Zermatt is the village at the foot of the Matterhorn. With the skyline dominated by this hulk of weathered rock you’re sure to enjoy some awe-inspiring scenery. But let’s look beyond this world famous alpine icon and find out what it really has to offer and where the best places to stay in Zermatt really are.
With year round glacier skiing and the highest skiing in the Alps, Zermatt is blessed with guaranteed snow. You’ll probably be able to work on your panda eyes as well, as Zermatt is said to be bathed in sunshine for three hundred days of the year.
With over 360km of pistes in the winter, Zermatt is a vast skiing area and even gives you the option of skiing in 2 different countries on the same day. The run down into Cervinia, Italy, is as charming as the rest of the resort and can be accessed on the whole area lift pass.
Zermatt has almost endless, fantastic piste skiing with the 13km run from the Klein-Matterhorn, descending 2200m to Zermatt perhaps the most spectacular. The more experienced skier won’t be disappointed either as the yellow itinerary routes on offer present some challenging and engaging skiing. If the budget stretches, the opportunities for heli-skiing are magnificent.
What not to Miss
- Obviously the skiing or snowboarding!
- If snow sports aren’t your bag, have no fear: Zermatt offers plenty more besides. From shopping or the cinema in the winter or paragliding to golf in the summer.
- Take a trip on the Gornergrat Railway on a sunny day. From the top you can see an astonishing twenty nine 4000 metre peaks! Simply awesome.
- In summer months hike the 5-Seenweg (five lakes walk). It's just under 10km in lenght, but the views and scenery are spectacular.
- Zermatt also has a number of galleries and museums to visit for those looking for culture.
- The superb food. The Gault-Millau guide rates Zermatt as the most concentrated area of gourmet restaurants in Europe and many visitors come back for the quality of the restaurants alone. There is no end to the choice available, from experimental cooking to the most traditional of local recipes.
Zermatt has an extensive range of hotels, and whilst some fall into the luxury bracket with pampering spas, we've managed to eke out a few which will suit those on a more restricted budget. We've also got a great selection of ski chalets, boutique hotels, and family-friendly accommdation. Below, The Hotel Guru has singled out the choicest pickings of the best places to stay in Zermatt.