Davos, Switzerland Tourism

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population five-fold over the last 100 years and have now united to form a built-up area 4km/2mi long. Surrounded by forest-covered mountains and sheltered from rough north and east winds, Davos enjoys a climate (bracing but not excessively so, with plenty of sunshine and dry air) which has made it one of Switzerland's leading summer and winter resorts.

The foundations of Davos's fame as a health resort were laid by a Mannheim doctor, Alexander Spengler, who prescribed mountain air for his tuberculosis patients and brought the first summer visitors here in 1860 and the first winter visitors in 1865.

Since 1890 Davos has been linked with the Rhine valley (Chur) by the Rhätische Bahn (Rhaetian Railroad), and since 1909 with the Albula valley and the Engadine. There are postal bus services from Davos over the Flüela pass to Susch/Süs (only in summer), to Clavadel and Sertig Dörfli (in winter only to Clavadel) and into the Dischma valley (in winter only as far as Teufi), and from Davos Glaris to Monstein. Local bus operators run services between Davos Platz, Davos Dorf, Davos Wolfgang and Dörfji (near which is the lower station of the Pischa mountain railroad). There are numerous cableways and lifts and a wide range of facilities for sport and entertainment.

The name of Davos (in the form Tavauns, which later became Dafaas) appears for the first time in 1160, in a document in the episcopal archives in Chur. In 1289, 14 families from the Valais established households here. After the death of the last member of the Toggenburg family in 1436 the League of the Ten Jurisdictions was formed. In 1649 Davos purchased its freedom from Austrian sovereignty. A large ice-rink (24,000 sq. m/28,704 sq. yd) for the world figure-skating championships and the European speed skating championships was opened in 1899, and in the same year the Davos-Scatzalp toboggan run came into operation.