What is Zermatt known for?
Mainly, it is a ski resort with a very famous mountain, the Matterhorn. It sits on the Swiss border with Italy but does not have an Italian feel like Lugano; it is Swiss-German. The year-round population is small, about 5,800, and it feels like a small town, even with all the tourists. In the morning, you see the parents walking their children to school or walking their dogs. You can learn all you need to know in this City Guide to Zermatt.
How was the Weather?
This is the tricky thing! You need to get lucky with the weather, and we did. It is possible to take the three-hour train ride to Zermatt, and have the visibility be zero. That would be disappointing, for sure!
Travel Notes
What to See
Matterhorn
There are many ways to view the Matterhorn, the 14,692-foot mountain that towers over the tiny Alpine village. First, you can take a series of gondolas to the viewing platform at the highest European station, 12,739’, so high that your head spins. This is called the Mountain Glacier Paradise and offers a view of the South face. Or secondly, you can take the Gornergrat, a cog train, to a separate viewing platform. Alternatively, there are helicopter tours and paragliding, or you can climb up. Either way, we had a perfect day for viewing.
Highest Station ~ WEBCAM
The highest station in Europe, at 12,739 feet, offers skiing 365 days a year, even when it is 90º in Zermatt! The Mountain Glacier Paradise was opened in 2018, with a panoramic viewing platform, cinema, and glacier palace. Riding the gondola is very dramatic and it takes about 45 minutes to reach the top. A ticket cost 47.50 CHF and there is a 50% reduction with the Swiss Flex Pass.
Elevation
A bit about elevation: be careful and take things slowly. I am used to being at sea level. My house is 9.5 feet above sea level, and traveling to a mountain town of 5000 feet, like Zermatt, affects me. It turns out that it was nothing compared to the highest station. We rose over 6000 feet in less than an hour by gondola and I was dizzy. On the platform, I was taking pictures with my phone and missed a step and fell. Maybe it was because I was concentrating on pictures, or maybe it was the elevation. Thankfully, it wasn’t a big deal, just scrapes, bruises, and a rolled ankle, but I was shaky afterward. Be aware and hold on to the railings.
Hiking the Matterhorn Glacier Trail
If you are feeling up to it, you can hike part of the way down. Take the gondola to the Trockener Steg Station, then follow the trail markers to Schwarzsee. Most of the way you have a beautiful view of the Matterhorn; I even got some reflection pictures.
READ MORE: How to Take Reflection Pictures
Please be aware that it is not a gradual downhill slope; there are ups and downs. Sometimes, you will be going uphill, but overall, you lose some elevation. The hike is a little over four miles with lots of stops to take a breath and another picture. It started with an apple strudel and ended with a luncheon strudel, 3 hours later.
Museums
Matterhorn Museum
In 1865, when Zermatt was a rural Alpine farming village, not an international resort town, with spas and Michelin rated-restaurants, the first climb of the Matterhorn was attempted. Sadly, four of the seven fell to their death. The Matterhorn Museum celebrates the history of this charming area and shows how it was in years past.
Where to Eat
Spycher ~ DIRECTIONS ~ MENU
Our first night was at this flambé restaurant because I was expecting to have fondue. It is a very famous dish in Switzerland, but no one wants hot cheese when it is 9oº outside, so we skipped it. They provide a table-side presentation for two or more guests. But, it’s a small restaurant; you don’t have to order the show yourselves to see the performance. I ordered the three filets in the specialty sauces and Joe had a goat cheese salad, for the fifth day in a row; it’s good to know what you like.
The owner mingled with the diners, answered questions about the area, and provided maps. He was a helpful ambassador for the town.
Zermatterstübli ~ DIRECTIONS ~ MENU
This was a recommendation from the hotel, and it was good! It is a tiny, cozy place, which may be the translation for ‘stübli.’ The gazpacho was the best I’ve ever had. Joe had fun with the owner, who wanted to ensure that we knew we had to be on time for our reservation. “Or you will cut off our heads?” Joe asked. She found that hilarious, so apparently, she hadn’t thought of it on her own and found the idea tempting for no-shows.
Strudel
Joe said the apple strudel before the hike was the best he’s ever had, so well done, Trockener Steg Station Cafe! After our walk, we had lunch at the Schwarzsee Hotel, and I had another strudel with apples, potatoes, and leeks; why not? It was delicious.
Where to Stay
Matterhorn Lodge ~ WEBSITE ~ DIRECTIONS
We stayed in a small, four-star boutique hotel very close to the center of town. It is down a quiet street with a postcard view of the Matterhorn from the front door. The Lodge is family-owned and operated and has a cozy feel. The staff was friendly and helpful with logistics and dining suggestions. Also, it had a laundry service in the center of town where we could drop off and pick up the same day! DIRECTIONS
It was not, however, air-conditioned, which is rarely an issue. Except, it was a huge issue when we were there. We opened the door to the balcony and found that we were only four feet above the street of the back alley. Although the town feels incredibly safe, we felt exposed sleeping with the doors wide-opened to the road. We devised a make-shift alarm with the curtains, the desk chair, and the souvenir cowbell I bought in Gruyères. No one tripped it, so it was probably unnecessary.
Other Hotels
This City Guide to Zermatt only has details on the hotel where we stayed, but I would consider the following hotels on my next trip.
Getting Around
To control air pollution, the town has no cars, so the town is very walkable. However, there is a rushing river going through the center of town that is the scariest white water rapid I have seen in a while.
City Guide to Zermatt Tip: All of the hotels have a transport vehicle, or you can get a taxi at the train station. There is no need to push your luggage through the streets, like we did.
Arriving by Train
We took the scenic line from Lausanne – Visp – Zermatt, which is not a scenic panorama train with meal service and the like. So, we did not need a reservation. We left on the Glacier Express, the slowest train in Switzerland, which takes about eight hours to get from Zermatt to St. Moritz. It goes through beautiful, remote areas of the Alps over bridges and through tunnels, past the aqueducts. Read the City Guide to Zermatt for tips on Getting Around by Train.
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