LANDSCAPE — candlelit Stube, low beams, venison on the pass
Verdict: go●●●○
Restaurant Example
Order the venison. Ask for the corner table. Pretend you found it yourself.
INVENTED EXAMPLE
The guide the tourist board can't write
Where to go in Klosters, and where not to bother.
Ski until lunch. Lunch until dark. Book dinner before you book the flight, take the first gondola, and leave the famous bar to the people who need to be seen in it.
Same mountains, fewer fur coats. Long walks, cold lakes, huts that open when they feel like it. Bring proper shoes and a jumper for the evening.
Lifts shut. Paths empty. Our favourite bit. Half the village is on holiday, the larches are turning and the locals finally have the place to themselves. Walk, eat early, and don't expect anything to open on a Tuesday.
PORTRAIT PHOTO — first gondola in blue morning light, empty piste
PORTRAIT PHOTO — hut terrace in high summer, cows, long shadows
PORTRAIT PHOTO — larch wood above the village, late light, no people
What's shut · Almost nothing is shut, but every good table is taken on Saturdays. Book, or eat at six.The full season guide →
What's shut · Some hotels take a breather early in the season. Check before you drive up.The full season guide →
What's shut · Lifts, most mountain huts and two of the three good bars are closed until the ski season. Plan accordingly, or sulk.The full season guide →
If you only read four
All recommendations →PORTRAIT — hut terrace, larches turning gold
Verdict: go, if●●○○
Example Alp Hut
If you want a view
The rösti is merely fine. The terrace is the whole point.
INVENTED EXAMPLE
PORTRAIT — window seat, nut tart, rain
Verdict: go●○○○
Konditorei Example
The nut tart is honest. So is the coffee, sadly. Best window seat in the village.
INVENTED EXAMPLE
PHONE PHOTO — crowded bar, blur
Verdict: skip●●●●
Bar Example
Famous for being famous. You are paying for the photograph.
INVENTED EXAMPLE
Route
A perfect Saturday in February
Four stops, one sledge, no queues. Read it now, use it in winter.
08:45 → 19:30 →- 08:45First gondola upBefore the ski school, before the queue.
- 12:30Long lunch at Example Alp HutBook the table by the stove.
- 16:00Down by sledge, not skisFaster, funnier, nobody judges.
- 19:30Dinner at Restaurant ExampleThe corner table. You know the drill.
Coming up
Calendar →Example Autumn MarketGo for the cheese, leave before the brass band.Verdict: go
Lichterfest ExampleOnly if you have children under ten.Verdict: go, if
Opening Weekend ExampleEveryone else will be there. Come the week after.Verdict: skip