Switzerland Guide
Graubünden
Arosa
Arosa was discovered by the outside world in 1883 when Dr Otto Herwig-Hold, on a skiing tour of the mountains south of Chur, came across the remote hamlet. The isolated village has since developed into one of Graubünden's most acclaimed resorts, yet it's still small enough to have retained its atmosphere and lacks even a trace of the hotshot swagger of Davos or St Moritz.
Beware that almost everything – shops, hotels, attractions, walking routes – is closed during off-season (mid-April to mid-June & mid-Oct to mid-Dec).
Skiing
The skiing in Arosa is small-scale but high-quality, with over 70km of mostly blue and red pistes sidewinding down the gentle sunny slopes; beginners will feel especially at home. There's also 25km of cross-country pistes and a snowboard halfpipe up above 2000m. Lifts and a gondola rise from the Obersee to the Weisshorn (with a chairlift from halfway up branching over to the Brüggerhorn), and at the very top of the village in Innerarosa there's another gondola connecting to the Hörnli. A pass for one/six days costs Fr.55/256. For lessons, try 
www.sssa.ch or www.bananas.net .