Getting There
Zermatt is closed to combustion-engine cars, so arrival is by train. Direct trains of the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn run from Visp and Brig, which connect with main-line trains from Bern, Zurich, Geneva and Milan. If you drive, park in Täsch and take the Zermatt Shuttle, a frequent train that covers the last stretch in about 12 minutes. In town, people get around on foot, by small electric taxis and by e-buses.
The village sits at about 1,600 m, and much of the weekend is spent much higher, so pack warm layers and sun protection whatever the season.
Day 1 Morning: Gornergrat
Start with the Gornergrat railway, which leaves from opposite Zermatt's main station. Opened in 1898, it climbs to the Gornergrat at 3,089 m and is described as the highest open-air railway in Europe. At the top, the view takes in the Matterhorn, Monte Rosa and the Gorner Glacier, with dozens of four-thousand-metre peaks around you.
Go on the first trains if you can. Clouds often build around the Matterhorn later in the day, and the morning light on the east face is the classic view.
Day 1 Afternoon: Riffelsee and the Walk Down
On the way down, get off at Rotenboden and walk a few minutes to the Riffelsee, a small lake where, on a still day, the Matterhorn is reflected in the water. In summer, a marked path continues downhill to Riffelberg station, where you can rejoin the train. In winter, much of the area is ski terrain, and walking routes are limited to prepared winter paths.
Back in the village, spend the late afternoon in the Matterhorn Museum (Zermatlantis), which tells the story of the first ascent of the Matterhorn on 14 July 1865. Edward Whymper's party reached the summit, but four of the seven climbers died on the descent. The Mountaineers' Cemetery beside the parish church has graves of climbers who died on the surrounding peaks.
Day 2 Option A: Klein Matterhorn
The cable cars to the Klein Matterhorn reach the highest cable car station in Europe at 3,883 m. From the top you look across the Alps into Italy, and a glacier ice cave sits within the station complex. Allow most of a morning for the round trip. Altitude affects some visitors at this height, so move slowly and drink water. In winter this area is part of the skiing linked with Cervinia in Italy, and summer skiing on the Theodul Glacier depends on conditions.
Day 2 Option B: Five Lakes Walk
In summer, take the Sunnegga Express underground funicular, built in 1980, and then the gondola to Blauherd. From there the 5-Seenweg (Five Lakes Walk) links Stellisee, Grindjisee, Grünsee, Moosjisee and Leisee on its way back down towards Sunnegga. Stellisee and Leisee give the best-known Matterhorn reflections. It is a half-day walk on good mountain paths, suitable for most fit walkers in proper shoes. In winter, Sunnegga and Rothorn are ski areas, and the lakes are frozen and snow-covered.
Day 2 Afternoon: The Old Village
Finish in the Hinterdorf, the oldest part of Zermatt, where dark larch barns and storehouses stand on stone pillars topped with flat stone slabs that kept rodents out of the stored grain. The lanes around Hinterdorfstrasse are only a few minutes from the busy Bahnhofstrasse but much quieter. From the bridges over the Matter Vispa you can also see the Matterhorn above the rooftops when the sky is clear.
Practical Tips
- Check the live webcam images before buying mountain tickets: if the Matterhorn is in cloud, swap the order of your days.
- The Swiss Travel Pass and Swiss Half Fare Card give discounts on Gornergrat and other Zermatt lifts, but the lifts are not free with either pass.
- Book accommodation early for peak ski weeks and July to August, when Zermatt is busiest.
- Shops and restaurants cluster around Bahnhofstrasse, and prices are high, so supermarket picnics are a common way to save on lunch in the mountains.
- In spring and late autumn, some lifts close for maintenance between the winter and summer seasons. Check the operating calendar before booking a weekend in May, June, October or November.
If the weather is poor all weekend, Zermatt still has enough to fill the time: the Matterhorn Museum, the parish church and cemetery, and walks along the valley floor towards Zmutt or Furi, which stay below the cloud more often than the high viewpoints.
