Schatzalp

The Schatzalp is a hillside terrace above Davos, in the Swiss canton of Graubünden, and one of the most atmospheric places in the town. It is reached by a funicular that has been running since 1899, climbing steeply through forest from the edge of Davos Platz to the plateau, and it is the setting of a large Art Nouveau building that opened in 1900 as a sanatorium. The place is not near Arosa, though it appears in listings alongside that resort; it belongs to the Davos valley, on the sunny slope above the town.

The history of the Schatzalp is the history of Davos as a health resort. In the second half of the 19th century, doctors discovered that the clear, dry air at altitude helped patients with tuberculosis, and the town became a centre of treatment, with sanatoriums built on the sunny slopes. The Dutch banker Willem Jan Holsboer, who had a great deal to do with the development of Davos and the railway that serves it, built the Schatzalp as a luxury sanatorium for wealthy patients. Its long south-facing balconies were designed so that patients could lie in the fresh air, wrapped in blankets, and the funicular was built to bring supplies and guests up the slope. The building is a landmark of its period, with a stately facade and large windows.

The Schatzalp became part of world literature when Thomas Mann visited Davos in 1912. He had come to see his wife, who was being treated for a lung condition, and the experience led him to write The Magic Mountain, published in 1924, a novel about a young man who goes to a sanatorium for three weeks and stays for seven years. The sanatorium in the book is not named but is widely linked to the Schatzalp, which makes the building a place of pilgrimage for readers. After the age of sanatoriums ended with the arrival of antibiotics, the building was turned into a hotel, and it keeps the long corridors and large dining rooms of its first life.

Around the hotel, the surroundings offer more to see. The Alpinum Schatzalp is an alpine botanical garden, a small park of rock gardens and beds where plants from mountain regions around the world are grown, and it is open in the warmer months. Hiking trails start at the plateau, with views down over Davos and across to the Alps, and in winter, a toboggan run, ski runs and winter walks are available. Opening times for the funicular and the garden vary with the season, so check current information before you go.

The Schatzalp suits readers, history lovers, families and walkers. Allow half a day and take a book.