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    Zermatt

    Switzerland

    Zermatt

    City

    Zermatt is located in Valais at the end of the Matter Valley, directly beneath the 4478-meter-high Matterhorn.

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    5. Switzerland
    7. Valais
    9. Zermatt
    Zermatt is located in Valais at the end of the Matter Valley, directly beneath the 4478-meter-high Matterhorn. This car-free mountain resort is the starting point for scenic railways, hikes, and high-alpine tours around the four-thousander peaks on the Italian border.By car, you can only get as far as Täsch; from there, a train shuttles to Zermatt. Within the village, electric buses and taxis operate. The Gornergrat Bahn, a cogwheel railway, has been operating since 1898, taking 33 minutes from the village to the 3089-meter-high Gornergrat, offering views of the Matterhorn and the Monte Rosa massif. Even higher, you can ascend to the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise at 3883 meters. For both railways, the Swiss Travel Pass only offers a discount. Zermatt is also the terminus of the Glacier Express to St. Moritz.
    Zermatt ist ein autofreies Bergdorf am Ende des Mattertals im Wallis. Autos parkst du im Terminal in Täsch, von dort fährt ein Pendelzug ins Dorf, im Ort selbst sind Elektrobusse, Elektrotaxis und Pferdekutschen unterwegs. Alles Wichtige liegt entlang der Bahnhofstrasse zwischen Bahnhof und Kirchplatz, wo auch das Matterhorn Museum steht. Gegenüber dem Bahnhof fährt die Gornergrat Bahn ab, am südlichen Dorfende beginnen die Bahnen zum Matterhorn Glacier Paradise. Zermatt ist außerdem Start- und Endpunkt des Glacier Express nach St. Moritz.

    Sights in Zermatt

    Discover the most important sights and attractions

    Matterhorn Glacier Paradise
    Attraction

    1Matterhorn Glacier Paradise

    At 3883 metres, the Klein Matterhorn mountain station is the highest cable car station in the Alps. From Zermatt, you travel up in about 40 minutes; at the top, there is a viewing platform and a glacier palace.
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    Matterhorn Museum – Zermatlantis
    Museum

    2Matterhorn Museum – Zermatlantis

    Under a glass roof next to the village church, the museum, with original houses, shows how Zermatt developed from a mountain farming village into a holiday resort. Also on display is the snapped rope from the first ascent of the Matterhorn on July 14, 1865, in which four of seven climbers died.
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    Gornergrat Bahn
    Attraction

    3Gornergrat Bahn

    The cogwheel train departs opposite Zermatt station, climbing to Gornergrat (3089m) in 33 minutes, a route operated since 1898. En route and at the summit, you'll see the Matterhorn and Monte Rosa massif. The Swiss Travel Pass offers a discount.
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    Gornerschlucht
    Park

    4Gornerschlucht

    Around a 15-minute walk from the village, the Gornervispa has carved deep into the rock. Since 1886/87, wooden walkways lead through the gorge with its waterfalls and rock formations.
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    Restaurants in Zermatt

    1

    Restaurant Spycher

    Swiss cuisine and grilled dishes in the village on Steinmattweg, near Kirchplatz.
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    2

    Chez Vrony

    Mountain restaurant with Swiss cuisine in the hamlet of Findeln above Zermatt, a popular destination for hikes and in the ski area around Sunnegga.
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    3

    Petit Royal

    Café and bistro on Bahnhofstrasse with coffee, desserts & chocolate, ideal for a break between station and village center.
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    Food & Drink in Zermatt

    Raclette

    Raclette

    The melted Valais cheese is scraped directly from the wheel onto the plate and eaten with potatoes, gherkins, and pickled onions.

    Valaisan Rye Bread

    The dark, compact rye bread is a Valais specialty with Protected Designation of Origin (AOP).
    Cholera

    Cholera

    A covered Valais pie with potatoes, leeks, apples and cheese, the region's traditional leftover dish.

    Culture in Zermatt

    Behind the hotels and shops of Bahnhofstrasse, Zermatt is still an old Valais mountain village.Hinterdorf and StadelIn Hinterdorf, the historic village core, dark wooden houses and Stadel line the narrow alleys. The Stadel served as granaries and stand on stilts with large round stone slabs, which kept mice away and kept the grain dry. Many date from the 16th century; some, according to tree-ring dating, even from the 14th century.The First AscentThe history of the village is closely linked to the Matterhorn. On July 14, 1865, Edward Whymper and his rope team achieved the first ascent, but during the descent, four of the seven mountaineers fell to their deaths. The snapped rope is exhibited in the Matterhorn Museum.

    Nightlife

    1

    Bar 55

    Lounge bar on Schluhmattstrasse in the village's south, a Zermatt evening hotspot. Especially lively until late during winter.
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    2

    Grizzly's Bar & Bistro

    Pub with bistro cuisine directly at the station square, convenient for a beer after arrival or after a ski day. Simple dishes are served, the atmosphere is casual.
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    Traveling in Zermatt

    Zermatt is car-free. If you arrive by car, park at the Matterhorn Terminal in Täsch and take the shuttle train to the village; alternatively, you can reach Zermatt with the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn from Visp.Electric buses and taxis operate in the village, but you'll cover most distances on foot. The Gornergrat Bahn starts opposite the station; the Gornerschlucht is a fifteen-minute walk.

    Accommodations in Zermatt

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    Campgrounds in Zermatt

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      • 2Matterhorn Museum – Zermatlantis4 days
      • 3Gornergrat Bahn5 days
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    Nearby

    Valais

    Valais

    Valais in southwestern Switzerland follows the Rhone Valley and is home to most of the country's four-thousand-meter peaks, including the Matterhorn and Dufourspitze, Switzerland's highest peak. The canton is bilingual: German is spoken in Upper Valais, French in Lower Valais.Valais is also Switzerland's largest wine-growing canton and home to Raclette. Its most famous place is car-free Zermatt.
    Aletsch Glacier

    Aletsch Glacier

    At 23 kilometres, the Great Aletsch Glacier in Oberwallis is the longest glacier in the Alps and has been part of the UNESCO World Heritage Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch since 2001. From the panoramic peaks above the car-free villages of the Aletsch Arena, you can look down on the mighty ice stream, which sweeps in a wide arc from the Jungfrau region into the valley.The three most important viewpoints are the Eggishorn at 2869 metres, accessible by cable cars from Fiesch via Fiescheralp, the Bettmerhorn at 2872 metres above Bettmeralp, and the Moosfluh at 2333 metres above Riederalp. To reach Bettmeralp and Riederalp, you travel by train to Betten or Mörel and from there ascend by cable car. At Konkordiaplatz, where several ice streams converge, the ice is up to 900 metres thick.
    Stresa

    Stresa

    Stresa is located on the western shore of Lake Maggiore, on the Borromean Gulf opposite the Borromean Islands. The town has just under 4700 inhabitants, and three of the islands (Isola Bella, Isola Madre, and Isola dei Pescatori) belong to the municipality. Stresa is the main starting point for boat trips to the islands.
    Jungfrau Region

    Jungfrau Region

    The Jungfrau Region in the Bernese Oberland lies at the foot of Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau, south of Interlaken. Here, the Jungfraubahn has been traveling since 1912 through Eiger and Mönch to the Jungfraujoch, which, at 3,454 meters, is Europe's highest-altitude railway station.From Grindelwald Terminal, the Eiger Express takes you to Eigergletscher station in 15 minutes, from there you continue by cogwheel train; from Interlaken Ost, the journey takes about an hour and a half. At the top, you look out onto the Aletsch Glacier, at 23 kilometers the longest glacier in the Alps and part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch. In the Lauterbrunnen Valley, also known as the Valley of 72 Waterfalls, and in Grindelwald and Wengen, many hiking trails begin. The Swiss Travel Pass only grants a discount on the journey to the Jungfraujoch.
    Chamonix-Mont-Blanc

    Chamonix-Mont-Blanc

    Chamonix-Mont-Blanc liegt am Fuß des Mont Blanc in Hochsavoyen und gilt als Wiege des Alpinismus. Der Ort ist ein internationales Zentrum für Bergsteiger, Wanderer und Wintersportler. Die Seilbahn auf die Aiguille du Midi (3842 Meter) bringt dich mitten ins Mont-Blanc-Massiv, die Zahnradbahn zum Montenvers zur Mer de Glace, dem größten Gletscher Frankreichs, mit ihrer jährlich neu gehauenen Eisgrotte. Im Ortszentrum mischen sich savoyische Architektur, Belle-Époque-Hotels, Ausrüstungsläden und Restaurants. Die Geschichte der Alpenerschließung zeigt das Musée Alpin. Am vollsten ist es im Juli und August sowie in den Winterferien im Februar; ruhiger sind Juni, September und der Frühwinter. Tickets für die Aiguille du Midi buchst du am besten frühzeitig online, idealerweise für eine der ersten Fahrten am Morgen.