Zermatt – You’ll Love the Swiss Chalets and the Matterhorn

The town of Zermatt lies in a valley in Switzerland at the foot of the Matterhorn mountain. The German name means alpine meadow.

It is famous as a mountaineering and ski resort in the Alps. I visited twice, once independently in the winter and another time in the summer on an escorted tour of Switzerland. As Europe’s highest ski resort, skiing enthusiasts from all over the world congregate there to experience perfect skiing. Because of the high-altitude skiing is possible throughout the summer.

Even though I don’t ski, I loved visiting Zermatt. The stunning views surrounding the Matterhorn and the breathtaking Alpine landscape can be enjoyed by everyone whether or not you ski.

To prevent air pollution that could obscure the town’s view of the Matterhorn, the entire town is a combustion-engine car-free zone. Almost all vehicles in Zermatt are battery driven and almost completely silent. While walking the streets in winter, it was noticeably quiet except for the crunching of snow under my boots.

Summer Visit to Zermatt

Upon reaching Zermatt, a picturesque cluster of rustic chalets greeted us. We had to walk up a winding hill, albeit beautiful, to the Hotel Tschugge which is located in the center of town. The location was perfect, with fabulous mountain views close to the Matterhorn and only a 10-minute walk to the train station. During the winter season, a complimentary shuttle service operates from the station and guests who want to catch the ski bus can utilize it. Rated 4 stars, it has a fully-equipped spa and onsite restaurant.

Winter Visit to Zermatt

For my winter visit, I stayed at the Grand Hotel Zermatterhof during a snow storm. It opened in 1879, as a traditional luxury establishment in a central but peaceful location in Zermatt. It features 3 restaurants, free WiFi access, and the spa area with a spacious pool, a sauna, and a treatment area. An electric car picked us up from the train station and transported us to the Grand Hotel Zermatterhof. This 5-star hotel gave us a magnificent view of the Matterhorn.

The Zermatterhof’s restaurants included the sophisticated Alpine Gourmet Prato Borni and The Brasserie Lusi, a more casual restaurant. I was traveling with a brother and sister who were rather well-to-do and wanted to eat in the more formal (expensive) restaurant. There was only one problem. We were denied access because we were wearing sneakers! There was some grumbling when suddenly the power went out in the entire city. This was more than a little scary because we were now stuck on top of a mountain in a snow storm with no means to get off of it with a woman who was 6 months pregnant! (The sister, not me)

All was not lost. Soon there was a knock on the door and the staff handed us candles so we could make our way to the dining room. Since the lights were out we were allowed into the formal restaurant for dinner. I imagine this was because no one could see our feet! As expected, our French meal was delicious. By morning the power was back and we were able to leave.

Matterhorn

Almost two million visitors arrive at Zermatt annually. Up to 150 climbers attempt the Matterhorn each day during summer. By modern standards, the climb is fairly difficult, but not hard for skilled mountaineers. Fixed ropes on parts of the route may help. An average of around twelve people per year die on the Matterhorn.

The Matterhorn is a triangular-shaped, cragged rock “tooth” ranging into the heavens. Standing alone on the horizon it seemed to have a magical light. The summit height is 14,690 feeet above sea level. 

It was cloudy when we arrived in Zermatt that summer and impossible to see the Matterhorn. This was disappointing since we knew it would most likely be our only chance.

Upon the advice of a local shopkeeper, we got up at 5:30 am to arrive on the church steps at 6:15 am to see the Matterhorn through the clouds. The clouds moved slowly and I kept snapping photos hoping they would move completely off the summit but it was not to be. Still, we got to see most of it.

Matterhorn Museum in Zermatt

One place I did not visit was the Matterhorn Museum. I did not even know about it but if I go back I definitely want to visit.

The Matterhorn Museum in Zermatt is a cultural-natural museum. It is in the form of a reconstituted mountain village consisting of 14 houses (church, hotel, huts, and granaries), and relates the history and development of tourism in the Zermatt area, including the story of the first ascent of the Matterhorn by Edward Whymper and party.

Cogwheel Train

 Most visitors reach Zermatt by the cog-wheel train from the nearby town of Täsch (Zermatt shuttle). A cogwheel train or rack railway is a steep grade railway with a toothed rack rail, usually between the running rails. The trains are fitted with one or more cog wheels or pinions that mesh with this rack rail. This allows the trains to operate on steep grades above 10%, which is the maximum for friction-based rail. It was rather fun to ride as it reminded me of the ride up on a roller coaster in an amusement park.

Gornergrat

We decided to go to the nearby Gornergrat, a rocky ridge of the Pennine Alps, overlooking the Gorner Glacier. Taking the cogwheel train from Zermatt to the Gornergrat is part of the fun. The ride takes about half an hour. It starts at an altitude of 5,266 feet and ends at 1,138 feet on the Gornergrat ridge. The train crosses forests and a high alpine landscape and stops in four different stations along the way. Each of these stations is a great starting point for hiking.

Once there, we found a hotel, restaurants, a viewing platform, and plenty of space to walk around and enjoy the scenery.

Allow at least an hour to visit the Gornergrat. This does not include the time to get there. The whole round trip from Zermatt takes at least 2.5 hours.

Mt. Pilatus

Be sure to check the weather forecast when planning an excursion to the top of a mountain as there is no point in trying to view mountains that are covered in clouds.

That happened to us when we took a cable car to the top of Mt. Pilatus. The tour company assured us we would have a view but all we saw were white clouds. The ride down was slightly better as we saw some grass, farms, and cows. All in all, it was a disappointment and a waste of money.

Zermatt Climate

Zermatt has a subarctic climate.  Summertime is very pleasant in Zermatt, with mild days and cool nights, while winter is cold and snowy, with highs around freezing and annual snowfall averaging 128 inches.

What To Wear in Zermatt

Even if you’re not planning to ski, dress as if you are! Thermals, gloves, a hat, snow boots or hiking boots, and a decent ski jacket are all essential in the winter.

Altitude

The Gornergrat is located at an altitude of 10,138 feet. Anyone can suffer from (light) altitude sickness from about 6,562 feet. In most cases, staying at such altitudes for just a few hours is no problem.

I mention this because, recently, after a lifetime of high-altitude travel including the Swiss Alps and the Canadian Rockies, I unexpectedly developed a fairly serious case of altitude sickness in Santa Fe, New Mexico in 2018 where the altitude was 7,199 feet.

Whenever I tried to walk, I had difficulty breathing which was very scary to a healthy person. I didn’t even know what it was at first. There were “Oxygen Bars” every few blocks in Santa Fe, so I purchased 20 minutes of oxygen but it did not help. The shortness of breath lasted for a month after I got home. For this reason, I now check the altitude of mountainous places I plan to visit before leaving home.

Summary

My escorted tour of Switzerland was one of my favorites. This post discusses only four of the fifteen sites visited. I will return to Switzerland in future posts.