Experience the monastery – in the footsteps of the royals

The view from our window at the Hotel Piz Buin shows a streaked sky. On the one hand, colourful parachutists dance with the clouds early in the morning. On the other hand, the sky is still bright blue. Let’s go and hit the slopes! Piz Buin is located just 200 metres from the valley station of the Gotschnabahn, which takes winter sports enthusiasts to the Parsenn ski area. Parsenn, which connects Davos and Klosters, is considered one of the cradles of skiing in Switzerland and is still a popular destination today due to the guaranteed snow. On the legendary Parsenn run, which begins on the Weissfluhjoch, Prince Charles was also to be found in earlier years. The English royals were enthusiastic winter guests at Klosters.

Next to the valley station of the Gotschnabahn, a sign with the inscription “Mountain-Lounge – a place to remember” catches my eye. It looks so cosy that we treat ourselves to a winter coffee and a chocolate classic in the lounge (6.50 CHF each) before the fun on the slopes. Prince Charles certainly hasn’t had a coffee here yet, because the lounge has just opened. But I am convinced that this incredibly cozy lounge will become the new hip café meeting place of Klosters.

After this coffee stop, we buy the ski tickets at the valley station. A day ticket costs 68 CHF (in addition, there is an additional 5 CHF card fee, which you will not get back). As a savings tip: If you buy the tickets online, they cost up to 30% less. Discounts vary daily.

From the Gotschna mountain station we enjoy the view over Klosters and then traverse towards the Parsennhütte. It is said that the people of Davos are world champions in slope preparation. Well, with this year’s lack of snow in December, this is an advantage. Despite little snow, most of the slopes – even the valley run to Klosters – are open. The quality, on the other hand, is mixed. Personally, most of the slopes are a bit too hard for me. Around noon, a dark cloud front displaces the imperial weather. With the clouds coming in, visibility immediately becomes much worse. So, after a short soup stop at the Parsennhütte (packet soup for 8.80 CHF), we tackle the valley run.

If you make the valley run, you can’t miss the legendary Gaudy’s Graströchni. I wonder if Prince Charles has already danced on the tables here? In the early afternoon, however, it is still quite quiet. With a Kafi Luz and a hot chocolate with Zekilla (delicious, but probably “deadly” mixture in masses) we get in the mood for the evening. As a second après-ski drink, we enjoy the homemade mulled wine at Bär’s.

Before dinner we have enough time for a walk through Klosters. Here the mountains are still in order. It has practically no swanky new buildings, but many older, pretty chalets. There is an extensive network of cross-country skiing and winter hiking trails along the Landquart. From time to time, the bells on the horse-drawn carriages break the silence. Perfect for relaxing. In my opinion, the village itself has managed to preserve an original character. A real feast for the eyes are the shop windows in the village centre. There are no cheap souvenir shops here, but pretty boutiques. And yes, in between you will also come across one or the other wild Prättigau mountain cat ;). However, the meaning of the dead foxes at the kitchen window (are they served as a Christmas feast?) remained a mystery to us.

If you want to enjoy the evening in Prince Charles style, you can’t miss the Hotel Walserhof. This is where the British royal family used to reside during their skiing holidays. In the adjoining Walserstube restaurant, the finest local delicacies are served. We don’t want to miss this and are lucky enough to get a table even without a reservation. We choose the 4-course version of the Prättigauer menu (89 CHF per person) and start the evening with a Tröpfel – a non-alcoholic sparkling wine made from grapes and apples. Three kinds of butter are served with the bread – whereby the handling of the Engadine mountain butter resembles a true celebration. The dessert should be emphasized – anyone who serves “Fotzelschnitte” as the finest gourmet creation definitely deserves 15 Gault Millau points and a Michelin star in my eyes. Prince Charles has truly shown taste here.

The day is rounded off with a nightly walk through snow flurries back to the Hotel Piz Buin.

Note: My weekend in Klosters was supported by the Hotel Piz Buin – thank you very much for this. As always, my readers can be sure that I always represent my views and enthusiasm here.