Thanks to the top of the Matterhorn, the small village of Zermatt , lost in the mountains, has turned into a fashionable international resort, which is included in the prestigious “Best in the Alps” group.

Zermatt is a standard ski resort. There is everything here – an alpine village, a dozen ski lifts above 3,000 m, windows of expensive shops, ski slopes, and an exciting safari in neighboring Italy. One of the best snow parks in Europe. Snow guarantee in winter and skiing on the glacier in summer. And also the panorama of three dozen four-thousanders, over which the Matterhorn dominates – the first thing you see when you get off the train.

The Matterhorn (4478 m) is not the highest peak of the 4,000-meter peaks surrounding Zermatt, but it is considered the most beautiful mountain in the world. They say that whoever sees the Matterhorn will be happy and rich. Maybe that’s why there is so much money in Switzerland’s safes – the mountain brought good luck to the whole country…

The atmosphere of Zermatt is a dizzying cocktail called “German Switzerland”: impregnable peaks, beautiful coniferous forests, the cleanest air, rich traditions of family hospitality… Car traffic is prohibited in the resort. Electric vehicles or horse-drawn carriages deliver tourists from the railway station, taxi stand or helipad to the hotel or apartments.

How to get there

Distance from airports: Zurich – 3.5 hours by train; Geneva – 3.5 hours by train; Basel – 4 hours by train; Milan – 3.5 – 4 hours by train. Driving directly to Zermatt is prohibited, the nearest parking terminal is in Tesch, 5 km from Zermatt.

Slopes and lifts

The total length of tracks in the Matterhorn region, which includes Swiss Zermatt and Italian Cervinia , is about 360 km. They are served by 60 lifts: mountain railway, “metro”, 19 funiculars and gondolas, 20 chairlifts, two dozen bugels.

Zermatt lies at the bottom of a narrow picturesque valley, at an altitude of 1620 m above sea level. Ten points where the ropes are thrown are located above 3000 m. The altitude of the region guarantees a good condition of the snow cover throughout the season; they ski on the Maly Matterhorn glacier in the summer as well.

Above Zermatt there are several ski sectors connected by a common system of lifts. The slopes of Zunnegg (2,289 m) – Rothorn (3,104 m) are brought from below, from the valley, by an underground rail funicular. Easy trails for beginners are located in the Zunnegga area; higher up, on Rothorn, there are some nice “red” runs for intermediate skiers. Professionals should pay attention to the steep “black” track leading from Vlauherd (2571 m) to Patrullavr (2000 m).

The Hornergrat (3090 m) – Stockhorn (3405 m) sector can be reached via the Gantt (2223 m) using the 125-passenger funicular; from the center of Zermatt – go up in a mountain railway car. Spacious “blue” tracks for beginners are located between Hornergrat and Riffelberg (2582 m). Intermediate skiers enjoy the long descent into Gantt. The exit from Hochtalli (3286 m) is quite problematic, it can be safely marked in “black”, be careful. The north-western slopes of Stockhorn, which is reached by a small 35-passenger funicular, are a zone of expert, off-piste skiing.

After going down the “red” route (below Riffelalp – 2211 m – it gets a little more difficult) to Furi (1864 m), you can climb Schwarzsee (2583 m) in 8-seater gondolas. There are a couple of sparsely populated, medium-difficulty descents, a good “black” section at the R bugel and several interesting off-piste “routes”. From Furi or from Furgg (2,432 m) funiculars drop into the Trockener Steg (2,939 m) – Klein Matterhorn (3,820 m) sector.

From the upper part of the district – excellent conditions for skiers, wide “blue” fields. Skiers with average experience are interested in the tracks along the 6-chair cableway, as well as on the descents in Furgg. The “black” track, which leads down to Fury, is narrow and winding, and there are often mass collapses on it – be careful, control your speed.

Via Testa Grigia (3480 m) you can cross to the Italian side of the region. The simple, wide and bright tracks of Cervinia are mainly oriented to the south. Both intermediate skiers and beginners feel very confident here. The main thing is to watch the time to return to Switzerland before the lifts close.

Snowboard

Fan Park on the Klein Mitterhorn Glacier.

Ski schools and kindergartens

Seven ski schools (cost – from € 105 for a 2-hour lesson, from € 245 per day); 4 snowboard schools. Ski kindergarten (from 4 years old), ski courses for children (from 6 years old), ski competitions, a separate area for skiing, 3 children’s lifts.

Ski schools in Zermatt

Alpine skiing in Zermatt requires a certain skill level. Newbies will have a hard time on the local tracks. But this does not mean that beginner skiers should not go to Zermatt. On the contrary, several ski schools are at their service at the resort, where even those who got on skis for the first time will be taught the basics of downhill skiing.

Alpine skiing lessons in Zermatt are taught to both children and adults. For example, at the Schweizer Ski- und Snowboardschule Zermatt, children of two age groups – from four to six and from six to fourteen – practice half a day, from nine in the morning to half past four in the evening, with a break for lunch.

Skiing schools in Zermatt

Prices for alpine skiing lessons at this school start from 395 CHF for a 5-day course in an older group (with lunch), from 440 CHF for a 5-day course in a younger group (with lunch) and from 170 CHF for two hours of individual lessons .

Skiers in Zermatt

The Adventure Zermatt school is popular among adult ski schools. Here, ski instructors work with both children and adults. The cost of training here is from 300 CHF for a 5-day group course (maximum 6 people) for 3 hours per day and from 260 CHF for 3 hours of individual lessons.

Sports facilities of the resort

One skating rink, 16 curling courts; tennis, indoor squash, bowling, billiards; helicopter flights, hang gliding, paragliding school. 30 km of cleared mountain trails for walking, guided tours in the Gorge gorge and a glacial grotto at an altitude of 3,820 m. For extreme heli-ski lovers: helicopter drop into the mountains and skiing or snowboarding down the wilderness.

Apres-Ski and nightlife

There are places to have fun in Zermatt, but you can’t call the night life too boisterous.

Hennustall is a great bar close to the track, down the road from Furi. Papperla is one of the most popular places to end a day of skiing. Elsie’s Bar, near the church, is often crowded, but the atmosphere allows it to be considered one of the best places for champagne and oysters. Post Hotel offers a good and not too expensive choice: Papa Caesar’s bar upstairs, Pink downstairs with jazz music, Le Village plays house, and Le Broken is a regular disco. Mood’s is a good place for those who like peace. Arvenstube at Hotel Pollux is memorable for its atmosphere and real fun. Schneewittchen is another popular town. Vernissage is a nice place with a nice atmosphere, a gallery, a variety of music and unusual decor.

 

The entertainment palette of Zermatt is diverse: an alpine museum, a cinema, a tennis court, a sports complex with swimming pools, saunas, baths, jacuzzis and other joys of life… In the evening, the most lively place in Zermatt is the central street Bahnhofstrasse. Restaurants, cafes and bars with live music, pubs, discos, expensive boutiques and jewelry stores, a bridge club and a casino – a lot of opportunities to spend francs, dollars and euros!

Zermatt is a true standard of service. Almost all restaurants and cafes in Zermatt can be said to be the best.

As in all of Zermatt, prices in the resort’s restaurants and cafes are quite high. In such restaurants as Findlerhof-Franz & Heidi, the price tag of your dinner can reach up to 70 CHF. But among the restaurants of Zermatt there are also inexpensive ones, where the price for lunch will not exceed 20-40 CHF. Such restaurants include Stockhorn Grill Room, with its traditional lamb dishes.

The real gem of Zermatt is its mountain restaurants, such as the Blue Lounge. The combination of excellent cuisine with enchanting views of snow-capped peaks will not leave anyone indifferent.

Where to stay in Zermatt

Zermatt is a popular place for winter recreation, so it is better to plan your accommodation here in advance. For this purpose, the resort has hotels of all star categories, apartments, chalets, holiday homes. Hotels are distinguished mainly by stars, while apartments are divided into separate houses and so-called apart-hotels. When choosing a place of accommodation, it is recommended to pay attention to its location (distance from lifts), the availability of the services you need (for example, food). It should also be borne in mind that the price policy of the resort cannot be called democratic, even 1*-2* hotels will cost more than the European average.

Hotels in Zermatt

Hotels in Zermatt often resemble low-rise alpine houses made of environmentally friendly materials. The higher the star rating of the hotel, the greater the range of services you can expect. Most hotels in Zermatt offer breakfast included in the price of accommodation, but it is better to specify the availability of the option when booking. From hotels 4 * and above, you can expect the presence of a swimming pool and spa area on the territory of the hotel, this is a very popular entertainment at the resort after an actively spent day of skiing.

Chalet Nepomuk 5 stars

Nepomuk Chalets offers a heated outdoor pool, as well as spacious and luxurious apartments with bathroom, kitchen and free Wi-Fi. The windows offer a wonderful view of the Matterhorn.

Apartment amenities include a fireplace, hardwood floors, a flat-screen TV, a DVD player, video games, and an iPod docking station. Daily cleaning is provided for an additional fee.

The chalet is located in the Winkelmatten district of the Zermatt region, 800 meters from the gondola lift leading to Fura.

The center of Zermatt is 1.3 km away. Trains to Hornergrat and Tesch run nearby. The funicular to Sunegga is located 200 meters from the railway station.

Alpenhotel Fleurs de Zermatt, 4 stars

This Alpine-style hotel is located in a quiet area of ​​Zermatt and has a spa center, swimming pool, sauna, and fitness center on its territory. The rooms are decorated in different styles. Guests are served a buffet breakfast, which is included in the price of accommodation. Wi-Fi is provided free of charge. There are places for storing skis, a luggage storage room, the reception desk offers the services of a tour desk.

Hotel Matterhorn Focus Superior, 4 stars

The hotel has unique views of the local landmark – the Matterhorn mountain. Guests are invited to use the services of the spa salon, swimming pool, and bar. All rooms are decorated in an individual style, most of them have a view from the windows of the Matterhorn. Breakfast buffet is included in the price of accommodation. There is access Ski-to the door, as well as space for storing equipment. The hotel is suitable for family accommodation. Wi-Fi is provided free of charge.

Hotel Bellerive 3-star hotel

Hotel Bellerive is located in the center of Zermatt, a 10-minute walk from the Hornergrat cable cars, the Sunnegga Express and the Glacier Paradise. It offers a free spa with a hot tub, sauna and steam room, as well as free Wi-Fi throughout.
South-facing rooms with a balcony offer views of the Matterhorn. Each room has a mini-bar, a hospitality corner and a 42-inch flat-screen TV, stereo system and DVDs. Hotel Bellerive offers free Wi-Fi. The rooms face the south or north side.
Breakfast with regional products and freshly squeezed orange juice is served to guests every morning. The lounge bar is ideal for cozy evenings by the fireplace.
Guests can use a ski storage room with a ski boot dryer, as well as purchase ski passes.

Zermatt

How much does it cost to stay in Zermatt?

Zermatt is one of the most expensive resorts in the Alps, and staying here is not cheap. The price of accommodation in Zermatt often includes a ski pass and the rental of skiing equipment, this should be taken into account when booking a room.

It is possible to arrange accommodation in Zermatt inexpensively only in a couple of hostels or at the campsite of the resort. But the conditions in this case will be much worse than in a respectable chalet or hotel.

On average, accommodation prices in Zermatt start at CHF 220 for a double room. But, given all the possibilities of Zermatt, the answer to the question “how much does it cost to live in Zermatt” depends only on you and your wishes.

What to see in Zermatt

First of all, Zermatt is a ski resort, so the main tourist attraction of the resort is the natural, climatic conditions for skiing, as well as the development of the infrastructure. The length of tracks in Zermatt is 360 km. 75 km of them are tracks for beginners, 220 km are suitable for skaters who have already mastered the basics of skating, 27 km are black tracks suitable for professionals. There are forest and panoramic (treeless) tracks, night skiing and artificial snowmaking, a glacier, 2 snow parks, 2 half-pipes, 1 superpipe, routes for freeriders. Those who wish can also continue their skiing in the neighboring Italian region of Cervinia. The cost of ski passes varies by coverage area – home area or home area + Cervinia.

In addition to skiing itself, Zermatt offers many other winter activities, such as sledding, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, mountaineering, ice skating (equipped outdoor rinks), and hotels can also find swimming pools and tennis courts that can visit not only hotel guests. In general, we can say that Zermatt is a unique ski resort, which includes a combination of ideal natural and climatic conditions and the most developed resort and sports infrastructure. The combination of these factors entitles the resort to be called Best of the Alps.

The route of the famous “Glacier Express” is marked on the map of Zermatt with attractions. This is the slowest express train in the world, it takes 7.5 hours to get from Zermatt to St. Moritz. Passengers can fully enjoy the alpine views while listening to all the details from the audio guide. A first-class express ticket costs 232 CHF, and another 43 CHF will cost you a three-course lunch.

Train to Zermatt

On the map of Zermatt with attractions you will find the Glacier Palace. This is an amazing cave with ice sculptures, hollowed out in a glacier. It can be reached from the upper station of the Klein Matterhorn lift.

Glacier in Zermatt

Among the sights of Zermatt, the Hornergrat railway deserves a special name. Can anything be compared to a slow ascent by train to a height of 3000 meters above sea level.

Shopping in Zermatt. For clothes and souvenirs – the best shops, outlets and boutiques

If you set out to buy something interesting, it is best to go to the city center. The landmark will be Bahnhofstrasse. All large supermarkets, shopping centers and simply interesting shops of the city are located on this street and next to it. If you decide to buy something from skiing equipment, then focus on local rentals. As a rule, there is an equipment store nearby. You should not go shopping on Sunday, almost nothing works on this day. If there is no choice, then head to the station, there are several small shops open every day and until late.

Do not miss the opportunity to buy local chocolate. If beautiful packaging is important to you, then take a look at souvenir tiles and handmade candies, which can be found both in a small shop opposite the station and in a couple of shops in the city center. In that case, if the content is more important than the form, then you should just look for chocolate at a discount in any of the local delis. You can find tiles for any taste – bitter, milky, with or without filling. Just choose something you like.

Another local delicacy is Basler Läckerli. These are gingerbread from Basel, which are distributed throughout the country, and finding them in Zermatt is not a problem. The sweetness is made according to the original recipe and is very different from gingerbread from other countries. It is better to buy them at the end of the trip, otherwise the sweetness may spoil. It is worth remembering that open packaging tends to dry out quickly, so it is best to take gingerbread from Basel in small packages. An ideal inexpensive souvenir for colleagues and distant relatives: one gingerbread will cost 5-7 francs.

Few people have not heard of Swiss cheeses. It will not be difficult to find them in Zermatt. When choosing, take into account an important nuance – all expensive smelly cheeses without vacuum packaging may well be the reason why you will not be allowed on the plane. Their smell is strong and persistent, so this purchase is, at least, controversial. It is best to look for a hermetically sealed product. You should not pass by hard and semi-hard cheeses such as Emmental, Gruyere, Schabziger, and Appenzeller. If you don’t know what to choose, look for a special tasting set in the supermarket. Assorted cheeses, where thin plates are twisted into small rolls, are also interesting. Such a product is also aimed at tourists, but the price is quite acceptable.

Local wines will be a good gift from Zermatt. Interesting varieties Petit Arvine, Fendant, Johannisberg, Pinot Noir. From strong drinks, it is worth paying attention to Kirschwasser cherry brands and varieties of vodka infused with pears, apricots or plums. A herbal collection can also be a good gift. It is best to buy it at a pharmacy – there you can not only be sure of the quality of the product, but also get detailed advice on its properties. However, herbal teas can also be found in supermarkets. They are inexpensive, from 5 francs per pack.

A good souvenir will be the famous Swiss knife. Here you can find such a multifunctional tool for every taste and wallet. Want – a simple cheap souvenir option to remember the trip. You want a simple knife made of good steel with literally a couple of additional options, inexpensive and functional. You want an expensive universal product made of metal that will keep it sharp for years, with a dozen different attachments, from a screwdriver to a flash drive. Just remember that even a tiny keychain knife must be put in your luggage if you don’t want to part with it forever.

A Swiss watch is an excellent souvenir for wealthy tourists. Here you can choose from wall-mounted ones with a cuckoo, and battery-powered bracelets, and expensive mechanics that are not afraid of water, shocks, or dust. The whole issue is in the budget.

The same can be said about local jewelry. In Zermatt you can buy both simple earrings with small diamonds and expensive bracelets with platinum and white gold. Beautiful and cheap local jewelry, popular among townspeople. You can also buy luxury cosmetics in the city. It is of good quality and consists exclusively of natural ingredients, but the price will be appropriate.