The Valais-resort of Zermatt in the Matt valley is one of Switzerland’s most famous holiday resorts and a centre of attraction for many international guests. Thirty eight, four-thousand-metre peaks, dominated by the world-renowned Matterhorn, the world’s most-photographed summit, rise to the heavens around the village.
In spite of its high profile, Zermatt retains the charm of a Swiss mountain village. Electric vehicles and horse-drawn cabs and sledges are the principal means of transportation in this car-free town.
Zermatt is the starting point of the Glacier Express which operates throughout the year, offers a panoramic journey through the high Alps in the heart of Switzerland and has St. Moritz in the Grisons as its terminus.
Summer
Walking, cycling, climbing and high-Alpine tours are popular activities in summer and autumn. Every year, the four-thousand-metre summits attract many Alpinists. 400 km of walking trails also guide guests who are not overly adept at climbing through the mountainscape around Zermatt.
The cog railway operates between Zermatt and the 3089-metre-high Gornergrat. The summit offers up spectacular views of the Matterhorn, the glaciers and the Monte-Rosa massif.
At 3883 metres in altitude, Europe’s highest vantage point able to be reached by cableway also offers a fascinating panoramic vista of the Matterhorn (4478 metres) and summits of the Swiss, Italian and French Alps. The glacier palace can be admired 15 metres beneath the ice surface. Six ski lifts as well as a cableway provide access to the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise, the highest summer ski region of the Alps on the Theodul glacier on the Klein Matterhorn (Small Matterhorn).
Winter
In winter, the snow-assured ski region offers over 300 km of pistes in three varied ski areas: the Sunnegga-Rothorn, Gornergrat-Stockhorn and Schwarzsee-Klein Matterhorn. Snowboarders are able to hone their skills in the "Gravity Park" freestyle fun park in which Olympic hopefuls also train. A crossover to the Italian ski region of Breuil-Cervinia is possible from the Klein Matterhorn / Theodulpass.
Those in search of something different can try their hand at paragliding, dog sledding or off-piste heli-skiing accompanied by an experienced mountain guide.
Highlights
- Gornergrat – a cog railway wends its way up the mountain to an altitude of 3089 metres; a magnificent panorama.
- Alpine Museum – houses the items of equipment used during the first ascent of the Matterhorn in 1865 which ended tragically.
- Glacier Paradise / Klein Matterhorn – the highest place in Europe (3883 m) able to be reached by a cableway, with a viewing platform and the highest glacier palace in the world.
- Gorner gorge – a footpath across narrow bridges and steps as well as a fixed rope route guide visitors through the deeply scarped gorge.
- Village of Findelen – original Valais settlement with a small chapel; it has Switzerland’s highest rye crop fields at an altitude of 2100 metres.
Top Events
- Raiffeisen Open Zermatt – international tennis championships (June/July).
- Bump Bash Classic – worldwide, the largest open mogul piste competition (April).
- Matterhorn Eagle Cup – golf tournament set within an Alpine landscape in the Gornergrat region (August).
- International Matterhorn Run – mountain run from Zermatt to the Schwarzsee (August).
- Folklore Festival – large folklore procession through the village (August).
How to get there
Public Transport: Zermatt is easily accessible from the west, north and south: the Lake Geneva, Lötschberg and Simplon lines provide direct connections to the modern narrow-gauge Zermatt Railway, which reaches Zermatt from Brig or Visp after a 90-minute journey through the rugged Vispa Valley.
By car: There is a good road as far as Täsch (5 km from Zermatt), where there are open and covered car parks available. Shuttle trains and minibus taxis operate from Täsch.
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