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13km (8 miles) N of Davos; 43km (27 miles) E of Chur; 29km (18 miles) E
of Landquart
Life at this 1,200m (3,936-ft.) village in the Prattigau Valley has
changed greatly from 1222, when a cloister was founded here. Many
visitors prefer the intimacy and hospitality of Klosters to the
carnival-like atmosphere of Davos. Unlike some of its neighbors (most
notably St. Moritz), Klosters has few unattractive structures. All its
buildings are constructed in the chalet style, giving the town a
pleasing architectural harmony. Local residents claim that the sport of
tobogganing originated here.
The main road to Davos runs through Klosters, and the two resorts have
been known to compete aggressively for the tourist franc. Famous past
visitors include Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Robert Louis Stevenson. In
the heyday of tax benefits, Klosters became known as "Hollywood on the
Rocks." It still attracts an international crowd of movie people. It has
also been given a royal seal of approval by the king and queen of
Sweden, who visit regularly; but invariably generating more publicity
were Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana, who for many years
considered it one of their favorite Swiss resorts. |
