In a green valley between steep mountain slopes, the climbing and winter sports capital of the Valais region is also one of the major international resorts in Switzerland. Zermatt is dominated by the definitive mountain, the enormous and gracefully curved Matterhorn, giving almost every corner a postcard view. You cannot drive to Zermatt. The nearest you can reach by car is a large car park about five kilometers from the village, where there are shuttle services by electric vehicles.
Trains from Brig take passengers directly to the village; from there, a rack railway, funicular, and cable cars lift visitors to an endless array of panoramic alpine views, as well as skiing and hiking trails. Zermatt is known for its beautiful long slopes, with terrain for all levels, but also offers outdoor sports for other seasons. There is a mountain trail for cyclists from the Winkelmatten to the Furi, and Zermatt’s Alpin Center offers expert guides for climbers all year round. Hotels, fine restaurants and luxury spas abound in Zermatt, but in summer or winter it’s the mountains that are still the main tourist attraction.
Read also: top sights and things to do in Yosemite National Park
1 The Matterhorn
Without the jagged pyramid of the Matterhorn rising as a dramatic backdrop, Zermatt would be another pretty little Swiss village rather than a world-famous symbol of the Alps and of Switzerland itself. Along with making Zermatt the Swiss poster child, the mountain defines the town and gives it a year-round appeal that no other ski resort can match. The 4,488 meter peak was first climbed in 1865 by a British team of five and two Swiss guides. Although a few thousand people master it every year, it should still only be attempted by experienced climbers.
2 Winter sports
Thanks to the surrounding glaciers, Zermatt offers year-round skiing, with skiable terrain on offer
heights between 2,500 and 3,900 meters and the highest vertical drop in Switzerland, over 2,133 meters. In summer you can ski on the Breithorn plateau, via the cable car to the Kleines Matterhorn and on the 3,500 meter high Rosa plateau at the Theodul Pass. One of the great skiing experiences in the Alps is taking the lifts to the top and skiing over the Theodul Pass and down into the Italian ski resort of Cervina. Heli-skiing, high-altitude ski touring, Nordic trails and night skiing are other options, but you don’t have to ski here to enjoy the winter sports. There are natural ice rinks, snowshoe trails and several curling rinks. Being far enough away from major cities, Zermatt doesn’t attract the big weekend crowds and you can access three separate ski areas on one pass.
3 The Gornergrat Railway
The Gornergrat Bahn, Europe’s highest mountain railway running over open land, takes 45 minutes to climb 10 kilometers to the top of the Gornergrat. The rack railway climbs the eastern side of the Nikolai Valley and the slopes of Riffelberg in a wide curve, with increasingly impressive views of the Matterhorn. Riffelberg, at 2,582 meters altitude, has a hotel and restaurant with a terrace that is a popular sundeck for skiers. A few minutes’ walk below Rotenboden station, at 2,819 metres, is the Riffelsee with the Matterhorn summit mirrored in the water – the view is most spectacular in the morning. The line then runs high above the Gorner Glacier to the top station, at 3,089 metres, from where it is just a five-minute climb to the famous Gornergrat Observatory on a rocky ridge above the Gorner Glacier. From here is one of the most beautiful panoramas in the Alps: in the center, the Matterhorn, with the Breithorn, the twin peaks of Zwillinge, the Lyskamm and Monte Rosa on the left; to the north, the peaks of the Mischabel group, including the 4,545-meter-high Dom – the highest peak entirely within Switzerland.
You can walk back down to Zermatt from the Gornergrat. The trail descends steeply for the first 90 minutes to the Findel Glacier Restaurant, where a 45-minute detour leads to the Findel Glacier. From the restaurant the walk continues via the seaside resort of Findeln, from where it is about an hour to Zermatt.
4 Hinterdorf
Higher up in the village of Zermatt, past the Monte Rosa Hotel (the first residence built for early climbers and where you can take a historical tour), is the Hinterdorf, a warren of narrow streets, weathered old wooden chalets, barns, stables, and warehouses . These warehouses have large round stone slabs on the support posts to deter mice. Buildings in the Hinterdorf date from the 16th to 18th centuries, built from the particularly dense local larch wood and with roofs made of stone slabs to withstand the weight of snow. Zermatt is one of the few places where you can see such a group of well-preserved old Valais village buildings. For a guided tour with historical insights, please contact the tourist office.
5 Little Matterhorn
One of the most spectacular journeys – in a place where spectacular scenery becomes almost commonplace – is on Europe’s highest cable car, from the Trockener Steg to the north face of the Kleines Matterhorn. From the mountain station there is a lift to the top of the Kleines Matterhorn, at 3884 metres. A cable car from Furgg leads to the Schwarzsee, an alpine lake with a restaurant. Inside the glacier that lies between the Klein Matterhorn and the Breithorn is the Glacier Palace, which you can reach via an elevator that takes you 15 meters below the surface into a world of sparkling crystals. Carved out of the glacier are tunnels and halls with ice sculptures and a snack bar.
6 Sunnegh
Sunnega
A funicular railway climbs in a tunnel from the center of Zermatt to the Sunnegga sun terrace at 2,289 metres. Here you will find a restaurant open all year round, as well as a number of other attractions in the summer. Children splash in the crystal clear waters of the Leisee and there is a marmot viewing station to see these furry little mammals that live in alpine burrows. This is also the starting point for several walks. In winter, Wolli Adventure Park is a non-threatening first ski experience for beginners, and experienced skiers continue on the gondolas, chairlifts and a cable car to the trails and snowfields of the Rothorn area. You can also link to the Gornergrat ski slopes from here.
7 Matterhorn Museum
Zermatt’s history as a resort is closely linked to its early climbers, and you’ll learn their fascinating story in this well-designed contemporary museum. You will see dramatic excerpts from Der Berg Ruft (The Mountain Calls), filmed in Zermatt in 1937 to 1938, along with artifacts, photographs, and a relief of the Matterhorn showing the different routes to the summit. But there is much more than just climbing here. You will see furniture and interiors that illustrate mountain life and delve deeper into the past with finds from the Neolithic period.
Outside the museum is one of Zermatt’s most popular highlights, the charming 1906 Marmot Fountain. A family of bronze marmots cavorts beneath the cascades, polished to a high shine by the knocks of a century of passers-by. Behind the fountain is a beautiful life-size bronze ibex.
Address: Kirchplatz, Zermatt
8 Gorner Gorge
Every spring since the last ice age, the melting snow and ice of the Gorner Glacier have swelled the Gornervispe and as it swirled and churned through the rock it has formed a dramatic gorge. About a 15-minute walk from the village of Zermatt, wooden walkways descend into this world of waterfalls where greenish snake rock is carved into fantastic shapes. In winter you can book an adventure trip through the gorge with a mountain guide.
9 Theodul glacier and pass
Cable cars ascend from Zermatt to Winkelmatten via Furi to the Schwarzsee, and via Furi and Furgg to the Trockener Steg at the upper Theodul Glacier, a height of 2,939 metres. From the Trockener Steg a ski lift, also open in summer, goes up to the Furgg saddle at 3,365 meters on the Italian border. Another ski lift runs via Gandegg to the Theodul Pass. You can take a five-hour glacier tour with a guide, then hike 2.25 hours further to the Hermettji, crossing the glacier above the Theodul with a rope to the pass. The Theodul Pass was used as a route to Italy as early as the fourth century. From Testa Grigia, near the top, a cable car runs to Cervina, a seaside resort on the Italian side. In winter, skiers cross the border to ski both areas on the same day.
From the cable car station in Furi it’s about a half-hour walk to the Dossen Glacier Garden, where you can see the effects of the last ice age on the landscape as the Gorner Glacier, the second largest in the Alps, retreated. Giant potholes, carved into solid rock by the swirling eddies beneath glacial mats, look as if some giant shovel dug them out. You can also see the remains of a soapstone quarry here.
10 English church
The Church of St. Peter was built in 1870 by the Alpine Club and provided a place of worship for English guests, who at that time formed the bulk of those coming to Zermatt. Many of the donations that funded it were in memory of climbers who had lost their lives in the ascent, and the graves of several of these lie in the cemetery. Inside are a number of plaques in memory of mountain climbers with close ties to Zermatt and the surrounding peaks.
Where to Stay in Zermatt for Sightseeing
We recommend these charming hotels in Zermatt, close to city attractions and with breathtaking mountain views:
- Hotel Firefly: boutique luxury, family owned, serene suites, amazing gym, spa services and sauna, lighted indoor pool.
- BELLERIEF: luxury with great value, warm hospitality, stylish design, delicious breakfast, fantastic spa.
- Bella Vista Hotel: mid-range prices, family-run, breathtaking view of the Matterhorn, delicious breakfast with homemade jam, wellness center.
- Hotel Tannenhof: cheap bed-and-breakfast, central location, friendly staff, spotlessly clean rooms.
Day trips from Zermatt
From Rhône-vallei
Road and rail access to Zermatt is through the upper valley of the Rhône as it winds through the Valais from its source in the glaciers to Lake Geneva and on to France. The wide valley, known for its gardens and orchards, is worth exploring. The historic Brig, important since Roman times as a gateway to the Simplon Pass, preserves Switzerland’s most beautiful Baroque palace, the 17th-century Stockalperschloss and the medieval pilgrimage church of Unsere liebe Frau.
Sion, the capital of Valais, is dominated by two picturesque castle-topped rock walls. The castle of Valère and the 12th century church of Notre-Dame-de-Valère, built on Roman foundations, form a combination of the summit; destroyed Château De Tourbillon, built in 1294, crowns the other. The Tour des Sorciers (Wizard’s Tower) is a 12th century remnant of medieval fortifications. Martigny was an important Roman town, gateway to the Great St Bernard Pass and now to the Mont Blanc tunnel. Above the valley are the famous ski resorts of Verbier and Crans-Montana.
Read also:
Extreme roads and bridges that leave you in an accident
