On my bookshelves at home there’s a lovely pristine Everyman hardback edition of Thomas Mann’s “The Magic Mountain” had I not had a weight limit restriction on my bag I may well have brought it with me but alas it was just too heavy to contemplate bringing. [Note. Yes, yes I know all about Kindles and the like but having made the comparison with real books have decided that they are just not for me] Where else would be the perfect place to read The MM but here within a William Tell’s arrow flight of the town of Davos where the ‘action’ of the book is set? Davos is just 20 miles away from Schiers.
Searching online for “Davos Thomas Mann” I found this :
“A path has been created in commemoration of and in the name of the significant writer Thomas Mann. This path connects the centre points of his novel “The Magic Mountain”. With the novel, Davos has secured its place in world literature. The work contributed to the high level of fame enjoyed by Davos as a spa and holiday destination.
Even today, the “Magic Mountain” draws numerous culture enthusiasts to Davos, on the hunt for the main centre points of the novel of the same name by Thomas Mann. They can now be inspired by the Thomas-Mann-Way, which runs from the Waldhotel Davos (former woodland sanatorium) at 1620 m above sea level to the Schatzalp, 1880 m above sea level. Along the 2.6 km path are ten signs, which act as “literary stations” and provide information on the connections between Davos and the works of Thomas Mann. High points of the path include the “favourite place of Hans Castorp”, the hero of the novel, whilst the way ends at Thomas-Mann-Platz on the Schatzalp, which has been established behind the botanical garden Alpinum Schatzalp.
Thomas Mann (1875–1955) came to Davos from the 12th May to the 15th June 1912, in order to visit his wife Katia, who was being treated at the woodland sanatorium. During this time he took many walks around the area above the woodland sanitorium, an area through which the Thomas-Mann-Way runs. Thomas Mann described his impressions of Davos in the novel “The Magic Mountain”, which was published in 1924.” Source
Great! I thought the ideal excursion for the afternoon. And indeed vary many things about it were ideal but not, I may say, the Thomas-Mann-Way. The website for Davos/Klosters is excellent so I had expected to pick up printed information at the Railway Station Tourist Information Office. Instead I had blank looks and was issued with a crummy map.
I had remembered some aspects of the walk from the website but obviously not everything. I didn’t commit the map to memory. I wish I had as I can now see where I went wrong and could kick myself. As you can see from the sign at the top there are no arrows to indicate the route so there’s a bit of guesswork involved. As the starting point was quite a walk away I decided to take the funicular up to the end of the walk and find my way down in reverse. So I guess that was my mistake – but an easy one to make!
On arriving at Schatzalp there is the Berghotel in all its Art Nouveau [Jugendstil] glory. I wrote about the Alpinum here yesterday.
It still has the look of a Sanatorium and air is fresh and clean and pure. Even at 8C it was fine as it was sheltered. The Hotel reception also did not have much information about TM but the kindly receptionist allowed me to wander around and take some snaps and sold me a couple of postcards and indicated the start of the TMWay.
The Dining Room
The Reception/Lobby
Art Nouveau Fireplace in a Meeting Room
The Original Hotel Games Room
I wished I had taken tea here on the verandah but I’d decided to do so at the end of the walk at the Waldhotel down in Davos. I thought they would maybe have more information on TM and the Magic Mountain/Davos connection. The only way to find out will be to go back again on another day!
The Verandah where tea is served
miladysboudoir 
Stunning photos, Milady! Both the inside and outside of the building are spectacular, and the view is amazing. What a treat to see these!
Thank you, EEE. Would love to stay there sometime and read the book right through on that verandah … glancing up at the scenery now and then.
Oh, yeah. I’d be sitting next to you on the verandah, sipping my tea and munching on Lindt truffles!
Looks like you’re making the most of your working holiday. Lucky you!
I love that stained glass window and mural above the fireplace. Very Art Nouveau.
I am! Art Nouveau that was the term I was looking for not Art Deco – I knew the German and should have checked the translation. Will make relevant amendments. Thanks.
Hope you don’t think I’m being a smarty pants 😦
Not at all. I need all the help I can get!
I’m resisting a Kindle too – snobbishly claiming that most books I want to read don’t come in a Kindle version.
Here in the UK I’ve been watching a programme about “gifted” children on which a very engaging little girl swoons with delight at the smell of her books, let alone the words inside! Wouldn’t work with a Kindle.
Actually, a lot of books I like to read are available for Kindles as they are now out of copyright but even so one of my first reactions, like the little girl in the programme, is to sniff a book (esp older ones) and one of the others is the satisfying check on where the bookmark is placed and (sad as it may seem) the actual bookmark itself!
I cannot resist mentioning that, had you had a little iPad mini, you might have looked up the excellent website. Please, don’t throw a book at me! Lovely photos, “stunning” as Eagle-Eye wrote.
I’ve never even thought about it, Sarah. Books around here far to precious to through in the direction of New Mexico 🙂
Or even THROW 😉
I was going to suggest the same thing — sad as it is to say, most up to date information is now being issued on the web, not print, for financial reasons. I’ll tell you my lake story relevant to that when next we meet.
Well, I kind of agree but here in Switzerland generally there is a huge amount of print information so you can almost always plan to pick up all you need at the Tourism Office. Today on the bus the man in front had a tourist-office map of Davos which looked perfectly fine. I think I just got a ‘dud’ assistant. Won’t be long now!