Guide to Zermatt, Swiss Alps Guide

The charming, car-free Alpine village of Zermatt is a also a favourite and sophisticated ski resort, located in southwest Switzerland near the Italian border. Dominated by the spectacular pyramid of the Matterhorn, the resort is surrounded by 4000m high mountains. Skiing is divided into 3 separate areas, the Kleine Matterhorn area even gives access to Cervinia in Italy. There are plenty of satisfying blue and red runs, as well as wide open runs for learning. Zermatt is also renowned as a fantastic playground for expert skiers.

Mountain Information

	Resort Altitude	1620 m
	Vertical Drop	2280 m
	Top Lift	3820 m
	Lifts	40
	Total Runs	63, (195 km)
	Longest Run	22 km
	Advanced Runs	22%
	Intermediate Runs	50%
	Beginner	28%
	Cross Country	7 km

Getting to Zermatt

The quickest and cheapest way to travel to Zermatt ski resort is to first find a cheap flights to Basel, Zürich, Geneva or one of the many cheap flights to Milan Bergamo. The resort lies 155 miles from Zürich, and a similar distance from Geneva. Zermatt is just a few hours from the international airports of Zürich, Geneva, Basel and Milan.
Hourly rail connections run to Zermatt from all the major gateways, including directly from Geneva and Zürich airports. Change trains at Brig or Visp and then hop onto the narrow-gauge Matterhorn Gotthard railway, which arrives in Zermatt after a scenic 90 minute journey through the romantic and rugged Vispa Valley. Train travel time to Zermatt is about 4 hours from Geneva, 5 hours from Zürich. Cars must be parked in the lower town of Täsch.

Accommodation in Zermatt

Zermatt has welcomed visitors for over 140 years. The place still retains a Swiss village feel where old wooden barns rub shoulders with modern hotels. Holidaymakers can choose from upmarket hotels and luxury chalets to holiday apartments and private rooms for more modestly priced accommodation. Many of the 115 or so hotels are still run by their original local owners. Generally, standards are excellent and service is very friendly. Alternatively, hotels in Täsch are much cheaper, and trains from here depart to Zermatt every 20 minutes.

Nightlife and Restaurants

Zermatt has plenty of lively bars and nightspots to suit all sophisticated or informal tastes. There is also a huge variety of restaurants including a McDonald's. Prices in restaurants and mountain huts can vary quite a lot but quality is generally high, most menus are in English and prices are posted outside.

Other Activities

The village is well served with smart shops, supermarkets, cafes and there is also an Alpine museum and cinema. Apart from a ski school, snowboard tuition and good childcare facilities, Zermatt holds many attractions for the non-skier. Activities include winter walking, sleigh rides, tobogganing and skating, a good choice of indoor sports such as tennis and bowling, cinema, mountaineering, heli-skiing and superb helicopter trips. Snowboarders find a wonderful halfpipe and much more at the world-class terrain park at Kleine Matterhorn.