau/Davos district. Since 2017, it is part of the Prättigau/Davos Region.Swiss Federal Statistical Office - Amtliches Gemeindeverzeichnis der Schweiz - Mutationsmeldungen 2016 accessed 16 February 2017. In terms of area, it was the largest municipality in Switzerland in 2009 after a municipal merger with Wiesen. Davos lost that distinction after the formation of Glarus Süd in 2010 and today is the fourth-largest municipality in the canton of the Grisons.
Climate Davos has a subalpine climate (Köppen Dfc) with an average of 125.3 days of precipitation per year and on average receives of precipitation.
The wettest month is August, during which time Davos receives an average of of precipitation. During this month, there is precipitation for an average of 13.6 days. The month with the most days of precipitation is July, with an average of 13.8, but with only of precipitation. The driest month of the year is February with an average of of precipitation over 7.9 days, of which in 11.1 days are snowfall.
Politics
Government The Small Country Council (Kleiner Landrat) constitutes the executive government of the municipality of Davos and operates as a collegiate authority. It is composed of five councilors (), each presiding over a department (Departement) comprising several bureaus. The president of the executive department acts as president of the municipality (Landammann or Gemeindepräsident). In the mandate period 2025–2028 (Legislatur), the Small Country Council is presided by Landammann Philipp Wilhelm. Departmental tasks, coordination measures and implementation of laws decreed by the Grand Country Council are carried by the Small Country Council. The regular election of the municipal councils by any inhabitant valid to vote is held every four years. Any resident of the municipality of Davos allowed to vote and being registered can be elected as a member of the Small Country Council for a maximal period of twelve years. The delegates are selected by means of a system of Majorz. The President is elected as such as well by a public election while the heads of the other departments are assigned by the collegiate. They usually meet once a week.
Davos's Small Country Council is made up of two members of SP (Social Democratic Party), of whom one is the president), and one each of FDP (FDP.The Liberals), SVP (Swiss People's Party), and GLP (Green Liberal Party). The last regular election (Landschaftswahlen) was held on 22 September 2024.
+ The Small Country Council (Kleiner Landrat) of Davos Country Councilor(Landrat/-rätin) Party Head of Department (Vorsteher(in), since) of Elected since Philipp WilhelmPresident (Landammann or Gemeindepräsident) SP President's Office (Präsidialdepartement, 2021) 2020 Claudia Bieler SP Civil Engineering and Public Facilities (Departement Tiefbau + öffentliche Betriebe, 2025) 2024 Valérie Favre AccolaVice President (Statthalter or Gemeindevizepräsident) SVP Structural Engineering and Environmental Protection and Energy (Departement Hochbau + Umweltschutz + Energie, 2025) 2024 Walter von Ballmoos GLP Education and Social Services (Departement Bildung + Soziales, 15 November 2023) 2023 Jürg Zürcher FDP Health and Security (Departement Gesundheit + Sicherheit, 2021) 2020
Parliament
The Grand Country Council (Grosser Landrat) holds legislative power. It is made up of 17 members, with elections held every four years. The Grand Country Council decrees regulations and by-laws that are executed by the Small Country Council and the administration. The delegates are selected by means of a system of Majorz.