Extend your stay in Graubünden after the 2020 Swiss Epic and experience the best of Davos’ off-the-bike adventures.
Davos hosts the Swiss Epic for the race’s final two stages in 2020. On the 21st and 22nd of August, not only will the teams experience some of the best mountain biking around Davos, they will also be treated to a Bike Festival at the finish line and a legendary after party. For most that means extending their stay in Davos for at least one night; though there are reasons aplenty to extend it even further.
The Swiss Epic’s Bike Festival will showcase just how fanatical Graubünden is about mountain biking. Taking place at Kurpark Davos, at the race’s Davos finish line, the festival is set to exhibit all things cycling. From the latest mountain bikes, to eBikes, apparel and even skills clinics. It will also boast food stalls, showcasing the region’s culinary specialities which riders are sure to enjoy after five days of alpine mountain biking. Entry to the festival is free to both Swiss Epic competitors and the general public so it is sure to be packed with likeminded individuals.
After the race concludes, the options to explore the mountains and valleys around Davos abound. When booking an extra night’s accommodation through the race you will receive a Davos Premium Card. This card entitles you to free public transport in the town and a discounted gondola pass. Furthmore, you can participate at the summer guest programme, which offers you over 800 experiences all summer long.
Extending your stay will reveal why Davos Klosters bills itself as the singletrack paradise of the Alps. By making use of the gondolas you can take in some of the Davos Klosters region’s 700 kilometres of trails; without the effort of havi ng to summit any mountains, as you did during the 5 days of the Swiss Epic. The reason for the region’s plethora of trails is the spirit of Trail Tolerance that hikers and mountain bikers have for one another here. By respecting each other, and riding with the knowledge that a group of hikers may be coming uphill around the next bend, mountain bikers and hikers are able to share and enjoy trails in much of Graubünden.
Two of the most iconic routes to ride while staying on in Davos are the Bahnentour adventure, which features a whopping 10 000 metres of descent, and the award-winning Alps Epic Trail Davos. The Bahnentour, or cable car tour, relies on 9 gondola trips to the trail heads in order to spend the day taking in as many singletrack descents as possible. It covers 100 kilometres in total and requires riders to stick to a strict schedule, in order to make the next cable car at the right time. Thus, attempting to reach the full 10 000 metre descending mark requires near race pace to be maintained throughout the day, from 08h20 to after 17h00.
The Alps Epic Trail Davos can be ridden at less of a frantic pace. It starts at the summit of the Jakobshorn, which looms high above Davos, and finishes 40 kilometres and 2 570 metres of descending later in the village of Filisur. Among the many attractions of the route is the Monstein Bier Brewery, one of the highest breweries in Europe, and the Landwasser Bridge, as featured in Danny MacAskill’s “Home of Trails” video and the 2019 Swiss Epic route.
Off the bike, all 700 kilometres of marked mountain bike routes in the mountains around Davos can be hiked or trail run too. One of the most spectacular hikes is the Jöriseen round tour. An excursion to the highest mountain in Davos, the Flüela Schwarzhorn at 3’146 m above sea level, is also always worthwhile. The ascent is relatively easy and the view is unique. On a clear day you can see from the Grossglockner to Monte Blanc.
If the forests and crags of the Alps no longer call, after the Swiss Epic, Davos also offers a variety of non-alpine adventures. Sailing, stand up paddle boarding, wakeboarding or white-water rafting are some of the activities you may be surprised to discover on offer. While a visit to the Davos Winter Sports Museum or taking part in a folk evening are two of the more quintessentially Swiss experiences to take in.
To find out about these and more actives on offer in Davos please visit www.davos.ch. Alternatively click on the Event tab on www.swiss-epic.com and navigate to Davos 2020.