Zermatt: what to see, where to stay and how to get around
On 14 July 1865 Edward Whymper and six companions reached the top of the Matterhorn for the first time. On the way down a rope broke and four of them fell to their deaths, and the triumph became a scandal across Europe. This walk follows that story through the village, from the bridge with the view to the graves and the museum that keeps the rope. About an hour and a half, all on flat village streets.
A short history of Zermatt
Until the middle of the 19th century Zermatt was a herders' village at the head of a valley, below a mountain the locals simply called "the horn", the Matterhorn. On 14 July 1865 the Englishman Edward Whymper made the first ascent with six companions, and on the descent four of them fell to their deaths, a disaster that made the village famous. In 1891 the railway arrived from Visp, and in 1898 the rack railway to the Gornergrat opened. The town is closed to private cars to this day, and traffic moves in small electric vehicles.
The ten best sights in Zermatt
1Matterhorn MuseumUnderground village of old houses; the rope that broke in 1865 is here
2St. Mauritius ChurchThe village church on the main square, next to the climbers' graves
3Mountaineers' CemeteryGraves of climbers who died on the mountains above; a quiet, sobering ten minutes
4HinterdorfThe old quarter of dark larch barns raised on stone discs
5ZmuttA hamlet of old wooden houses an hour's walk up; a restaurant or two in summer
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6Kirchbrücke
The classic Matterhorn photo from the village, best in early morning light
7Gornergrat3,089 m by cog railway, facing the Matterhorn and the Gorner Glacier
8RiffelseeThe lake that mirrors the Matterhorn; get off at Rotenboden and walk down
9Matterhorn Glacier ParadiseThe highest cable-car station in Europe, at 3,883 m; go slowly, the air is thin
10SchwarzseeA small lake and white chapel right under the Matterhorn's face
Scan with your phone camera to open the map there
What is an audio walk?
Tours in Zermatt →A guide in your headphones: open the walk on our site, walk from stop to stop, and at each one your phone tells its story. No guide, no group, and free. This is the first walk in Zermatt:
Free walking tours in Zermatt
The first ascent
On 14 July 1865 Edward Whymper and six companions reached the top of the Matterhorn for the first time. On the way down a rope broke and four of them fell to their deaths, and the triumph became a scandal across Europe. This walk follows that story through the village, from the bridge with the view to the graves and the museum that keeps the rope. About an hour and a half, all on flat village streets.
- Kirchbrücke · The bridge over the Vispa is where the village lines up for the classic view of the peak. The north-east ridge facing you, the Hörnli, is the route Whymper's party climbed.
- St. Mauritius Church · The church is named after Saint Maurice, the Roman soldier-saint of the Valais. Zermatt's mountain guides still gather here for the blessing at their yearly festival.
- Mountaineers' Cemetery · Michel Croz, the French guide who led the 1865 climb, is buried here, as are two of the Englishmen who fell with him. The body of the fourth, Lord Francis Douglas, was never found.
- Matterhorn Museum · The broken rope from 1865 is on display here. At the inquiry that followed, the surviving guides were cleared, but the rumour that the rope had been cut lasted for decades.
- Bahnhofstrasse · Zermatt has banned combustion-engine cars, so the street is used by small electric taxis and hotel carts. Everyone else arrives by train.
- Hinterdorf · These dark larch barns stand on stone discs set on wooden posts, so mice could not climb into the stored grain. Some are several hundred years old.
Up the Gornergrat
The Gornergrat railway climbs from the village to 3,089 metres in about 33 minutes, and it has done so since 1898. At the top you stand among dozens of four-thousand-metre peaks, with the Gorner Glacier below and the Matterhorn alone to the west. The best plan is to ride up, then walk one or two stations down past the lakes. Take warm layers and sunglasses even in August; the weather at the top changes fast.
- Gornergrat Railway Station · Opened in 1898, the Gornergrat line was the first electric cog railway in Switzerland. It is still among the highest open-air railways in Europe.
- Riffelalp · The stop serves a grand hotel opened in the 1880s, and a short tram once carried guests from the station to its door. The forest here is the last before the treeline.
- Gornergrat · From the platform you can count more than twenty peaks over 4,000 metres, among them Monte Rosa's Dufourspitze, the highest summit in Switzerland. The Gorner Glacier below is the second-longest in the Alps.
- Rotenboden · Get off here on the way down: a path of a few minutes leads to the Riffelsee. Going down on foot between stations is allowed on the same ticket.
- Riffelsee · On a still morning the lake holds a perfect upside-down Matterhorn. It is the picture on half the postcards sold in the village.
- Findlerhof · Back in the valley, the terrace restaurants of Findeln look straight at the peak. Larch barns and small rye fields mark the hamlet that farmers used in summer.
Five lakes from Sunnegga
Above the village to the east lies a sunny plateau with a ring of small lakes, each with its own angle on the Matterhorn. The underground funicular gets you there in a few minutes, and a gondola climbs on to Blauherd. From there the trail is mostly downhill and easy, with a playground and swimming at Leisee for children. Allow three to four hours with stops, and carry a picnic from the village.
- Sunnegga Funicular · The funicular runs entirely inside the mountain, so you leave the village in a tunnel and come out on a sunny terrace. It is one of the few car-free ways in the Alps to reach a lake in minutes.
- Blauherd · The gondola from Sunnegga stops here at about 2,570 metres. From this station the five-lakes trail is signposted.
- Stellisee · Of the five lakes, this is the one where the Matterhorn's reflection is most often photographed. Come before mid-morning, when the wind starts to ripple the water.
- Grindjisee · A small lake ringed by larch and pine, with rare alpine flowers on its banks in June and July. The Findel Glacier's old moraine walls rise just behind it.
- Findeln · The hamlet's dark barns and chapel sit on a sunny terrace, with farmers' rye once grown at an unusual height. Its restaurants are the classic lunch stop on the way back down.
- Leisee · A short walk from the Sunnegga station, with a little beach, rafts and a playground for children. The Wolli Park for small kids is right above.
Getting to Zermatt and getting around
- Täsch Shuttle Terminal · Zermatt is car-free: park in Täsch and ride the shuttle train, about 12 minutes, several times an hour
- Zermatt Station (Glacier Express) · Start of the Glacier Express to St. Moritz; seats are reserved, book well ahead in summer
- Gornergrat Railway Station · Across the square from the main station; sit on the right going up for the Matterhorn
- Sunnegga Funicular · An underground funicular, a few minutes to the lakes and the easy family trails
- Matterhorn Express Valley Station · The cable cars to Furi, Schwarzsee and the glacier start here, at the top end of the village
Cheap eats in Zermatt
Valais food is mountain food: raclette, where half a wheel of cheese is melted by the fire and scraped onto potatoes, fondue, air-dried beef and rye bread, which has its own protected name here. Zermatt prices are high even for Switzerland, so the cheap lunch is a bakery sandwich or a supermarket picnic eaten by a lake. Tap water is excellent everywhere, and fountains in the village are drinkable.
- Bäckerei Fuchs · Sandwiches, pastries and coffee near the station, about CHF 5-12
- Fuchs (Kirchplatz) · Second branch by the church; a slice of tart about CHF 5-7
- Bäckerei Biner · Village bakery at the north end; bread and a pastry about CHF 4-8
- Migros · Takeaway salads and sandwiches, the cheapest lunch in town, about CHF 6-12
- Grampi's · Pizza and pasta in the centre, late opening, about CHF 20-28
- Le Vieux Valais · Wood-oven pizza by the main street, about CHF 20-26
Museums in Zermatt
- Matterhorn Museum · The village's history and the 1865 rope; about an hour
- Mountaineers' Cemetery · Free, beside the church; the epitaphs tell the stories
- St. Mauritius Church · Open daily; modest dress
- Hinterdorf · Old barns and granaries; ten minutes on foot from the station
- Zmutt · Old hamlet with a chapel; walk up and back in about two hours
Nature and day trips near Zermatt
- Riffelsee · Mirror lake below Gornergrat; go early for still water
- Gorner Gorge · Walkways in a narrow canyon; open in summer, small fee
- Stellisee · Easy walk from Blauherd; the Matterhorn in the water
- Schwarzsee · Small lake and chapel by cable car; start of the Hörnli hut trail
- Gornergrat · Ride up for the glacier and the 4,000 m peaks
Things to do in Zermatt with kids
- Leisee · Lake with a beach, rafts and a playground near Sunnegga
- Wolli Park Sunnegga · Play area named after the village's black-nosed sheep mascot
- Forest Fun Park · Rope courses for ages four and up; book a slot in high season
- Glacier Palace · Ice cave inside the glacier at the top station; warm clothes
- Gornergrat by train · Kids love the cog railway; family tickets cut the price
Where to eat in Zermatt
- Whymper-Stube · Fondue and raclette in a small room on the main street; book ahead
- Schäferstube · Lamb dishes in a wooden dining room; mid to high prices
- Stadel · Valais dishes in an old barn building near the church
- Chez Vrony · Famous mountain lunch above Findeln; book a table in season
- Brown Cow Pub · Burgers and beer, a casual dinner in the centre
- Snowboat · Burgers and cocktails on a terrace over the river
Frequently asked questions about Zermatt
What is there to see in Zermatt?
The top sights in Zermatt are Matterhorn Museum, St. Mauritius Church and Mountaineers' Cemetery. The full list on this page has 10 sights, each with a photo and a short note.
How many days do you need in Zermatt?
Three to four days are enough to see the best of Zermatt without rushing, including at least one walking tour.
Is there a free walking tour in Zermatt?
Yes. sleepntrip has 3 free audio walks in Zermatt, with no guide and no group: your phone tells the story at every stop. The first one: The first ascent.
How do you get to Zermatt and get around?
The main ways are Täsch Shuttle Terminal, Zermatt Station (Glacier Express) and Gornergrat Railway Station. Full details are in the transport section on this page.
Where to stay in Zermatt, and for how much?
sleepntrip shows only rooms in Zermatt that meet nine conditions: a good location, high guest scores, cleanliness, and a price of up to $80 a night for two. Pick your dates and see what is free.
Looking for a hotel in Zermatt for your dates?
Only rooms that meet nine conditions, up to $80 a night.