ZERMATT
Ski & Snowboard Resort Review
Zermatt, SWITZERLAND is nestled at the foot of the world famous majestic Matterhorn peaking at 14,691 feet above sea level. Switzerland’s most southern resort is very snow sure due to the high altitude and glaciers offering year round skiing and snowboarding. Zermatt’s winter season is one of the longest in Europe starting in early November and finishing in mid May.
Zermatt Skiing and Snowboarding Terrain
The Matterhorn Ski Paradise area is naturally divided into 3 areas;
1. The Matterhorn Glacier Paradise and Schwarzsee Paradise Area
2. The Gornergrat Area
3. The Rothorn Area
Descending from a breathtaking height the skiing and snowboarding terrain consists of very long groomed fast carving trails, over 15 kilometres of mogul covered trails, tree skiing and snowboarding and gentle beginner only areas.
Generally the skiing and snowboarding at Zermatt is catered towards confident intermediates wanting to enjoy long groomed pistes and scenic surroundings.
Experts looking for off piste adventures should be aware that the off piste terrain at Zermatt is limited. This is due to granite rocks scattered throughout the entire area and some extremely steep cliff areas. Be very cautious if you do go off piste as it can go from extreme to extremely dangerous very quickly.
Recently Zermatt has started leaving some pistes in their natural state. They are marked on the trail map in yellow showing they are in bounds and ungroomed.
Free electric buses running from the Zermatt Village link the ski areas together.
Zermatt is lift linked to the neighbouring Italian resort of Cervinia. For more information on Cervinia click here
Skiing and Snowboarding the Matterhorn Ski Safari from Zermatt
To explore the interlinked resorts of Zermatt and the neighbouring Italian resort of Cervinia take a day long Matterhorn Ski Safari trip.
The Matterhorn Ski Safari covers over 32,800 vertical feet (10,000 meters) of skiing and snowboarding terrain without using the same trail or lift twice. A Matterhorn Ski Safari Piste Map highlights the sequence of trails starting from the Rothorn Valley Lift Station in Zermatt leading all the way to Cervinia and back again.
To do the trip you need to purchase an international ski pass which gives you unlimited access to the Cervinia terrain.
Occasionally the link to Cervinia is not open as high winds can close Zermatt’s upper slopes. Be sure to allow yourself enough time to get back from Cervinia to Zermatt as if you miss the last cable car a road taxi back to Zermatt is a long and costly experience.
Matterhorn Glacier Paradise and Schwarzsee Paradise
The Matterhorn Glacier Paradise and Schwarzsee Paradise Areas are the most popular and largest skiing and snowboarding areas in Zermatt.
The Schwarzsee Paradise Area is on the lower slopes rising up from the Zermatt Village. Here you find mainly intermediate and beginner long linking groomed trails.
From the base of the mountain at Furi you can bypass the Schwarzsee Paradise Area by catching the Furi Trockener Steg Cable Car to the base of the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise Area. From there catch the Trockener Steg – Matterhorn Glacier Cable Car to the very top; it is a memorable and scenic experience passing over some huge barren glaciers whilst being surrounded by mountain peaks. Once at the top the skiing and snowboarding options are vast with groomed trails going out wide past the glacier areas. Switzerland's longest linking trails measuring 22 kilometres in length are found in the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise Area.
The upper areas around Plateau Rosa are best suited to intermediate skiers and snowboarders with fast and wide groomed terrain. The connecting link to the neighbouring Italian resort of Cervinia is from Plateau Rosa.
Advanced skiers and snowboarders looking for steeper pistes head down towards the Trockener Steg – Matterhorn Glacier Cable Car base station and catch the Furggsattel Gletscherbahn Chairlift to the Furggsattel Area. Here stay close to the cliff band and to your right looking down the mountain are some very steep challenging trails.
Gornergrat Skiing and Snowboarding Area
The Gornergrat Area is accessed via the Gornergrat Rack Railway Train leaving regularly from the Zermatt Village.
The train has magnificent views of the Matterhorn and Gorner and Findel glaciers. Try to get out early and be on the first train to watch the sunrise on the Matterhorn.
The terrain is best suited to intermediate and advanced skiers with long fast groomed trails and some limited off piste powder terrain on the upper slopes.
A great warm up run and a good way to avoid the morning crowds is to catch the first train to the top then cruise down the long linking trails all the way to Furi the base area of the Schwarzsee Area. You should just be in time to catch the first lifts in the Schwarzsee Area. In the 2006/2007 winter season a new cable car between Furi and Riffelburg was installed. The cable car starts at Furi going via Schweigmatten then up to Riffelberg where it joins the Gifthittli Chairlift. This greatly eases morning congestion in busy times and gives skiers and snowboarders easier access to the terrain.
Advanced skiing and snowboarding tours are available on the Gorner and Findel glaciers from Stockhorn the highest lift point in the Gornergrat Area. Guides negotiate past crevasses in the solid ice heading for untouched virgin powder snow.
Rothorn Paradise Skiing and Snowboarding Area
The Rothorn Paradise Area is accessed from the Zermatt Village by an underground funicular train as well as being lift linked to the Gornergrat area. The old double chairlift the Findeln Chairlift was replaced with a new four seater chairlift in 2007 which carries 2,000 passengers per hour easing peak congestion.
The terrain is best suited for intermediate and beginner skiers and snowboarders with wide open runs. Catch the Blauherd Rothorn Paradise Cable Car up the top for some really long groomed fast intermediate cruisers leading back down to the base area. Some good tree skiing and snowboarding can be had on the lower slopes below the Patrullarve Chairlift.
Zermatt Ski and Snowboard Schools
Zermatt has 8 Ski and Snowboard Schools all offering group, private and day long lessons for all abilities with bilingual instructors. Mountain guides are also readily available.
Zermatt Heli Skiing and Snowboarding
Heli skiing and snowboarding tours are available at Zermatt. Air Zermatt and Alpin Center have day long tours through the upper glacier and powder terrain areas of the Monte Rosa terrain. Helicopter links to and from Cervinia and Zermatt are also available.
Zermatt Terrain Parks and Halfpipe
The Gravity Park located on the lower slopes of the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise area has kickers, jumps and rails all of varying sizes and a very well maintained superpipe.
Klein Matterhorn Building Update
Zermatt Mountain Cableways are planning to build a 30 story pyramid of glass and steel on the peak of the Klein Matterhorn. Currently the summit of the Klein Matterhorn is 3,883 meters above sea level; the new pyramid will increase the height to 4,000 meters above sea level. The pyramid will have an observation platform, several restaurants and maybe even a hotel. Sky lifts on the outer walls of the summit and pyramid will take visitors to the top. Construction will go ahead when all planning permits are passed.
Other Activities at Zermatt
All 3 ski and snowboard areas have introduced moonlight ski runs. Taking place on full moon nights guests dine at an upper mountain restaurant before cruising down the pistes in moonlight. Guides and ski and snowboard instructors accompany all groups. The popular events are weather dependent.
All visitors must go to Zermatt’s glacier palace. At the top of the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise Cable Car is a hidden underground ‘glacier palace’. The Gletscher-Palast Mattergorn Glacier palace is accessed by an ice tunnel travelling 15 meters underground into glacier ice. Here visitors enjoy ice carvings and sculptors as well as getting a close look into internal sections of the glacier. Entry is free.
Other outdoor activities at Zermatt include ice hiking, paragliding, dog sleigh rides, ice skating and curling, tobogganing, snow shoeing, walking tours of the Village and cross country skiing.
For some excellent tobogganing catch the Gornergrat train to Rotenboden Station and race down the 10 minute run to Riffelberg Station. Toboggans can be hired at Rotenboden Station. There is also night tobogganing every Tuesday and Thursday night from Furi to Zermatt.
Indoor activities include swimming, bowling, tennis, squash and massage and beauty treatments.
Shopping at Zermatt
Zermatt’s picturesque main street is lined with the latest ski and snowboard equipment shops, fashion boutiques, shoe shops, antique shops, souvenir and gift stores, jewellers, perfumeries and pharmacies. There are art and photography galleries, day spas, hairdressers and grocery markets, butchers, delicatessens and patisseries.
Zermatt Restaurants
On the pistes Zermatt has over 45 restaurants scattered throughout the Matterhorn Ski Paradise. There are quaint little wooden huts and large restaurants with huge viewing sundecks. Restaurant ALM near the Furi Cable Car Station seats 80 people inside and 60 outside on the sundeck. It serves fresh trout and homemade Italian dishes, fruit tarts and excellent coffee.
The Trockener Steg complex at 9,640 feet is between the Matterhorn and Klein Matterhorn where you catch the Cable Car to access the top of the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise. It has 6 restaurants, cafes and bars. The Trockener Steg Cafeteria is a self service buffet with seating for 400 people inside and 400 outside on the sundeck. Pizzeria Cervino is Europe’s highest pizzeria serving gourmet pizzas, pasta and Italian wines. The Kasestube Furgg restaurant specializes in Swiss cheese dishes and has a lunch time set menu of salad and risotto.
Some of the smaller restaurants in the Matterhorn Ski Paradise fill up early so it is wise to book a table a couple of days in advance.
The Zermatt Village has more than 90 restaurants with cuisine ranging from traditional Swiss to French, Italian, German, Chinese, Japanese, Thai, and Mediterranean cuisine.
Visitors cannot go to Zermatt and not go to Cafe du Pont for cheese fondue and raclette. The café is located at the top end of the main street and has been serving cheese dishes in Zermatt for the past 200 years. It is small and cosy with a terrific atmosphere.
The fine dining Restaurant Matterhorn in the Alpen Resort Hotel serves an exquisite a la carte Swiss menu complemented by an excellent wine list.
Restaurant Alexandre in the Riffelalp Resort has a weekly buffet dinner as well as a set gourmet Italian/French style menu nightly.
Koslich’s Ambiance restaurant in the Hotel Ambiance is a family friendly bistro serving delicious dishes like Swiss veal with mushrooms and beef fillet wrapped in ham followed by Zermatt’s own cheeses.
Patisseries line the main street serving sweet and savoury delights, as do cafes and little takeaway hole in the wall stores serving crepes and toasted sandwiches.
Zermatt Nightlife
Zermatt has 44 bars and nightclubs. Chose to spend the night in an intimate quite wine bar, crowded pub or dance the night away in one of the many discos. The Hotel Post is one of the most popular meeting and entertainment spots in the Zermatt Village. It has five bars and a disco, the Broken Bar Disco is located under the hotel’s cellar in a cave like room.
Le Village Dance Club has dancing on the table tops until 3.30am every morning with internationally acclaimed DJs performing frequently throughout the winter season.
The Pink is a live music bar with regular jazz, blues and funk bands performing.
The Brown Cow Pub and Snack Bar is open until 2am every morning serving hamburgers, sandwiches and après ski drinks.
The Papa Caesar Lounge Bar is a quiet and relaxed bar with armchairs and background music. It has excellent cocktails and a large wine list.
More About Zermatt
Your Zermatt Ski & Snowboard Resort Reviews
J. Buttersworth, USA. March 2006 Really enjoyed my family's time in Zermatt, top skiing and terrain top people, top restaurants on and off the mountain, top scenery, and boy what a village. If only more resorts around the world had a smidgin of the atmosphere found here.
Angie Holloway, South Africa. Jan 2006 I'd always heard how charming and scenic Zermatt was and finally got to experience it for myself. Unfortunately I went during a poor snow time. The conditions were icy and crowded but I still managed to find some good fun pistes. I found the level of piste difficulties very varied, as expected, but I didn't venture off the piste as there were still many un-snow covered boulders. I did venture up and over the mountain and down into the Italian side, Cervinia, where I found the snow and wind conditions better than in Zermatt. In the mornings I would catch the train from the town center up to the Gornergrat area where I would have some warm up runs before making my way down to the main cable car/s to head up to the top of the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise. The village was a dream, more shops than you can explore, restaurants everywhere and the apres skiing endless! I enjoyed seeing the horse drawn carriages traveling down the streets and hearing the faint jingle of the bells on the electric taxi cars.
Carol Jones, UK. Feb 2006 Zermatt in Switzerland is one of the most beautiful skiing areas you will ever experience. The scenery is fantastic and the skiing is varied as there are different sides of the mountains (with the Matterhorn in the middle) to ski on so you can find different conditions on the same day. The village allows no cars so it is delightful to walk around at any time. You can take a horse drawn sleigh ride and pretend you are royalty!
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