Zermatt – Matterhorn

Matterhorn

The Matterhorn is not only the most famous mountain in Switzerland but is certainly also one of the most famous mountains in the world. This is partly due to the fact that it is known everywhere because of its motif on the Toblerone chocolate. With more than 4000m, it stands mighty and surrounded by several other high mountains in the very south of Switzerland in Valais.

If you want to see the Matterhorn with your own eyes, then Zermatt is your destination. You can get there comfortably by train. If you come by car, you have to park it in Täsch and continue by train. Zermatt is a car-free village and likes to emphasize this. But don’t expect too much from it. In any normal village there is much less traffic on the road than in Zermatt. Countless small e-buses or e-taxis are running through the streets and share the paths with pedestrians.

When should you visit Zermatt and the Matterhorn? In principle, you can always do it. If you are a passionate skier, then winter is a good time. Again and again you hear statements like the largest or most beautiful skiing area. Well over 300 kilometers of slopes await you. The longest run is 15km long and the longest groomed ski slope you can find anywhere. Even in summer there are still some slopes that are skiable. That’s why many ski pros come here in summer to practice.

In winter there is also a 3km long sledge run for the non-skiers among you. In addition, various winter hiking trails and snowshoe trails are waiting for you.

If you visit Zermatt in summer, there are many hiking trails waiting to be explored. The most famous is probably the 5-lake trail, where you can see the Matterhorn reflected in the water.

Whether in summer or winter, almost all trails are waiting for you with great mountain views, if the weather is your friend. However, with over 300 days of sunshine in Zermatt, there are certainly many places where the chance is worse.

Of course, you can also just go up one of the mountains by cable car and enjoy the view without being active. You are spoiled for choice. Either you go to the Rothorn or you take the Gornergrad train (https://www.gornergratbahn.ch/en) to the Gornergrad Kulm. Or even higher up to the Klein Matterhorn (Matterhorn Glacier Paradise https://www.matterhornparadise.ch/en). This vantage point is located at an altitude of over 3883m and you have a view of 38 four-thousand-meter peaks and 14 glaciers. Moreover, the eternal ice is waiting for you there in the Glacier Palace.

The view is probably fantastic from all places. Unfortunately, when I was in Zermatt, the luck with the weather was not on my side. The peaks were hidden in the clouds and on my sunny day it was so windy that the cable cars didn’t go all the way to the top. I did get some great pictures from the Schwarzsee station though. And hopefully next time I’ll have more luck to go all the way up.

And one more important info. If you go to Zermatt, don’t go on budget. The cable cars are definitely not cheap.The pictures are from my trip in winter. As soon as I was there again, I will update this article again. You can find more information on https://www.zermatt.ch/en

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