Following the traces of the Walser buildings in Davos

Reach Mühle Glaris by public transport in about 10 minutes. An asphalted path towards Spina starts directly opposite. From Glaris, you can reach the small Walser settlement Spina on foot in twenty minutes. From the southern end of the hamlet, a flat path leads through the Rotsch Forest to Monstein. The path is also accessible with an all-terrain stroller.

Points of Interest:

Glaris
Glaris (1,457 m above sea level) is a typical Walser settlement with widely spaced farmhouses. Especially worth seeing is the St. Nicholas Church, built around 1350, shortly after the Walser settlement. During the last renovation in 1998, the outline of a saint appeared on the eastern outer wall. It is presumably St. Christopher, the patron saint of hikers and travelers.

Spina
From this sunny little place, you have a wonderful view of the surrounding landscape. The original typical Walser houses have been repeatedly modified over the centuries to meet today’s living needs. One of the most recently remodeled houses in Spina is the "Obere Huus" built in 1533 by Thomas Wolf at the end of the driving road.

Monstein
Right at the entrance to Monstein village, on the left side stands a small Walser wooden house that has never been enlarged over the years. In the village center around the old church from 1669, some truly remarkable buildings stand. Mention should be made of the two wooden houses below the church, but especially the "Gretahuus" to the left of the brewery. On the east side above the living room, there is an opening locked with a shutter. This is one of the very few "soul beams" still present in the Davos area. In this room, the dead were once laid out. 

The "Veltliner Parlor" is the most impressive example of an expanded and vertically built Walser house in Monstein. If hunger strikes, you should stop by the Hotel and Restaurant Ducan. In the cozy Swiss pine parlor, the chef and his staff pamper you with delicacies made from regional fresh products, such as a homemade Ducan Cordon Bleu filled with Monstein brewer’s cheese. Of course, the highly sought-after Alpine grill is still available on their menu.

Interesting facts:
- Unlike Engadine houses, where house and stable are united under the same roof, Walser houses are separated from the stable. 
- It will be possible without much difficulty to also recognize further Walser houses in Clavadel, the Sertig valley, and the Dischma valley.

See also
Destination Davos Klosters
Davos Destinations Organization (Cooperative)
Talstrasse 41
CH-7270 Davos Platz
Tel: +41(0)81 415 21 21
E-Mail: info@davos.ch
Internet: www.davos.ch