Zermatt Switzerland. What hotels in Zermatt have nice views? Summer holidays in Zermatt

Of many countries in the world, Switzerland is the most fortunate. Without any significant deposits of minerals, it entered the top ten most prosperous states. And why does Switzerland need oil or gas? After all, she has mountains! The whole territory of the country is the majestic Alps. And also - blue lakes, green intermountain valleys, turbulent rivers, colorful architecture, untouched by war. Switzerland has built its prosperity on a reliable banking system, accurate clocks and, of course, impeccable tourist service. Crystal cutting, the world's best chocolate and cream cheese have also added glory to this mountainous country. But the backbone of the Swiss economy has been and remains international tourism. From some names of resorts already breathes a lot of money, stability and respectability - Davos, St. Moritz, Saas-Fee, Interlaken, Leukerbad, Zermatt ... Switzerland is ready to receive guests all year round. Because not only to appear on skis, tourists come here. Treatment on the waters, mountain climbing, trekking, rafting, bright excursion programs - all this, accompanied by first-class service, can be tasted in this mountainous country. The focus of this article will be only one of her resorts - Zermatt (Switzerland) - and reviews about it.

Where is located

Administratively, Switzerland is divided into cantons. Some of them are German-speaking, others speak Italian or French. But tourists are most interested in which mountainous region these or those resorts in Switzerland belong to. So where is Zermatt located? Administratively - in the French-speaking and German-speaking canton of Valais. But much more important is that this resort lies on the slopes of the Matterhorn - the fifth highest peak of the Alps. This means that you are provided with bluish shimmering glaciers even in summer. And one more thing: the Matterhorn peak has another name - Cervinya. And this means that, having risen on the lift on the Swiss side, you can ski straight down to Italy. But even without this, Zermatt is an unusual resort. For many years now, it has held the lead among other Swiss ski areas in terms of the number of alpine skiers. And not because it is budget. Rather, on the contrary: Zermatt is one of the most expensive resorts. The secret lies in the fact that the Matterhorn peak, with a characteristic shiny file crashing into the sky, is visible from everywhere. Its snow-capped peak is a kind of visiting card of a country called Switzerland. Zermatt, whose photos and posters are the most recognizable (at least for the Tabletton chocolate wrapper), gives its guests an atmosphere of celebration, sparkling fun and European chic all year round.

Resort Development

Even at the beginning of the 19th century, no one had heard of a village lost in the mountains. And now it has become chic to go there for a winter vacation. And then Zermatt was not even a real settlement - in the summer shepherds stopped there, engaged in transhumance. And when, in the middle of the 19th century, doctors declared that mountain air was a panacea for tuberculosis, Swiss villages began to turn into healing resorts for the nobility. At first they came here only in the summer. The resort of Zermatt (Switzerland) became famous thanks to one of its descendants - Seider. It was he who built the first three hotels, which, having decorated their signs with five stars, still receive tourists. Hermann Seider, the son of a famous hotelier, went even further. He opened the first ski school in Zermatt to promote winter holidays in Switzerland. At the same time, the fashion for conquering peaks also grew. The Matterhorn, on the slopes of which Zermatt is located, turned out to be a hard nut to crack. The first ascent in 1865 ended in tragedy: of the seven Englishmen who went to the top, only three returned. But this only spurred interest in the peak. In 1933, a railway was built that connected Zermatt with the main cities of Switzerland.

When is the best time to come here

The off-season in the Swiss mountain climate does not last long. Winter (October to May) quickly gives way to hot summer (mid-June - mid-September). But, as already mentioned, the resort is ready to receive skiers all year round. Zermatt never lacks guests. Skiing in the summer months is possible thanks to the non-melting glaciers Horner, Findelglecher, Ober-Théodülglecher and the Matterhorn itself. Trails up to the Trockener Steg (2939 m) are open almost all year round. On the slopes of the Klein Matterhorn (3883 m) you can also see a large number of snowboarders and skiers. But even if mastering the slopes is not among your interests, Zermatt (Switzerland) in summer can surprise you. Hundreds of horse, trekking and walking routes scatter from the village. The pride of all Switzerland is the old Gornergrat Bahn survey railway, rising to a height of 3407 meters to the Stockhorn peak. Russian tourists in their reviews praise the so-called "dawn trains", which leave every week of the summer to Gornergrat station. Watching the stunning sunrise over the Matterhorn from the observation deck is an indescribable feeling. High-mountainous alpine villages with an old way of life are ready to receive eco-tourists. Reviews of outdoor enthusiasts assure that hiking, cycling and horseback riding are ideal and safe. The cleanest lakes will delight fishermen with a rich catch. And those who love to soak in the warm waters will find what they are looking for in the SPA resorts of Zermatt.

Winter holidays

The peak season is observed in Switzerland during the Christmas and New Year period. And so the rather high prices skyrocket. Therefore, reviews advise those tourists who cannot afford Zermatt (Switzerland) to stay in hotels on the Italian side. This is, first of all, the resort of Brai-Cervinia. It is connected with Zermatt by one Glacier Paradise ski area. And although a single ski pass is very expensive (about 340 euros for six days), you can save a little on accommodation and food. Riding the slopes of the Matterhorn is truly amazing and exceptional. The most comfortable lifts with a total of seventy-two deliver skiers to the top of the slopes without the slightest queue. But of the chairlifts, cable cars and rope tows, the most remarkable is the iron one, which operates on the principle of a funicular. It starts from the very center of Zermatt, and gets to a height of more than three thousand meters (Gornergrat peak). After a short daylight hours, vacationers who come to the resorts of Switzerland are waiting for a fascinating après-ski. Baths, saunas, spa treatments, tennis courts, horse and dog sledding, skating and shopping - you will not notice how the evening changes into night. Many restaurants will help you satisfy your hunger, and discos and nightclubs will cheer you up.

How to Get to Zermatt

It is most convenient to come to the southeastern part of the canton of Valais from Italy or France. However, one should take into account the fact that most of the tunnels, which significantly shorten the path, are paid. There is a railway connection linking the main Swiss resorts such as Davos and St. Moritz. But the famous Glacier Express is more of a tourist attraction than a means of communication. On this "express" it is good to make a sightseeing tour. Reviews call Geneva and Zurich excellent starting points. Ski resorts are three and a half hours away by regular train. In Visp, you should change to the Matterhorn Gotthard Railway narrow-gauge shuttle. She will drive you to the very center of the resort. The ultra-modern and comfortable station is located at the end of the main street. For environmental reasons, the inhabitants of Zermatt have decided to abandon vehicles running on gasoline. At the station you will be met by electric taxis (the fare is fifteen francs within the village) or a bus (if you have a ski pass, it's free, and if you don't have it, the fare costs three francs). This one serves all the key points in the village of Zermatt. How to get to the resort by car? Alas, the reviews of tourists unanimously advise leaving the iron horse in a paid parking lot in the village of Tash, five kilometers below Zermatt, and transfer to the same shuttle.

Where to settle

Slava has turned a small mountain village into a large resort town. The number of hotels grew along with Zermatt. But the very first hotel has been preserved here, serving tourists without interruption for more than one hundred and sixty years - Mont Cervin Palace. This five-star hotel underwent a complete renovation two years ago. No less ancient history can boast of two more "historical" hotels - Monte Rosa and Riffelalp. Unfortunately, the hotel base of Zermatt is not similar to the modern ones. In the village, you will hardly find hotels that practice ski-in (skating "from the door"). But the Kulmhotel Gornergrat is located at the top station of the funicular railway. This is the highest mountain hotel in Switzerland. It is located at 3100 meters above sea level - only shelters for climbers are higher. As it appears from the reviews, the guests of the five-star Rifferalp Resort also have the opportunity to be the first to go to the slopes. This historic hotel is located at the intermediate station of the narrow gauge railway at Gornergrat. In addition to these hotels, Zermatt is overflowing with many lower-end hotels and apartments. They are convenient for families and large companies. However, one cannot count on cheap accommodation in Zermatt.

Where to eat

The ADAC Ski Guide, the authoritative guide that ranks ski resorts around the world, has repeatedly awarded this resort the title of best. One of the criteria for expert analysis is the restaurant base. In this, Zermatt is ahead of the rest. Here you will find both upscale restaurants, marked with Gau Millau and Michelin stars, and McDonald's. Even the stalls on the main street sell great, incredibly tasty sausages with mustard. Of the best restaurants in the resort of Zermatt (Switzerland), it is worth noting Le Cervin, Le Gourmet (in the oldest Alpenhof hotel) and Corbeau d "Or. Canton Valais is famous for its cuisine, so traditional restaurants should not be discounted. Reviews recommend trying fondue and lamb at The Stockhorn Grill Room is always cozy and the waiters are hospitable. - in fact, meze or cold cuts. Different varieties of locally produced ham and sausages will not leave anyone indifferent. A table in the restaurant should be booked in advance. Bars open their doors hospitably from 16.30. Cafe DuPont is called among the best reviews (even locals come here to taste fondue) ), Fuchs coffee shop (the best in Zermatt is Pink Elephant, Sparky's and Papperla Pub. All establishments have an excellent cozy atmosphere, respectability and at the same time cheerful ease. Wine prices start at CHF 3.50 per 100 milliliters.

Glacier Paradise ski area

Holidays in Switzerland in winter are truly unforgettable. The fabulous beauty of the local nature, the stern silence of the four-thousanders, the shining glaciers, the mountain sun, which covers the skin with a bronze tan, give skiing a special charm. A well-developed tourist infrastructure, instructors and lifeguards are doing everything possible to make extreme recreation as safe as possible. The ski area of Zermatt is combined with the Italian Cervinia. In winter, the total length of the trails is about 360 kilometers. At the same time, you can enjoy the difference in altitude: from the top of the Klein Matterhorn (3900 meters) to the lowest point of skiing (approximately 1600 meters). In summer, the length of the slopes narrows to 21 kilometers, which is also a lot - after all, not all resorts in Switzerland can offer the opportunity to ski in July. This is what makes Zermatt special. The layout of the tracks gives preference to athletes who are confident on skis and aces. Tourists still claim that there are gentle slopes, but they occupy no more than 20% of the total number of roads. But for advanced skiers, Zermatt offers over two hundred kilometers of red runs, 62 km of black runs and 34 km of blue runs. The requests of fans of mogul, off-piste and heli-skiing are also taken into account. The longest route in the zone is 22 kilometers, the most extreme black slope is Triftji Bumps (from Hohtalli peak). Zermatt has the largest snow park in Europe. There are also two toboggan runs. 115 km of marked paths are at the disposal of amateurs.

Après-ski in Zermatt

After the lifts close, you won't be bored. Like all Zermatt can boast of a developed network of entertainment. In addition to more than a hundred restaurants and bars where you can satisfy your hunger and refresh yourself with a glass of mulled wine, it offers its guests more sophisticated entertainment. Knowing how the legs, worn out during the day of skiing in ski boots, buzz, almost all hotels have saunas, Russian steam rooms and hammams. Fatigue can be relieved in one of the fifteen indoor pools of the resort. There is a cinema, two tennis courts, twelve solariums and a squash hall. If you have never skied, experienced instructors (including Russian-speaking ones) will help you master this skill. Reviews recommend booking private lessons. There is also a ski school for kids. By the way, you can come to the resort with children. While parents famously dissect on the tracks, the baby will be fully supervised in the local kindergarten. And, of course, shopping. The ladies who have visited the resort assure that the main street of the town is simply dotted with representative offices of fashionable clothing, footwear and accessories companies.

Local Attractions

The resort of Zermatt offers inquisitive tourists a lot of opportunities. The most exciting excursion, which takes seven and a half hours, is a ride on the Glacier Express. This is the slowest train in the world - after all, the main thing here is not speed, but landscapes floating outside the window to the accompaniment of an audio guide. The express will pass about 300 bridges at dizzying heights and 100 tunnels. This pleasure costs two hundred and seventy-five francs if you go first class. The cost of the tour includes a lunch with three courses. At the upper station of the Klein Matterhorn, a huge cave carved into the glacier awaits tourists. An elevator lowers visitors to a depth of 15 meters. Reviews recommend visiting the resort's history museum. It is located next to the Zermatt church. Lovers of romance can recommend a fascinating overnight stay in an igloo ice hut. You can get to it in the evening on snowshoes, dine fondue, take a steam bath, and then wrap yourself in skins and fall asleep on an ice bed. Those who consider themselves insufficiently prepared for heli-skiing, but who are attracted by the peaks, can use the services of Air Zermatt. Helicopters, designed for four passengers, will take you to the top of the Matterhorn or one of the 36 four-thousanders surrounding it in a matter of minutes. A forty-minute flight will cost 420

The beautiful car-free resort of Zermatt in the Swiss Alps is world famous for its skiing and mountaineering. This village at the foot of the impressive Matterhorn is a true alpine paradise, popular with celebrities and people of all nationalities.

Surrounded by magnificent mountains and many hiking trails, Zermatt offers more than just beautiful views. The nearby Sunnega Paradis ski area can be reached by 3 vehicles - first by funicular, then by gondola lift and by cable car, allowing you to enjoy a long descent afterwards. There are even more pleasures in Zermatt itself!

This lovely resort is a great base for hiking to the nearby Breithorn mountain, the easiest route in all the Alps. You will be rewarded with magnificent panoramic views of the snow-capped mountain peaks and charming villages below.

You can go mountain biking in the Zermatt area and after an active day relax in one of the cozy restaurants and bars with a fireplace and comfortable seating. It will be nice to just walk along the main street, admiring the view of the wooden chalets, and take a look at the shop windows.

The resort has a railway connection. The site presents over 230 accommodation options, from cozy apartments to attractive hotels.

In Zermatt, everything revolves around the Matterhorn. The Matterhorn is a reference mountain, the center of the beauty of the surrounding area. From any angle it is beautiful, and the hand itself grabs the camera. Perhaps, only from the Italian side it looks simpler, but there it is no longer the Matterhorn, there it is Monte Cervino.

So we will enjoy its views from the Swiss side, especially since Zermatt itself is very nice and picturesque.

Zermatt is a small Alpine town, or rather a village, at the very end of the Mattertal Gorge. It is separated from Italy by a mountain range, and behind the pass lies the Italian mountain resort of Cervinia.

The Matterhorn stands apart from the rest of the mountains and is translated as "a horn in a meadow." But in the eastern direction stretches a high snow ridge - a chain of four-thousanders, and the highest among them is the Dufour peak in the Monte Rosa massif (4634) - the highest point in Switzerland and the second in the Alps after Mont Blanc.

So, definitely, we definitely need to see all this beauty.
I’ll warn you right away that the article is intended not only for climbers and skiers, but is addressed to people traveling around Europe who are curious to visit this corner of the Swiss Alps, in the famous mountain resort, and who want to see what kind of Matterhorn it is and take a walk around the neighborhood. It can be said that it was written by order of acquaintances who ask if there is anything to do in Zermatt for non-alpinists, where to go, what to see. There is definitely somewhere to walk there - 400 km of mountain trails are declared for all kinds of trekking and walks of any degree of difficulty.

Alas, Switzerland is not a cheap country. I will tell you about my experience of traveling to Zermatt and how we tried to minimize costs.

Tickets and visas

We went there at the beginning of September 2011 with climbing goals. Tickets were bought a month and a half in advance, direct tickets to Geneva on SwissAir. Air tickets cost 12 thousand rubles.

They decided to make a French visa, because it is easier and the French give a visa for a long time (we were given an annual one). Booked an apartment in Chamonix with the possibility of cancellation. We also rented an apartment near Geneva in France on the day of arrival and the day of departure.

Transport in Switzerland: Swiss Card. How to get to Zermatt

We traveled from Geneva to Zermatt by train. The road is picturesque, the train first goes along Lake Geneva. After Montreux, carefully look out the right window - Chillon Castle will be very close.

There is no direct train to Zermatt. At the Visp station, you need to transfer to the local train, which runs once or twice an hour. From Visp to the final destination - Zermatt - the train takes about an hour. In general, the journey from Geneva to Zermatt takes 3 hours and 50 minutes.
Train from Geneva to Zermatt

The train goes down the slope of the gorge

And here is the same road from the photo of 1880. San Nicolas Station

The old photograph shows that the peasant children were not even allowed onto the platform. They stood behind the partition and offered to passers-by to buy food from them.

Transport in Switzerland is expensive. Purchasing a card will help reduce costs Swiss Flexi Pass. With this card, you can travel around the country for free for a certain number of days, climb lifts and visit museums, on other days during the month - at half price. The number of "free" days can be from 3 to 6.

We took a card with three free days. The first day was used on the day of arrival, when we got on two trains to Zermatt, the second - on the day of departure. Another day we went to Bern and .

We bought this card in Moscow, at the Jet Travel travel agency.

There are different types of transport cards for Switzerland. There is only for a transfer, when you just need to get to a certain place and sit there without getting out, there is - with the possibility of everyday trips. You can read about the different types of Swiss Pass at https://www.swiss-pass.ch/

At the moment, the card costs 260 francs (3 free days, travel in class B). A regular ticket from Geneva to Zermatt in a class B car costs 93 francs, 164 in class A (the franc exchange rate is approximately equal to the dollar exchange rate). So there is a benefit.

You can view the schedule and the cost of train tickets on the website https://www.sbb.ch/en/home.html The ticket price appears only after clicking the "Buy" button and filling in your full name.

Public transport in Zermatt itself is present in the form of two electric bus routes, but there is no great need for them, since the town is small, and we easily managed on our own.

Camping in Zermatt

Before that, I had already been to Zermatt, then we climbed to the top of Monte Rosa, bad weather prevented climbing the Matterhorn. We lived at the campsite at the time. And this time we decided to stay there.

The campsite in Zermatt is a 5-minute walk from the train station. The main city street Bahnhofstrasse passes in front of the station square, and along it - from the station to the left (Spissstrasse 17).

Station square in Zermatt

Attempts to pre-book the campsite were unsuccessful. Richard, the owner of the campsite, wrote to us that there was no need to book anything, just come (and we initially needed a reservation for a visa, the option with France arose later). Well, he doesn't make armor. Everyone comes easily. They go to the camping area, set up tents, drag free tables and chairs to the tents, in general, settle down.

Richard, a former alpine guide, and now the owner of the campsite, appears at the campsite in the morning and evening, registers new arrivals, and cleans up the territory. At the campsite there is a house with a toilet, a shower, everything is clean and decent.

The cost of living is 11 francs per tent per day. When we left for the ascent, we took one tent upstairs, leaving our things in the other. From the "non-residential" tent, Richard took 5 francs a day.

In general, in September the campsite was quite spacious. The people changed quickly. Now, you see, cyclists are attached nearby, then climbers. There was an elderly couple from China who went for walks in the neighborhood in the morning. There were also solo tourists.

Climbers from Ukraine set up a tent next to us. Some of the people from their company lived in apartments, some in tents.

Of course, camping is not for everyone. In this case, book apartments well ahead of time. Then there is the opportunity to rent a room for two for a week for 20-25 thousand rubles.

There is another option - to look for housing in Tasha. Tash is the station before Zermatt. There, too, there is camping and accommodation in apartments cheaper than in Zermatt. An electric train runs between Tash and Zermatt - the so-called. Shuttle with a frequency of several trains per hour. Travel time is 12 minutes.

In Tasha, there is a large underground parking lot, where those who arrived in the gorge in their car leave their cars. Only electric cars are allowed in Zermatt.

Food

We brought sports food (Gala-Gala sublimates) for climbing with us. We cooked ourselves at the campsite. Products were bought at the Coop supermarket. Wine, cheese, dairy products, vegetables - quite sparing prices, a little more expensive than in France. Meat-sausage is significantly more expensive.

After hiking in the mountains, we went to a cafe to drink coffee with tiramisu or a glass of beer with some pizza or lasagna. Pleasant cafes with local cuisine came across in the mountains. I really liked the cafe in the place Zum Zee and the place itself is charming. However, I will write about walks in the mountains separately.

We celebrated our ascent of the Matterhorn at the Du Pont restaurant. It, as the name suggests, is located near the bridge. If you go down from the lift "Matterhorn glacier paradise", after the bridge to the right. A tavern appeared at this place a very long time ago, and all visitors are given a postcard with an old photograph of this tavern as a keepsake.

That's where we decided to go through all the hits of Swiss cuisine and ordered: fondue, raclette and rosti.

We chose mushroom fondue with potatoes. Soon a large cauldron of melted cheese and mushrooms was placed on our table, with a burner under the bottom of the cauldron. The cauldron was accompanied by a bowl of jacket potatoes and a bowl with pieces of dried bread. It was necessary to peel the potatoes and dip them into the cheese on a fork. Do the same with bread.

Rosti is something like our pancakes, potato cake with cheese.

Raclette is another variation on the theme of potatoes with cheese, however, it was accompanied by a delicious sausage.

An abundance of potato and cheese plus a decanter of homemade wine cost us 50 euros per nose.

Zermatt mountain resort and its sights

The settlement is stretched along the gorge on both sides of the river Visp. Its main street, Bahnhofstrasse, runs through the entire village. It is always filled with people, many people with backpacks and sticks going to the mountains or returning from them. Climbers can be recognized by huge backpacks with strapped ropes, trekkers go with small backpacks.

Bahnhofstrasse - the main street of Zermatt

Along the sides of the street are numerous shops with sports equipment, clothing and footwear. There, if necessary, you can buy trekking poles, sunblock, trekking shoes, but everything is quite expensive, so it’s better to bring it with you.

At the station square there is a tourism office (Bahnhofplatz 5), where you can take a free map of mountain trekking routes. The map shows trails, mountain cafes, chalets, lift stations, mountain train schedules to Gornegrat and Rothenboden.

There are three churches in Zermatt: Evangelical Lutheran, English and Catholic.

english church

In the center of Zermatt stands the Evangelical Lutheran Church of St. Maurice. Inside there are very curious paintings by contemporary artists.

Church of St. Maurice

Paintings on the ceiling. noah's ark

It's not good to stick your head in the TV!

Behind the church, along the river, there is a cemetery. Most of the graves are not of local residents, but of climbers who died during the ascent. Some of the monuments are very expressive.

Climbers Cemetery

One of the monuments in the cemetery

In front of the church is a cute fountain with marmots.

Behind the fountain rises the high glass dome of the Alpine Museum, also called the Matterhornmuseum.

Central square of Zermatt. Under the glass dome - Alpine Museum

The museum itself is underground. A large section is devoted to the history of mountaineering in these parts and the conquest of the Matterhorn, the evolution of climbing tools and alpine skiing is presented. In a separate room, there are wooden houses that used to make up this Welsh village. You can enter the house - the organizers of the exposition approached very creatively to recreate the old village and tried to "revive" it, filling it with sounds. So, from some hut snoring came from a shelf, sounds made by animals were heard in the yard, gusts of wind were heard.

Even in the museum you can watch a film about the construction of the modern mountain hut Monte Rosa. Impressive! A hut on a mountain slope appears right before our eyes.

There were also halls dedicated to local plants and animals, which were also presented in a very entertaining way. So, at one of the stands it was proposed to guess which animal the excrement of a given species belongs to. And the visitors (including us) guessed with enthusiasm and rejoiced when the green light lit up.

Behind the museum rises the most pompous hotel in Zermatt - the Grand Hotel Zermatterhof.

In September, a music festival takes place in Zermatt, where ensembles and orchestras of the Berlin Philharmonic perform, and we were lucky to get to the time of the festival. Once we very opportunely went to the church of St. Maurice and found ourselves at an orchestra rehearsal with a wonderful violinist Wolfram Brandl.

Rehearsal in the church

The final concert took place in the concert hall of the Grand Hotel Zermattenhof and we enjoyed it immensely. The entrance was free.

Inside the Grand Hotel Zermattenhof

Once again, I note that the town is small, and on your first walk you will inevitably stumble upon all the necessary services: supermarkets, a tourist office, a museum, currency exchange offices. Upon arrival, you need to change euros to francs. There is one exchange point on the forecourt, there is another - in banks on the main street.

Walking around the town is very pleasant. Along the windows of the houses - indispensable planters with bright colors. The houses are mostly wooden, some of them are over 500 years old.

Houses in Zermatt

A piece of the old village, Hinterdorf, has been preserved, consisting of houses blackened from time to time, standing on high props (so that mice do not climb in).

Corner of old Zermatt, or Hinterdorf

The roofs of the houses are covered with flat stone plates.

Typical roof with stone plates

And this is how Hinterdorf looks in the evening:

Zermatt owes its popularity, first of all, to its location - it is located in the central part of the Alps, has the longest slopes and a considerable elevation difference: from 1620 to 3820 meters. The main advantage of the resort is that the season is open all year round - Zermatt is filled with tourists even in summer.

The ski resort of Zermatt in Switzerland is one of the most prestigious holiday destinations. Its symbol is the Matterhorn peak, whose height is 4478 meters. In total, in the vicinity of the resort there are 38 peaks with heights exceeding 4000 meters.

Taking care of the environment, Zermatt banned the movement of vehicles. But here there is such a modern and quite convenient mode of transport as an electric car. In addition, you can move around on horse-drawn sleighs and carriages in the summer.

Basic information about Zermatt

Location

Zermatt is located in the south of Switzerland, in the Welsh Alps - located directly at the foot of the Matterhorn mountain.

How to get to Zermatt

You can get to the resort from the nearest airports in Zurich (240 kilometers) and Geneva (255 kilometers). You can get directly to the resort by train, as cars are not allowed here. If before that you were moving by car, you will have to leave it in the parking lot in Tasha.

weather, season

Due to the meridian location and the protection of the resort from the penetration of winds, there are no problems with snow cover. The weather in Zermatt is quite stable. The season is open all year round.

Trails, slopes, lifts

The resort has 3 ski areas, and they are all interconnected.

The Rothorn area, located at an altitude of 3103 meters, is suitable for skiers with different levels of experience. If you have just started skiing, then you have the opportunity to visit the park for children and beginners. This is a great school for those who are taking their first steps in skiing.
The area below Gornergrat is located at an altitude of 3100 meters - this is one of the best areas for those who already know something and are at an average level of preparedness.

These are the most picturesque places in the Zermatt region and offer stunning views of the Matterhorn peak, Horner Glacier and other attractions. There is a map of the ski slopes of Zermatt, with which you can get a better idea of their location.

In total, 310 kilometers of trails are available to tourists. 35 lifts of various types are also installed here.

Ski pass prices (prices in CHF)

Accommodation, other activities, après-ski, attractions

For 130 years now, there have been two unique hotels in Zermatt that have been fighting for the right to be the best all this time - the Grand Hotel Zermatterhof and the Mont Cervin Palace. If you want to be in silence and retire, then climb to a height of 2222 meters, where the Riffelalp hotel awaits you. The resort also offers a wide range of chalets and hostels. If you're looking for something modern, then The Omnia is a must-see for you - a hotel built at an altitude of 1649 meters, with views from the rooms that bring guests into a state of unforgettable delight.

The real attraction of Zermatt are the mountain restaurants and huts, where you will be offered a variety of dishes that you have never even heard of. We suggest you visit Findeln for a great rosti or Zum See for a tuna carpaccio with lemon juice. Zermatt is not a particularly vibrant nightlife. Popular places include:

"Le Broken" - disco club;
"Arvenstube" - a place where real fun reigns;
Elsie's Bar is the best place to get champagne and oysters etc.

You can look at the picturesque landscapes with the help of webcams installed in Zermatt.

Advantages and disadvantages

The resort will be appreciated by lovers of Alpine landscapes. Ski lovers will appreciate the well-equipped and maintained slopes of different difficulty levels. The combined network of lifts will allow you to move around all ski areas.

Watch video review:

Zermat has other reviews. Of the relative disadvantages, one can name a ban on the movement of vehicles, the presence of a large number of slopes (off-piste) in the glacier zone.

Even the photos taken in Zermatt are fascinating. What to say about the sensations that visit you when you see all this with your own eyes. It is worth coming here just to look at one of the most beautiful peaks in Europe, the Matterhorn. The fabulous nature of the Alps is successfully combined with the luxury and sophistication of local hotels and restaurants with a national flavor. Tours in Zermatt are well-deservedly popular all year round.

It is separated from it by high mountains. In the 19th century, it was almost impossible to get to Zermatt, a maximum of 15 people came here for the whole year, and only in the summer. But in 1933, a railway was laid to the village, and the villagers began to develop tourism. Gradually, three families of old-timers seized power in the city. They still run everything there: in particular, they control all the construction in the village, monitor the preservation of old houses and ensure that all buildings look alike.

The town has long maintained the image of the most environmentally friendly resort, so there has never been and never will be car traffic in Zermatt. Here they move on foot, on bicycles, on horse-drawn carts or on amazing electric cars. There are many park and ride car parks around Zermatt, the nearest car park and garage are 5 km away - in the town of Täsch, from where regular trains run to the village every 20 minutes.

So, today we have a report on a trip to Zermatt as part of a trip along the route of the Swiss Grand Tour.

01. You can get to Zermatt by car along the picturesque pass.

02. Along the way you will pass some pretty villages, including St. Niklaus, Randa and Tesh.

03.

04. The Backstage Boutique Hotel where I stayed.

05. This is the strangest hotel there is. It was built by the chief designer and architect of Zermatt, Heinz Uhlen. All the furniture in the hotel (and this teapot chandelier too) are handmade in his workshops.

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07. In my room, the bed was on the second floor.

08. And the bathroom is on the first floor. It is separated from the living room by nothing but glass. It's damn inconvenient, but very common in Zermatt.

09. There are such garbage presses on the streets.

10. Right next to the roads there are small gardens, but since there is no gasoline transport in the city, this does not bring any harm to home-grown vegetables.

11. 90% of all Zermatt are hotels and chalets that are rented out. There are practically no local residents here, all workers live in nearby villages and towns.

12. One of the newly built houses. All roofs in the town are covered with natural stone. This is due to strict building standards that help maintain uniformity in Zermatt. All houses must be wooden and with stone roofs)

13. The famous Matterhorn peak. It is said to be the most photographed mountain in the world. But in summer it is often shrouded in clouds. Right behind it begins Italy.

14. From Zermatt you can climb the highest observation deck in Europe. From a height of 3,883 meters, wonderful views of the Matterhorn, mountain ranges and glaciers open up.

15. Eternal snows lie here.

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21. You can lie in the snow even in summer. The ski lifts make it easy to reach the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise, the highest summer ski area in the Alps.