Zermatt is a picturesque resort nestled at the base of the world-renowned Matterhorn. With 38 peaks over 4,000 metres and 360km of pistes, it’s Europe’s highest ski resort and one of the only resorts in the world to guarantee snow 365 days a year. Not only is it a snow-sure skier’s paradise, but the resort also offers world-class restaurants, bars, fashion boutiques and Swiss chocolate shops. As a car-free resort, it has retained its mountain-village charm with cafés spilling onto the pavements when the sun shines and horse-drawn sleighs gliding through the streets when the snow falls.
With links to the Italian resort of Cervinia, Zermatt offers the opportunity to ski over the border into Italy for lunch before heading back to Switzerland in time for a glass of Champagne.
The Matterhorn’s grand glacier also offers a fresh-snow experience year round – a must for anyone who struggles in slushy snow at the end of the ski season. There are ski runs that will satisfy the most experienced skier, wonderful opportunities for beginners to gain their ski legs, as well as hikes along hidden trails and snow-shoe walks ending in mountain hideaways for lunch.
You don’t need to be a skier to enjoy Zermatt, you can enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime experience on the Gornergrat Railway, sipping an espresso as you take in the majestic view of the mighty Matterhorn or unwind with a pampering treatment in one of the many world-class spas.
Zermatt isn’t just a winter wonderland – summer days here are spent hiking through meadows of wildflowers, sunbathing next to glacier-clear lakes and enjoying the serenity of the pine forests. The 500-metre Charles Kuonen suspension bridge also offers incredible views of the sweeping landscape from April to November.
Whenever you choose to visit, Zermatt is a magical place and for many it becomes a home away from home that they are drawn to year after year.
