Zermatt

Matterhorn

southwest of the village

A four-sided pyramid on the border between Switzerland and Italy, a symbol of the Alps and of Switzerland itself. Its northeast Hörnli ridge starts at the Hörnli hut, at three thousand two hundred sixty metres, reachable on foot without climbing experience. More than three thousand people summit it each year, all with a mountain guide or years of experience.

Tip: The best village view of the Matterhorn is from Kirchbrücke by the church, at dawn, when the summit lights up orange first — the so-called alpenglow. A visibility forecast is on Zermatt's website; if it's cloudy in the morning, skip the cable car and wait, since it's often clearer after lunch. The Hörnli hut is two and a half hours from Schwarzsee along an exposed trail.

Admission:

free, guide to the summit from 1,800 CHF

Time needed:

full day to the Hörnli hut

Gornergrat cog railway

Gornergratbahn

Gornergrat

A rack railway from 1898 running from Zermatt to the Gornergrat at three thousand and eighty-nine metres, taking thirty-three minutes. At the top stands a hotel with an observatory, a restaurant and a viewing platform overlooking the Matterhorn, Monte Rosa with Switzerland's highest peak, the Dufourspitze, and the Gorner glacier below it.

Tip: Sit on the right side of the train in the direction of travel — the Matterhorn shows through the windows on that side. Tickets have dynamic pricing, cheapest on the first train in the morning and late afternoon. Coming down, get off at Riffelberg or Rotenboden and walk to Lake Riffelsee instead — an hour, and the loveliest stretch of the whole trip.

Admission:

return 90–138 CHF depending on date

Time needed:

half a day

Matterhorn Glacier Paradise

Klein Matterhorn

Klein Matterhorn

Europe's highest cable car station, at three thousand eight hundred and eighty-three metres on the Klein Matterhorn, reached via Furi and Trockener Steg. At the top is an ice palace with tunnels and sculptures carved into the glacier, and a viewing platform with forty-eight four-thousand-metre peaks in sight and, on a clear day, Mont Blanc.

Tip: At this altitude there's half the oxygen of sea level, and going up fast can bring on dizziness — move slowly up top and skip the alcohol. The Matterhorn Glacier Ride II cable car runs on from here to Testa Grigia in Italy, so you can cross the whole mountain into Italy in a single day. Sunglasses are essential; snow reflects sunlight even in cloud.

Admission:

return from 110 CHF

Time needed:

half a day

Five Lakes Trail

5-Seenweg

Sunnegga – Blauherd

A summer hike from Blauherd above Sunnegga around five mountain lakes — Stellisee, Grindjisee, Grünsee, Mosjesee and Leisee — ten kilometres long and mostly downhill. In three of the lakes, the Matterhorn reflects perfectly on a still day. An underground funicular from the village reaches Sunnegga in three minutes.

Tip: Walk the route downhill from Blauherd, which saves your legs and time, and save Stellisee for early morning, when the surface is still and the reflection is perfect. Lake Leisee near Sunnegga has a beach with a shallow paddling area for children and is the only lake here you can actually swim in. The full route takes three hours without stops.

Admission:

Blauherd cable car from 45 CHF

Time needed:

3–5 h

Lake Riffelsee

Rotenboden

A small mountain lake at two thousand seven hundred and fifty-seven metres between the Rotenboden and Riffelberg stops on the cog railway, where the Matterhorn reflects in its best-known form. The view from Riffelsee appears on thousands of postcards and calendars. A path leads to it from Rotenboden in five minutes.

Tip: The reflection only works when it's calm, so arrive on the first train around seven, when the surface is stillest and the Matterhorn is lit by morning sun. The lake stays frozen until the end of June. Anyone walking on to Riffelberg has the Matterhorn ahead the whole way, with noticeably fewer people.

Admission:

covered by the Gornergrat ticket

Time needed:

1 h

Gorner Gorge

Gornerschlucht

Gornerschlucht

A gorge cut by the Gorner river just above the village, crossed by a wooden walkway bolted to the rock above the rushing water. Over thousands of years the water has carved a winding canyon out of green serpentine rock. It's a twenty-minute walk from the village.

Tip: The gorge is only open from June to October, and there's most water in July when the glaciers are melting — expect noise and spray then. Combine the visit with a walk to the villages of Blatten and Zum See, home to two of the best restaurants in the area with Matterhorn views. The walkways get slippery, so good footwear is essential.

Admission:

5 CHF

Time needed:

1 h

Matterhorn Museum

Zermatlantis

centre

An underground museum below the square by the church, built as a buried village with original houses, kitchens and barns. The exhibition tells how a farming village became a mountain resort, and displays the rope that snapped during the descent from the first Matterhorn ascent in 1865. It also holds climbing gear from the nineteenth century to today.

Tip: On a rainy day when even the summit is invisible, this is the best hour in the village. Right next door is the climbers' cemetery, with the graves of Matterhorn victims — worth a look to understand why nobody climbs that mountain without a guide. A guest card gives discounted admission.

Admission:

12 CHF

Time needed:

1 h

Hinterdorf

centre

The oldest part of the village, north of the church, with wooden houses, barns and larch granaries standing on stone discs to keep mice out. Some buildings are more than five hundred years old. It's a striking contrast to the shopping street Bahnhofstrasse, just metres away.

Tip: Hinterdorfstrasse runs parallel to Bahnhofstrasse and is nearly empty — the best route from the station to the church when you want to avoid the crowds. The barns photograph best in late afternoon, when low sunlight hits the dark wood. You can't look inside; they're private.

Admission:

free

Time needed:

30 min

Schwarzsee

Schwarzsee

A mountain lake at two thousand five hundred eighty-three metres at the foot of the Matterhorn, with the Maria zum Schnee chapel on its shore, built, according to legend, by climbers grateful to have survived. A cable car runs here from Furi, and it's the starting point for the hike to the Hörnli hut — the closest you can get to the Matterhorn by cable car.

Tip: The chapel is open — step inside, since the climbers' votive pictures are more moving than the museum. Walk back to the village on foot via Stafelalp and Zmutt, a three-hour route with the Matterhorn's north face in view the whole way. In Zmutt there's a small restaurant with homemade cheese and salad.

Admission:

cable car from 60 CHF return

Time needed:

half a day