Zermatt
Switzerland's most famous resort brings together every Alpine cliché, from its views of the world's most photogenic mountain, the Matterhorn, to its narrow streets lined with wonky, weathered chalets.
Surrounded by 38 summits above 4,000m, the car-free town is full of life all year round. Its population of 5,700 is supplemented by a steady stream of visitors from all over the world who come, winter and summer, to climb, hike, bike and ski the surrounding mountains or simply to admire the scenery.
As a ski destination, especially for families, intermediates, experts and ski tourers, Zermatt sits up with the best. It has snowsure slopes from late November to the end of April, several high altitude top stations (Matterhorn glacier paradise at 3,883m is the highest station accessible by cablecar in Europe), 350km of pistes facing all aspects (counting the linked resorts of Cervinia and Valtournenche in Italy), a slick lift system that improves every year, extensive off piste, outstanding mountain restaurants and a buzzing, cosmopolitan town.
Zermatt consistently ranks high on lists of the most expensive ski resorts – partly due to its pricey lift pass – and a strong Swiss franc doesn't help. However, there are sleeping and eating options to suit for most budgets – modest b&bs sit among the palaces and designer hotels, and kebab stands among the swish restaurants. And under-10s ski for free.
Strolling around the car-free town is a pleasure, though there are bicycles and electric buses and taxis to watch out for. There's a busy, prosperous feel to Zermatt's centre, with ambling fur-coated couples and Japanese or Chinese tour groups rubbing shoulders with purposeful mountaineering types. Particularly lovely are the narrow lanes behind the Monte Rosa hotel on the main street, lined with a jumble of blackened, weathered, wobbly-looking chalets.
There's often good natural snow cover in the resort's ski area from early December, but the main season is from around the end of October to the end of April. Because the slopes open all year round on Zermatt's glacier and thanks to artificial snowmaking, there’s no official “opening”.
The ski resort Zermatt/Breuil-Cervinia/Valtournenche – Matterhorn is located in Zermatt-Matterhorn (Switzerland, Lemanic Region, Valais (Wallis)) and on the Matterhorn (Monte Cervino) (Italy, Aosta Valley (Valle d'Aosta)). For skiing and snowboarding, there are 322 km of slopes and 38 km of ski routes available. 53 lifts transport the guests. The winter sports area is situated between the elevations of 1,562 and 3,899 m.
The Matterhorn Ski Paradise is one of the largest ski resorts in the world and is the highest ski resort in the Alps at almost 4000 meters elevation. The winter sports area features a fantastic view of the Matterhorn and stretches across two countries. Zermatt is the entry point in Switzerland and Breuil-Cervinia and Valtournenche are the entry points in Italy. Zermatt lies at an elevation of 1,620 meters above sea level and is surrounded by a total of 38 peaks that are higher than 4000 meters. All year round, mountain enthusiasts and nature lovers from all over the world come to enjoy the refreshing qualities of this car-free holiday environment. Breuil-Cervinia is located at 2050 m above sea level and is also a very famous holiday location. The Matterhorn ski paradise offers snow reliable, optimally groomed and very long slopes. In addition to the fantastic mountain backdrop between Zermatt and Breuill-Cervinia, the destination also offers skiing enjoyment throughout the year. The highest and largest summer ski resort in the Alps is the Matterhorn glacier paradise located on the Theodul Glacier.