Ski Zermatt, Switzerland

Zermatt, the quintessential Switzerland ski town

3.7

Good

• 3.0
• 4.0
• 4.0
• 5.0
• 3.0
• 3.0
• 5.0
• 2.0
• 3.0
• 5.0
• 1.0
• 5.0
• 5.0
• 5.0
• 3.0

When you think of skiing the Swiss Alps, Zermatt is what comes to mind. The terrain can be challenging here, so beginner skiers beware.  But, if you are just coming for the après-ski, you won't be disappointed!

The village of Zermatt is as charming as the Matterhorn is breathtaking. Take the Glacier Express to the Gornegrat or tour the village on foot! Don't worry about getting lost in Zermatt...the village is a manageable size.

Zermatt has a variety of hotels ranging from moderate to luxury and everything in between, so it will work on most budgets.

The resort with something for everyone!

4.1

Good

• 4.0
• 4.0
• 5.0
• 5.0
• 3.0
• 4.0
• 5.0
• 2.0
• 3.0
• 4.0
• NR
• 4.0
• 5.0
• 5.0
• NR

If you try to picture skiing in Switzerland, I bet you’re thinking of Zermatt – huge runs on a gigantic ski area, stunning peaks surrounding the world-famous Matterhorn, and a thriving, lively town with tons of quirky, gorgeous chalets as the base area. The town is undeniably Swiss, but is also becoming quite cosmopolitan, with lots of high-end hotels and chalets to choose from, and some spectacular on-mountain dining just a quick gondola ride away. And speaking of those mountains, it’s hard to beat Zermatt in terms of expansive terrain and amazing views, as this is the home of the Matterhorn, the most photographed mountain in the world. The Zermatt ski area has tons of areas to explore for intermediates, experts, and off-piste lovers alike. With quick lifts and so much terrain to cover, any skier would be delighted with a week-long stay in Zermatt.

On my recent trip to Zermatt, I also chose to spend a day off the slopes, exploring the nonskier activities, the best of which was the scenic ride up to the top of a glacial valley via the Gornergrat. You have the option to stop at a number of stations before you reach the top, many of which offer amazing dining options (highly recommend the Riffelhaus for unbeatable Matterhorn views and tasty cuisine!). The views from every angle atop the mountains here is simply gorgeous. But all this beauty doesn’t come cheap – the lift pass can be pricey, and it’s easy to drop a wad of Swiss francs shopping at all the stores that line the streets. But in the end, Zermatt truly is a paradise – amazing vistas everywhere you look, numerous pistes to both provide variety and challenge your skills on the mountain, and plenty of activities and shopping to entertain the entire family.

Impressive Swiss ski resort and a chance to ski to Italy for lunch

4.2

Good

• 4.0
• 5.0
• 5.0
• 5.0
• 2.0
• 5.0
• 5.0
• 4.0
• 5.0
• 5.0
• 3.0
• 5.0
• 5.0
• 3.0
• 2.0

Breathtaking scenery is everywhere you look in Zermatt. My first trip to Zermatt was wonderful, but the weather was cloudy and we only saw a partial view of the Matterhorn for about 10 minutes. This latest trip the end of March was sunny, warm and offered picture-perfect spring skiing. I couldn't stop taking pictures, the views were so stunning!

The town offers great shopping, nightlife and lots of different lodging options. The food is top notch, and taking advantage of the half board dinner options at our hotel was the way to save some money. Train travel from the airport takes a while, but travelling by train in Switzerland is easy, comfortable and relaxing. Once you get the hang of it and the scenery is amazing.

Plan to stay several days, there is so much terrain to ski,and if you get the right weather conditions take the time to ski to Cervinia, Italy for lunch. We booked a ski guide with Matterhorn Diamonds and our guide made the day so easy for us, showed us the best way to get there and back and the best restaurant for outdoor dining with views of the backside of the Matterhorn  too. It was a highlight of my trip.

Zermatt - Picture Postcard Village in the Alps

4.6

Excellent

• 5.0
• 4.0
• 5.0
• 5.0
• 3.0
• 5.0
• 5.0
• 5.0
• 5.0
• 5.0
• 4.0
• 5.0
• 5.0
• 5.0
• 3.0

ZERMATT – PICTURE POSTCARD VILLAGE IN THE ALPS

Zermatt was a relatively unknown agricultural community until the 1860’s. Located at the upper end of the Matter Valley in the canton of Wallis in Southern Switzerland, it is surrounded by a wide array of mountains of more than 4,000 meters elevation, including the iconic Matterhorn. It was the first successful ascent on the Matterhorn in 1865, as well as the deaths of 4 of the 7 summiteers on their way down, that led to Zermatt becoming internationally known.

A year-round destination for skiers, climbers, hikers and sightseers, Zermatt is a beautiful, picture postcard village of wooden chalets, quaint shops and stylish hotels. The village itself is fairly small and flat enough that you can easily walk from one end to the other in a matter of minutes. Like many Swiss resorts, it is a carless village – so the greatest “danger” to pedestrians are the extremely quiet electric vehicles which zip around the village.

The ski area is huge with over 7,400 vertical feet of terrain, 52 lifts and 225 miles of runs. The area encompasses both Zermatt and Cervinia, on the Italian side of the border, so bring your passport when you ski or ride. From Zermatt village, the terrain is accessed from 3 different lift base areas: Sunnegga, Gornergrat and Matterhorn Glacier Paradise. All are in different areas of the village so, no matter where you stay, there is ski access fairly close by. You can get to all of the other lifts in the ski area from each of the three base areas in the village.

As soon as you cast your eyes on the Matterhorn, your visit to Zermatt is already a success. The mountain is unforgettably spectacular and dominates the skyline from almost every vantage point.

Getting there:

You should fly into either Zurich or Geneva. Zurich is slightly closer to Zermatt (135 miles) than Geneva (145 miles) but both have excellent train service directly from the airport railway stations. Both trips take approximately 3 hours and 40 minutes, are very scenic and require a train change in Visp. Visp is a very small station and the platform change is clearly marked and easy to negotiate.

If your clients opt for a private transfer service, they will be driven to the shuttle depot, which is adjacent to the Zermatt train station. Most hotels have electric shuttle vans which will pick up guests and take them to their hotel.

Useful things to know:

Navigating around the village can be a little confusing at first. Some of the streets are difficult to locate and all have very long, Germanic names. The best point of orientation is the Catholic Church. It is very centrally located and, if your guests can’t find it they should listen for a few minutes - the bells ring every quarter hour during the day. The main street is Bahnhofstrasse (Station Street) and the church is located at the corner of Bahnhofstrasse and Kirchstrasse (Church Street).

There is free resort shuttle service which runs in a loop from the train station, along the river, as far as the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise lift. Stops are clearly marked and shuttles run every 8 minutes.

The cemetery, located next to the church, is the resting place for many famous mountaineering figures and, together with the nearby Alpine Museum, is a really interesting diversion.

For après-ski, Elsie’s Bar (opposite the church) is an institution in Zermatt. Serving cocktails and tasty snacks since 1961, it is small but full of history. It opens daily at 4pm and fills quickly.

Hotels:

Alpenhof (4 stars superior): I love this hotel. From the moment you see the beautiful woodwork in the lobby, you know you are in a very nice hotel. It is located on Matterstrasse (on the river) and is basically right across the street from the Sunnegga lift. It is one of the larger properties in Zermatt – it has 62 rooms – so it will often have availability. Rooms are contemporary in décor and of very high quality. The Alpenhof is one of the few properties in Zermatt to have air conditioning. BB and HB (5 course dinner) are possible. Rooms are large. The junior suite (sleeps 4) is 650 sq ft, the superior room is 440 sq ft and the design room is 330 sq ft. The hotel has some nice features including a beautiful garden/deck area where they show movies during the season.

Albana Real (4 stars): Located on Schluhmattstraase (just across the river from Matterstrasse), the Albana Real is only 20 meters from the shuttle stop. It has 38 rooms, most of which are in the entry-level comfort category or in the superior (sleeps 4) category. They also have some larger junior suites. BB and HB (in the hotel restaurant) are possible. There is also a Japanese restaurant on property. Overall the hotel is nice and has good amenities such as pool, sauna, ski room etc. Walter, who gave us the tour, is very friendly and they are very flexible regarding length of stay for our guests.

Hotel Europe (4 stars): This hotel is slightly more difficult to find. Located on Riedstrasse (Church Street becomes Riedstrasse after you cross the river), it is in the Steinmatte neighborhood. The shuttle stop is a 3 minute walk from the property. The hotel has 38 rooms, of which 12 have a Matterhorn view. Rooms are situated in two different buildings – Traditional and Design. Overall, the hotel features contemporary décor and is very nice. A couple of things to note: the family room is the same price as the design room but is a little bigger; four of the design rooms have open bathrooms so you should check specific availability with the hotel if your guests might not want this type of set-up.