Best Beginner Ski Slopes in Davos: A Guide for New Skiers & Snowboarders

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If you’re new to skiing or snowboarding and looking to take your first steps on the snow, Davos is an excellent destination. With its world-renowned ski resorts, Davos-Klosters offers the perfect terrain to learn basic skills while soaking in the beauty of the Swiss Alps.

However, as a beginner, the wide range of slopes and ski areas available can make it overwhelming to know where to start. (if this will be your first time on the snow we strongly suggest to come prepared, here you can read how: how to prepare for your first lesson)

In this guide, we’ll break down the best beginner-friendly ski slopes in Davos. Whether you're a complete novice or looking to build your confidence on the snow, here’s everything you need to know about where to begin skiing in Davos.

What is a Beginner-Friendly Run?

Before diving into the top beginner slopes and ski areas in Davos, it's important to understand the characteristics that define a good beginner run. When putting on skis for the first time, what should we consider in order to choose the right slope?

Here’s a list of the key features of a beginner-friendly run:

Blue Slope Marks: all beginners' slopes will be marked with a Blue sign at the start of the run. You will also be able to spot the “Blue Slope” signs on the sides of the run as you start riding down. 

*Extremely important for skiers and snowboarders coming from America, Canada and Australia: in Switzerland and most generally in Europe, we do not have Green Runs, easy runs are marked with Blue.

Accessibility: A beginner run should be easy to reach. Always choose a ski area or slope close to a train station, bus stop, or car park. We all know there’s nothing worse than walking long distances in ski or snowboard gear.

Facilities: It's crucial to select a slope with nearby facilities like ski rental shops, cafés, and restrooms. As beginners, you never know when you’ll need to check your gear, take a break, or grab a snack or drink.

Safety: A good beginner run should be wide, have minimal inclination, and, most importantly, not be too crowded. The biggest hazard on the mountain is often other skiers and snowboarders, so avoid busy slopes.

Mental Impact: As beginners, it's wise to choose short runs located at the base of the mountain. Skiing or snowboarding at the summit can feel intimidating and impact your confidence. Additionally, long runs can create the fear that "if I fall, I’ll never stop."

Price: Skiing and Snowboarding are expensive sports and most beginners will not need to waste their money on a full day ski pass for the entirety of the ski resort. Choose a ski area/ ski run that offers “beginner’s friendly” Ski passes. 

The best ski slopes for beginner in Davos-Klosters 

To help you better understand the location of the best beginner slopes in the area, we will take as a reference the Ski Map provided by Davos Tourist Center. This way every time we mention the name of the slope you can cross reference to the map and find the run in a blink of an eye.  

Beginner Ski & Snowboard Slopes in Jakobshorn 

Jakobshorn offers a large area designed for those who are just starting to ski and snowboard: at the bottom of the mountain, we find Bolgen. 

Jakobshorn beginner area is the best across Davos-Klosters Mountains because of many factors: 

1. It is super easy to access by car and by train. Jakobshorn offers a huge car park just next to the beginner area. Similarly, the train station of Davos Platz is just 200m from Bolgen, making this the ideal location to start your journey on the snow.

2. Bolgen offers all the facilities that beginners might need. There are plenty of ski & snowboard rental shops, toilets, bars and restaurants, right at the bottom of the slopes

3. The Ski lifts of Bolgen allow beginners to purchase ski passes specific to the beginners area. You will also be able to choose the number of rides you wish to do and pay accordingly. This solution will make your start on the snow more affordable. 

4. Jakobshorn’s beginner area provides a perfect run progression in terms of complexity and steepness: first timers will find a lot of flat ground and a 20m tunnel ideal to learn the basics. Afterward, having learnt how to make basic turn in a snow plough, riders can progress to a short, wide and relatively flat run served by an easy chairlift called Carjöler 

*ATTENTION: Carjöer chairlift (which serves Piste number 10) has 2 sections: the top one is extremely hard and not really suited for beginners (even if on the map it looks like a Blue run). While the bottom part  is the ideal beginner slope, easy, wide and long enough.

*PRO TIP: when taking the chairlift make sure to get out at the middle station to avoid some hard terrain. Check the picture below for better understanding.

Beginner Ski & Snowboard Slopes in Parsenn

Parsenn is the biggest and most famous resort across Davos-Klosters Mountains. It offers amazing runs and unmatched views, however it is definitely not ideal for complete beginners and first timers. 

1. A first issue that beginners might encounter in Parsenn is how to access the easier slopes. It is a bit counter intuitive, but all Blue slopes are located on top of the mountain, meaning that to reach friendly terrain, skiers and snowboarders will need to take two lifts up and will not have the chance to ride back to the bottom. 

2. Secondly, the Blue runs of Parsenn can be a bit too challaching for complete beginners, they are fairly long and tend to get crowded. 

On the other hand, for a bit more advanced beginners, who can already link turns with confidence, the Blue runs of Parsenn could offer a perfect combination of fun and challenge. Here is a list of best Blue runs in Parsenn:

1. Blue Slope Number 15 is the perfect run to gain confidence and work on your technique while enjoying amazing panoramas. This run is served by a comfy chairlift and it has two cozy mountain huts along the way. 

2. Blue Slope Number 11 is another great run for skiers and snowboarders that are already linking basic turns: the slope is wide and offers a gentle inclination. 

3. Blue Slope Number 3 is the least crowded of the resort making it really the perfect terrain to focus on your technique, however be aware that this run is served by a not so friendly T-bar

Beginner  Ski & Snowboard Slopes in Madrisa

When it comes to learning to ski and snowboard, Madrisa is definitely a top choice, second only to Jakobshorn. 

Madrisa is a relatively small resort compared to Parsenn however it offers an ideal first approach to snow sports, because of its friendly beginner area. 

If coming by car, it will be possible to park at the bottom at the bottom of the lift, while if coming with the train, the station is only 150m from the start of the cablecar. 

*PRO TIP: the car park gets really busy during weekends, coming by train or bus is recommended.

Also, it is important to note that the beginner area of Madrisa can be reached only by taking the Madrisa Bahn cablecar. While to go back down, you’ll need to use the same lift.  We do not recommend any beginner to try the valley run: it is a Black Slope

So what are the advantages of learning to ski and snowboard in Madrisa?

1. The beginner area is large but extremely compact: all the Blue runs and beginner lifts are located only a few meters from each other. This means that your learning can be fast and you can progress from one slope to the other with no waste of time.

2. It tends to be less crowded compared to other resorts.

3. There are many magic carpets and a lot of gentle terrain which is perfect to navigate for first times and complete beginners.

4. The restaurant and a ski rental shop are located just at the bottom of the beginners area 

Beginner Ski and Snowboard Slopes in Rinehorn 

This is when it gets a bit harder for all beginners out there! Rinehorn is an extremely beautiful resort located at only a 10 minutes bus ride from Davos. It is beautifully quiet and basically never crowded, however it is definitely not suited for novice skiers and snowboarders.All slopes tend to be somewhat challenging and most of them are served by long and steep T-bars lifts. 

We really only recommend Rinehorn for advanced beginners that really wish to escape the crowd during peak ski season

Conclusion

So here is our “Instructor” choice for the best Beginner Blu Slopes in Davos-Kloster:

1. Bolgen in Jakobshorn, specifically the bottom section of the Blue Slope number 10. Perfect for all kinds of beginners on skis and snowboards! 

2. Madrisa Beginner area, ideal for complete beginners and first timers!

3. Parsenn, Blue slopes number 15, 11 and 3, really good fit for beginners that already have some confidence!

If it is your first time skiing or snowboarding and you want to start with the right foot drop us a message here!

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While If you have already passed the beginner level and you want to know which resort in Davos-Kloster best suits your abilities, you can find our useful guide here.