Davos, Switzerland: World Economic Forum's Home Base Shines In Winter (PHOTOS)

The annual World Economic Forum kicks off this week in Davos, a resort area in Switzerland and famed cross-country skiing destination.

Protestors of the conference have already set up igloos as their own base camps, but hanging out in the snow doesn't have to be serious affair. The town offers a variety interesting cultural and natural attraction.

The area first became a tourist draw back when it was a health resort. Robert Louis Stevenson, who contracted tuberculosis as a child, finished Treasure Island here. In more recent times, bed rest has given way to hiking, skiing and museum wandering.

WHERE TO STAY: Stay at the Steigenberger Grandhotel Belvedere, a 127-room hotel located centrally in Davos-Platz or the Berghotel Schatzalp, located roughly 984 feet above Davos.

WHAT TO DO: While in Davos (and not skiing), hit up the Museum of Medicine, which chronicles the town's history as a retreat for people with with respiratory issues; the Kirchner Museum, which houses works by the late Expressionist painter Ernst Ludwig Kirchner; and the Winter Sports Museum.

For those not into museums, be sure to see the town's beautiful monasteries

GETTING THERE: The highest city in Europe (it sits at roughly 5,118 feet) is roughly 2.5 hours from Zurich. Travelers can reach the alpine resort via train
easily.

Check out photos of the area below. Have you attended or protested the Forum? Send us your pics!