An Art Nouveau former sanatorium above Davos, reached by funicular and said to have inspired Thomas Mann's The Magic Mountain. Atmospheric and old-world, without palace-hotel prices.
Berghotel Schatzalp, high above Davos and reached only by its own little funicular, is one of the most atmospheric historic hotels in the Alps. Its long white façade, lined with balconies and crowned by a flat roof, was built in 1900 as a luxury sanatorium for tuberculosis patients, who came to the mountains in search of clean air and sunshine. Today it is a characterful, slightly eccentric mountain hotel, steeped in literary history and offering a taste of Belle Époque grandeur at prices far below those of the palace hotels in the valley below.
Location: Davos, Switzerland
The Schatzalp sits on a sunny, south-facing terrace about 300 metres above Davos, in the canton of Graubünden. Davos itself, at around 1,560 metres, is one of Switzerland's largest mountain resorts, famous for skiing, ice hockey and, each January, the World Economic Forum. Up at the Schatzalp, however, all that bustle feels very far away. The hotel's private funicular takes just four minutes from the centre of Davos Platz, yet the moment you step out at the top, you are surrounded by pine forest, meadows and silence.
Zurich is around two and a half hours away by train, with the final stretch through the mountains of Graubünden. Once in Davos, the funicular does the rest.
Rooms and suites at the Schatzalp
The hotel has beds for around 200 guests, with most rooms facing south with large balconies looking across the valley to the peaks beyond. This orientation is a legacy of the building's sanatorium days, when patients spent hours lying on their balconies in the sun and mountain air.
Rooms vary considerably in style and size, from simple, comfortable doubles to larger rooms that retain original Art Nouveau features. Some historic bathrooms have been carefully restored with their original fittings. A particular curiosity is the three rooms leased for ten years by Kaiser Wilhelm II, which have been preserved in their Art Nouveau and Belle Époque style. Do not expect cutting-edge luxury: the charm here is historic and slightly faded, which is exactly the point.
Facilities at the Schatzalp
The public rooms are the real treasure. The grand Art Nouveau lobby, with its fireplace, high ceilings and period details, feels like stepping into a film set, and the hotel's dining rooms and terraces offer some of the best views in Davos. Dining ranges from buffets to more elaborate gala dinners, and the sun terrace is a wonderful spot for lunch or an afternoon drink.
The hotel has a sauna, a children's playground and extensive grounds, but its greatest asset is the setting. Right beside the hotel is the Alpinum, a botanical garden of alpine plants with around 6,500 species from mountain regions all over the world, best visited in early summer when everything is in flower. Hiking trails and woodland walks begin from the door, and there is a Vita Parcours fitness trail through the forest.
In winter, the Schatzalp is known for its toboggan run down towards Davos, and for a small, nostalgic ski area with gentle slopes. Davos's larger ski areas, including Parsenn and Jakobshorn, are easily reached via the funicular and the town. In summer the toboggan run continues on wheels.
The mountain moment
The Schatzalp's defining moment is literary. Thomas Mann's great novel *The Magic Mountain*, published in 1924, is set in a Davos sanatorium, and the Schatzalp is widely considered to have helped inspire it. Mann visited Davos in 1912, when his wife was being treated there, and the world he describes, of patients lying wrapped in blankets on sunlit balconies, watching the seasons pass in the mountains, is still easy to imagine here.
The moment to savour is to do exactly that: wrap up warm, sit on your south-facing balcony with a book, ideally Mann's novel, and watch the light move across the snowy peaks opposite. It is a reminder of why people first came to the mountains, for the sheer restorative power of sun, silence and clean air.
Why the Schatzalp is one of the best mountain hotels
The Schatzalp earns its place in our Affordable stays collection because it offers something money cannot easily buy elsewhere: genuine history and atmosphere, in a spectacular location, without palace-hotel prices. It is a hotel full of character, quirks and stories, from the Kaiser's rooms to the private funicular to the ghost of Thomas Mann.
It will not suit travellers wanting slick, modern luxury or a large spa. But for those who love historic buildings, literature, mountain walks and a slower pace, it is one of the most memorable places to stay in the Alps, and one of the best-value.
When to go to the Schatzalp
Early summer is magical, when the Alpinum is in full flower and the meadows around the hotel come alive. Winter brings the toboggan run, gentle skiing on the doorstep and easy access to Davos's larger ski areas. Note that Davos is extremely busy during the World Economic Forum each January, so plan around it or book far ahead.
Questions, answered
- How do you get to the Schatzalp?
- Take the hotel's private funicular from the centre of Davos Platz. The ride takes about four minutes.
- Is the Schatzalp the Magic Mountain hotel?
- It is widely considered to have helped inspire Thomas Mann's 1924 novel The Magic Mountain, which is set in a Davos sanatorium.
- Can you ski from the Schatzalp?
- There is a small, nostalgic ski area and a toboggan run at the hotel, and Davos's larger ski areas, including Parsenn and Jakobshorn, are easily reached via the funicular.
