How to spend one day in Zermatt

When you first see Zermatt you feel as if you are in Wonderland. This charming city in the shadow of the famous Matterhorn Mount has been the center of mountaineering and skiing for many years. The sites we suggest will make Zermatt your favorite vacation spot. And not only in winter.

The Gornergrat Railway

Try to get up earlier and don’t forget your skis. 8 am is just the perfect time to get the train. The Gornergrat Railway is deemed the 2nd world highest railway. Opened in 1898, it was the first fully electrified cog railway in Switzerland. In fact, Gornergrat is a crossroads of excursion routes. There is much to see: Gornegrat lies surrounded by 29 peaks and the stars of the winter show-program – several glaciers, including the amazing Gorner Glacier. The train is slow, which means that you can make excellent pictures on the way. The train stops five times and you can go out, take a walk, and continue your journey again.

Why try it? The railway snakes vaguely through forests, hills, goes through tunnels: you will see the most incredible mountain views in all of Europe. Getting off at the terminal station, be sure to visit the panoramic observation platform to admire the Matterhorn. Then put on skis and ski down quick as the wind.

Ice Hotel

You will never forget the time you spent in the igloo, an ingenious invention of the Eskimos. Or a show hut, in simple words. The Iglu Dorf on the Matterhorn slope was arranged by famous designers, so that the decor of ice, wood and warm fur hides looks very stylish. This is a hotel complex with jacuzzi, sauna, bar, and restaurant. However, if you travel with children, it’s better not to stop here for the night but just to come for a lunch. For adults, a night in the igloo will be a great adventure. In any case, the combination of cold and heat has a fantastic effect on health and beauty.

Decorations made of ice, warm plaids and fireplaces with a cozy crackling fire: there is something primitive in these wonderfully furnished interiors. Especially when you look at the fire… Afraid of the cold? Don’t be. The prudent staff has already thought of everything. For example, there are several options for warming up: tea, hot mulled wine, sauna, and spa. We highly recommend to visit the ice bar and enjoy warming cocktails there.

Why try it? To get new experience. After all, it is quite extraordinary to have a glass of glühwein (German word for mulled wine) and fondue in a great company of adventurers after skiing.

A Lunch in the Highlands

Tired of skiing? Don’t even take off your ski, just get to Riffelhous 1853. Since opening, they have been serving excellent Swiss classics: cheese fondue and rösti with smoked salmon. No wonder that there are regular customers who come to the restaurant for this speciality. And of course this is the place where all ski coaches come. Rösti ingredients are the simplest: potatoes, salt, pepper, onions, and bacon. Nevertheless, cooking at an altitude of 2500 meters above sea level is an art itself. Not less popular are the top local dishes like jerk meat with herbs accompanied by excellent Swiss wines.

Why visit? To have the famous cocktail with the funny name Caipiroska invented by climbers to restore energy. It is made of equal parts of red wine and Swiss sparkling wine which are heated like mulled wine (by the way, they do not serve mulled wine here). Enjoy your hot energy drink and admire the views of Matterhorn from above dreaming of the new peaks you wish to conquer.

Up to the Glaciers

Only here, at the highest mountain lift station in Europe, on the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise, you can enjoy the cleanest mountain air. By almost 4 km mountain lift you will get so high that you will feel as if you are sliding on the clouds. The terminal station, which is at the same time the observation platform, offers incredible panoramic views of Swiss, Italian, and French Alps. We like safari-skiing here. This means that you can travel more than a dozen kilometers per day without using the same lift twice. Start with Rothorn, then Riffelberg, Theodul Glacier, Trockener Steg, Matterhorn Glacier Paradise, Breuil-Cervina, and finish with Testa Grigia. Return to Zermatt via Stafelalp. You will never have more amazing experiences!

Why visit?Because this paradise of ice is the highest skiing area in all the Alps: the most extensive and with the best infrastructure. You can try heliskiing too (jumping from a helicopter on the virgin snow), free-riding, snow park, and all the snowboarding joys. By the way, if you are a skiing-lover, you can ski on the glacier even in summer.

Après-Ski

A true ski-lover is unmindful of time. Time flies when you’re having fun. We have something special for such lucky people. As soon as the lifts start to close, you can ski to the lively Chez Vrony restaurant along the panoramic piste. You probably did not know, but this is one of the best places for après-ski. Chez Vrony hid in a small wooden farmhouse which was transformed into a place of meeting and recreation for skiers. By the way, this family restaurant has been serving food for a hundred years already. Generation by generation, the owners do not stop to please their visitors with rustic mountain cuisine, which, like no other, can warm you even in the severe frost. Farmers use only organic local products grown using pure spring water in the soft Swiss sun. The family cooks all their delicacies, from sausages to cheese, by traditional recipes passing from father to son together with the restaurant. We recommend to reserve a table here in advance.

Why visit? Because the restaurant is included in the Michelin Red Guide and ranks top positions on TripAdvisor. You can eat both inside and outside, right in the snow, wrapped in a blanket. Ravioli, Ribeye, hamburgers or mulled wine are so tasty that gourmets will undoubtedly leave their heart here. It seems that culinary magicians have special spells for the products. Don’t miss the chance to taste local tomato soup adding some vodka to it as the owners advise. Be sure, you won’t regret. Moreover, it has the proper name: it is called Bloody Mary.

Shopping Time

Zermatt is just a great place for shopping. Not only all the main stores are concentrated in the center but also the city is car-free, which will make your way simple and easy. Whatever you want to buy: watches, jewelry, fashionable ski clothing or chocolate, Zermatt offers the best of the best. We would like to focus on chocolate stores like charming Chocolaterie Läderach. A sweet tooth will find everything here but the main heroes here are big chocolate bars, which they will break for you in any quantity and size. Do not limit yourself to traditional flavors. Try chocolate with pepper, pistachios or fruit… Buy some sausages, ham, cheese and wine at Metzgerei Bayard – the place for those who are not interested in sweets.

Why try it?You will be pleasantly surprised with the range of goods Zermatt stores offer. Many collections appear here much earlier than in other cities. While the ladies are busy, their halves, who are not enthusiastic about shopping, can visit Zermatt Curling Club. It is something like hockey, but without skates and with special stones instead of a puck. A wonderful way to warm up the body before going to the spa.

Cold & Hot

The Swiss having rest in Zermatt prefer visiting the spa at the Mont Cervin Palace Spa Hotel. There is nothing better than to know of a spa and a well-earned dinner awaiting for you after a busy day spent on the pistes and in the shops. Of course, it is best to take an hour-long relaxing massage and then do warming water treatments. The five-star Mont Cervin Spa will offer you saunas, steam rooms, indoor and outdoor pools, and aroma showers, to make you feel refreshed, help you get rid of fatigue and put the body and inner world in order.

Why visit? The place is loved by the locals and that says a lot. Moreover, after beauty rituals, you can visit the Michelin-starred Capri Italian restaurant.

Cheese, Cheese, Cheese!

To dive in the typical and carefree style of Zermatt rest, visit Ferdinand restaurant in the Cervo hotel. They serves the best raclette in Zermatt if not in Switzerland. If you haven’t tried it yet, you should know that raclette is a famous Swiss specialty with melted cheese and added meat or potatoes. It sounds simple until you taste it. The dish warms you incredibly in the frosty mountain weather and gives you extra energy. The decor of the restaurant is quite simple as if telling you that interior is not the main thing here at all…

Why visit? If you love cheese in all its guises or have not yet had time to know its true charm, then this place is yours. You can try many varieties of fondue at the Cervo restaurant. Order their Champagne and Truffle.