AT HEART A QUIET, CHARMING LITTLE FARMING VILLAGE WITH A SMALL BUT SOPHISTICATED INTERNATIONAL CLIENTELE

Although Klosters has acquired international renown on account of the regular presence here each winter of members of the British Royal Family, it is far from being the lively, buzzing jet set destination, such as nearby St Moritz, that one might imagine. On the contrary, it is actually a sleepy little Swiss farming village, with a year-round population of just 3,000 and a wonderful place for a ski holiday. Farming is still the main occupation here in summer. There is only a handful of hotels in Klosters and much of the really smart socialising takes place behind closed doors in private chalets which are rented or owned by Brits, Americans, Germans and so on. (These peoples’ continuing enthusiasm for the place may well account for the building boom that took place here at the start of the new millennium.)

However those seeking an understated but stylish and pretty ski resort offering a wide variety of on- and off-piste skiing, will much prefer Klosters to the bustling and rather ugly next-door town of Davos, with which it shares its main ski area — the Parsenn. Davos is the highest town in Europe with a permanent population of about 30,000 and frequently hosts major international conferences — most notably the World Economic Forum at the end of January — which tend to spoil the ski resort atmosphere. Klosters, on the other hand, has masses of alpine charm and it is so small that you can easily reach anywhere in the Klosters Platz village centre on foot in just a few minutes. Klosters Dorf is a relatively inconveniently situated suburb, away from most.