Why visit Klosters? Alpine character, understated luxury and mountain adventure
Klosters feels like somewhere special to spend a holiday. Traditional chalets, mountain views, inviting restaurants and select boutiques give this Swiss Alpine village an appeal that extends well beyond its ski slopes.
Its famous guests have helped establish its reputation, but the attraction is easy to appreciate without knowing who might be staying nearby. You can spend a day in the mountains, return for coffee and a browse around the shops, then settle into a restaurant for the evening. There is plenty to do, alongside plenty of opportunity to slow down.
For visitors who enjoy beautiful surroundings, an exclusive atmosphere and an active mountain holiday, Klosters brings those pleasures together.
A village you can enjoy spending time in
The place you return to at the end of a mountain day matters. In Klosters, the village itself is part of the holiday.
On our March 2025 visit, what stood out was how well cared for it felt. The surroundings were clean and attractive, the atmosphere calm, and the shops and places to eat gave an impression of owners taking pride in their businesses. It felt exclusive, while retaining the character of a traditional village.
That impression is part of Klosters’ appeal: you can enjoy being here without filling every hour with an organised activity. A coffee, a walk through the centre or an unhurried lunch can be a satisfying part of the day.
Klosters Platz is the main centre for village life, with its railway station, Gotschna cable car, shops and restaurants. Klosters Dorf provides another base farther down the valley, particularly convenient for Madrisa.
Our guide to where to stay in Klosters explains the differences and helps you choose a location that suits your holiday.
An exclusive reputation with a personal feel
Klosters’ association with the British royal family is well known. Its international reputation also reaches back to the actors, musicians and other cultural figures who visited in the mid-20th century, when it acquired the nickname ‘Hollywood on the Rocks’.
Those connections add interest to the village, but its sense of exclusivity is expressed through more than famous names. Traditional interiors, individual hotels, select shops and the opportunity to spend time quietly are all part of the appeal.
Here, luxury can mean a comfortable hotel in a convenient position, thoughtful service or a memorable meal in a room with character. That leaves space for visitors to choose how they want to enjoy it.
You may find yourself wondering who is at the next table. The more dependable attraction, though, is enjoying the same village and mountain surroundings that have drawn visitors here for generations.
Serious skiing from a traditional village base
Klosters combines village character with access to substantial skiing.
The Gotschna cable car at Klosters Platz takes you towards Parsenn, the mountain area shared with Davos. For visitors who want to spend their days exploring the slopes and their evenings in a traditional Swiss village, that combination is a strong reason to choose Klosters.
Madrisa, above Klosters Dorf, provides a separate ski area with a particular emphasis on families and children learning to ski. Its practice facilities make it especially relevant when choosing a base for a family holiday.
The wider Davos Klosters destination offers additional mountains to explore during a longer stay. These are separate areas, so it is worth understanding the transport connections and your chosen lift pass rather than assuming everything forms one continuous ski circuit.
See our guide to skiing in Klosters for help with Parsenn, Madrisa and planning your ski days.
Winter holidays with more than skiing
You do not have to downhill ski every day to enjoy Klosters in winter.
Winter walking, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, skating and tobogganing offer different ways to spend time outdoors. These alternatives are particularly useful for couples or families whose interests do not all match.
A mountain outing can also include lunch and time to enjoy the views, rather than a full day on skis. Back in the village, cafés, restaurants and hotel wellness facilities provide opportunities for a gentler afternoon; access to individual facilities should be checked when booking.
Our winter activities guide explores the possibilities beyond downhill skiing.
Summer deserves a holiday of its own
Summer gives you a different way to enjoy Klosters, with walking routes, mountain biking and days spent exploring the surrounding valleys.
You can choose a gentle outing towards Monbiel and Alp Garfiun, or plan a more demanding walk in higher terrain. Seasonal mountain railways help walkers reach routes above the valley, while experienced mountain bikers have more adventurous options around Gotschna.
For families, Madrisa becomes a mountain playground with slides, water features and other activities. Swimming at the Klosters lido, cycling and shorter walks add variety to a week.
The appeal is the freedom to vary the pace. A long mountain day can be followed by a leisurely village morning or a shorter excursion with lunch.
Explore our summer guide to Klosters and family holiday guide for ideas. Check seasonal opening dates when planning a visit around particular lifts or attractions.
Boutiques, cafés and time to browse
Photo: Destination Davos Klosters/Andrea Badrutt
Shopping adds another enjoyable dimension to a stay in Klosters.
The village has select fashion boutiques alongside specialist sports shops. AHEAD Fashion carries labels including Herno, Peserico and Hemisphere, while ANDRIST Sport & Fashion combines clothing and footwear with equipment and services for mountain activities.
It is an opportunity for a relaxed browse between other plans, whether you are looking for something to wear at dinner or equipment for the next day outdoors.
Cafés are equally important to that experience. One memorable stop on our March 2025 visit was room concept store & café. We enjoyed the attractive space and the quality of the drinks: excellent coffee, and tea served with a distinctive cup and strainer. The care taken over a simple refreshment stop stayed with us.
Small experiences like that help explain why spending time in Klosters can be a pleasure in itself.
Discover Klosters’ independent shops and boutiques, from fashion and jewellery to Alpine interiors and local specialities.
Restaurants with character
Eating out is another reason to leave room in your holiday plans.
Klosters offers traditional Swiss and Graubünden cooking, hotel restaurants and places to eat as part of a mountain outing. You can make dinner an occasion or choose somewhere for a more informal meal.
Chesa Grischuna is particularly interesting for its historic setting. The hotel describes how it preserves details including specially produced tableware and traditionally woven table linen, maintaining the character of its restaurant.
Beyond the village, lunch can become the destination for a walk or cycle ride, with places such as Alp Garfiun adding a meal to the enjoyment of being outdoors.
Our guide to eating and drinking in Klosters covers village restaurants, mountain dining and evening drinks. Opening patterns vary with the season, so check ahead when you have somewhere particular in mind.
Is Klosters expensive?
Klosters is best approached as a quality Alpine holiday rather than a budget destination. Accommodation, dining and winter sports can involve substantial expenditure, particularly on popular dates. However, its prestigious reputation does not tell you what every stay will cost. Your dates, hotel, room type and plans make a considerable difference.
Our initial comparison of selected four-star hotel search results found overlapping winter prices between Klosters and Lech. For one summer week, the Klosters hotels returned by the search were below the selected Chamonix examples. These were limited accommodation snapshots, rather than resort averages or complete holiday quotations, but they illustrate why checking actual dates is more useful than relying on reputation alone.
There are also practical benefits to consider. Guests in qualifying accommodation receive the Davos Klosters Premium Card. For Klosters-based guests, this includes specified local public transport and rail travel between Saas and Davos Platz, alongside reduced mountain-railway fares in summer.
Those benefits can help with both the cost and convenience of exploring. Check the current conditions with your accommodation, particularly the transport coverage and seasonal lift offers.
Why choose Klosters over another Alpine resort?
For us, the strongest reason is the combination of atmosphere and activities. Chamonix and Lech are worthwhile alternatives to investigate, but choosing an Alpine holiday involves more than comparing hotel prices or counting pistes. Think about where you want to spend your evenings, how you want to get around and what you will enjoy between mountain excursions.
Klosters makes a compelling choice if you want a traditional Swiss village with an exclusive feel, attractive places to eat and browse, and enough outdoor variety to shape a holiday around your own interests.
You can ski extensively, spend a week walking, travel with children or simply enjoy a comfortable mountain break. The village gives those different holidays a distinctive setting.
Plan your stay in Klosters
Start by choosing the season and the part of the village that puts your main interests within easy reach.
Klosters Platz is particularly convenient for Gotschna, the railway station and central shops and restaurants. Klosters Dorf is worth considering if Madrisa will be a major part of your stay.
Use our comparison of Klosters Platz and Klosters Dorf to explore the options, then read our guide to travelling to Klosters for arrival and local transport advice.
First-hand observations: Michael Toth, March 2025