Literature Promenade Davos

Station 1: Arkadenplatz with a view of Hotel Europe
The journey begins at Arkadenplatz, directly in front of the door of Kulturplatz Davos, where you can purchase the guide. With a view of Hotel Europe, the former "Curhaus," you will hear the first presented text from Beatrice Harraden's work ("Like Ships in the Night").

Station 2: Café Schneider's

Your next stop is Café Schneider's on the promenade, which during World War II established itself as a popular meeting place for anti-national socialist and bohemian-friendly visitors. The presented text is from Klabund's book "The Disease."

Station 3: Kirchner Park with a view of Hotel Belvédère

Continue along the promenade to the world-famous Kirchner Museum. Take a moment to pause in the lovely Kirchner Park, with a view across the promenade to the grand Hotel Belvédère, and listen to the texts from Erich Kästner's "The Sorcerer's Apprentice."

Station 4: Alexander Spengler Monument in the Kurpark

At the back of Kirchner Park, go down the stairs past the sports center into Jules-Ferdmann-Weg in the Kurpark. You will pass the statue "Der Atmer" in honor of Alexander Spengler. Here you will hear the inspiring text about Davos by Kasimir Edschmid.

Station 5: The Blue Houses

If you continue along Jules-Ferdmann-Weg, you will reach the "Blue Houses." In the northernmost house, on the second floor to the right, lived Wilhelm Gustloff, Hitler's regional leader of the NSDAP's foreign organization. He was shot in his office in 1936 by the Jewish medical student David Frankenfurter. Nobel laureate Günter Grass wrote about this drama in his novel "Im Krebsgang."

Station 6: Symondsstrasse

Behind the "Blue Houses," still on Jules-Ferdmann-Weg, pass the fountain with wolf, ibex, and bear by Wilhelm Schwerzmann. Follow the path past the congress center up to the promenade. Continue right to the main entrance of the congress center. Across the street is the entrance to Symondsstrasse. The street was named after the British author John Addington Symonds. Listen to his exciting texts from the work "Our Life in the Swiss Mountains."

Station 7: Hotel Alpina

A bit further along the promenade, go left up Richtstattweg. The next stop is Hotel Alpina, found at Richtstattweg, corner of Rossweidstrasse. Close by lived Elisabeth Schnack from 1938 to 1945. In her work "The Magic Lantern: Memory Pictures," she recounts her time in Davos.

Station 8: Hohe Promenade

Continue along Richtstattweg to Bobbahnstrasse. Here, keep left to the Hohe Promenade junction. From here, you can listen to a text from Hugo Marti's "Davoser Stundenbuch."

Station 9: Waldhotel

Follow Hohe Promenade to Waldhotel. We recommend stopping in the beautiful hotel bar with a view of the Davos landscape. Treat yourself to a coffee or hot chocolate and listen to Thomas Mann's famous text from "The Magic Mountain."

Station 10: Villa am Stein

Best to stay seated and take a look at the new building below Waldhotel. Here once stood the "Villa am Stein," a haven for many artists of the time, including Thomas Mann and Robert Louis Stevenson. You will next hear a text from Stevenson's work "Treasure Island."

Station 11: Hohe Promenade / Benjamin Grunder Bench

After this brief rest, take the small path behind Waldhotel up and you will reach Hohe Promenade again, continuing southward. Take a seat on one of the many benches along the way and enjoy Max Frisch's beautiful episode from "Stiller."

Station 12: Hotel Strela

Continue along Hohe Promenade. Cross the Schatzalpbahn track and reach the end of Hohe Promenade. Then go down Praviganweg to the Obere Strasse junction. Here you stand before Hotel Strela and listen to texts from Ignazio Silone's "Fontamara."

Station 13: Arkadenplatz

Follow Praviganweg over Holsboerweg, which then leads into the promenade. Keep left and walk along the promenade until you return to Arkadenplatz. The concluding episode is from Klara Zappeler's story ("Encounter with Else Lasker-Schüler").

Reflect on the route in one of the cozy restaurants on Arkadenplatz.

Arkadenplatz Davos - Promenade - Jules-Ferdmann-Weg - Promenade - Richtstattweg - Hohe Promenade - Praviganweg - Holsboerweg - Promenade - Arkadenplatz Davos