Located in the southernmost part of Switzerland, Zermatt is surrounded by some of the tallest peaks in the Alps. The mighty Matterhorn looks down into the valley, watching over the town of Zermatt like its protective spirit. No picture of Zermatt looks complete without the Matterhorn in the background.
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When to visit Zermatt
We had not visited Zermatt in our earlier trip to Switzerland as we did not have enough time to make a journey this far. This time we were determined to include it, however short our time in Switzerland was! While many experts call for staying 2-3 nights in the area, we had all but one night to spend here. Our earlier plan was to make a day trip from Kander valley (2.5 hours drive away) but that would mean we would reach Zermatt past 10 am which would mean more day trippers, more crowds and perhaps more clouds.
I cannot iterate enough on how important it is to visit Zermatt or the surrounding mountains as early in the day as possible. As you will see from the pictures below, it gets cloudier as the day progresses and the Matterhorn is obscured by clouds. The warm air that rises from the valley is condensed by the cold air above and clouds are formed. Though it is possible to catch glimpses of the Matterhorn from time to time as the clouds move and reshape, the views aren’t the best.
Zermatt is popular throughout the year and in all seasons. It is the number one destination for winter sports and in summer the vistas are truly mind blowing. However between winter and spring (from about mid April to mid June) many cable cars and restaurants up in the mountains are closed for maintenance. Many trails are either muddy or are covered in snow during this period so the hikes one can take is also limited. There are still many rides operating however the restaurant choices are limited. The advantage of traveling in spring is that the prices are lower than peak season and crowds are way less than what you would encounter in summer.
Arriving at Zermatt
Zermatt is well connected by trains from most of the major locations in Switzerland. It takes about 3 hours to reach Zermatt from Zurich / Bern. High Speed trains from Zurich, Bern, Spiez and Geneva reach Visp in about 2 – 2.5 hours. A change is needed at Visp to a regional train which then takes you to Zermatt. There is also the Glacier Express which is a scenic train that runs between Zermatt and St. Moritz, both winter sports destinations. This is a 8 hour journey that requires a seat reservation in advance and avoids stops that are on commuter routes. Instead they stop at scenic stations en route. Food is available for pre-booking.
We arrived at Zermatt just before 6 in the evening after a long drive from Basel with a stop over at Gruyères. The drive up until Visp through Montreaux and Martigny is a highway nestled in a valley. The other route is through the Lötschberg Tunnel on a car train (which we took when we went to Lauterbrunnen from Zermatt). The drive from Visp to Täsch, however, is on mountainous roads with stunning views. It requires some amount of skill to drive on this road. SC’s eyes were strained by the time we reached Täsch. We rested for a bit before we took the shuttle to Zermatt. We purchased a Junior Karte for Sam and 3 return tickets from the terminal before boarding the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn that wound its way over incredible scenery before arriving at Zermatt.
Where to Stay
Zermatt is a car free town which means you can only access this town by train. The closest car park is in Täsch and there are shuttles running between Täsch and Zermatt every 20-30 minutes. Many hotels in Zermatt offer electric vehicles for pick up from the station if you pre-arrange and are mostly included in the cost of stay.
For a family of four (2 adults and 2 teens) the cheapest accommodation we found in Zermatt was around £300 and their ratings were not great. The other options were Youth Hostels in a similar price bracket but with shared bathroom facilities. The holiday apartments and serviced hotels with good ratings started at £400. We found that way overpriced for a night’s stay and decided to stay in Täsch for about £225 per night. The cost of the shuttle for the four of us was lower than the difference in hotel prices. There are more accommodations available in the towns further north like Randa and Visp and have considerably lower prices than Zermatt. However we chose Täsch due to the quick access to Zermatt and the deal we got from booking directly at the hotel’s website.
Hotel Täscherhof
This was one of the best stays we had in this trip. Located right outside the Matterhorn Täsch terminal (from where the shuttle to Zermatt operates), it took us less than five minutes to get to the station from the hotel. We also got free parking included in our stay. We decided not to upgrade for breakfast as we were planning to leave early the next day. The rooms were immaculate with views of the neighbouring peaks. They also had coffee/tea making facilities in the spacious room that comfortably fit the four of us.
A DIY walk in Zermatt
Different people do different things in Zermatt. It’s a resort town so there are many options to spend your money. There’s shopping – from some of the most recognisable Swiss brands. Then there are restaurants – some economical (by Swiss standards) and some fine dining experiences. There’s a whole bunch of Fondue restaurants with other local delicacies. There are many hikes that you can take from Zermatt to the mountains above or to the valley in the south with some hanging bridges over the Visp. Then there’s adventure sport destinations like Forest Fun Park. There is also a Black-nose sheep farm that you can visit when they are not grazing up in the mountains. With our limited time (and budget), we decided to walk around the town and soak in the beauty of this Swiss resort town! No costs involved!
There are steep lanes and flat lanes. Some steps. Good walking shoes are recommended.
Bahnhofstrasse
As soon as we left the station we were hit by how beautiful Zermatt was! The snow covered peaks with pine forests in their lower elevations in the background, charming wooden chalets in the foreground, the red Swiss flags fluttering in shop fronts and the lighted up signs of some of the most identifiable brands in the world.
The Bahnhofstrasse leads away from the station with all the big brand shops in typical wooden chalets (a McDonalds included) and is probably the most crowded part of the town. Walking through this near flat street and gaping at the shops and their displays makes for a memorable introduction to Zermatt.
Hinterdorfstrasse
This is one of the oldest parts of Zermatt. The wooden houses and sheds on stilts were built long before Zermatt became the bustling resort town it is today. The buildings here were built in the 17th and 18th centuries. The exteriors of these buildings have remained untouched for over 2 centuries now while many interiors have been renovated to include modern day comforts. Some of these have been made into apartments and hotels. The sheds were built on stilts to keep rodents and other pests away from the food stored inside them.
After the bustling Bahnhofstrasse, Hinterdorfstrasse was extremely quiet and there were hardly any visitors around. We walked around marvelling at the wooden houses.
Hoffmatweg fountain
We found our favourite water fountain in this tiny street! The water fountains in Zermatt are fed with some of the tastiest and freshest water in the world! They are drinkable directly. We filled our water bottles up and couldn’t get enough of the sweet water! We were so smitten by this water fountain that we returned the next day just to fill our bottles! There is a bench right next to the fountain to relax and enjoy the old wooden buildings of Hinterdorfstrasse.
While we were dawdling around Hinterdorfstrasse taking pictures, SC quickly called out to us saying there were even more beautiful views with a snowy mountain and a church tower. We hurriedly finished taking our pictures and followed him to the narrow street just outside of Hinterdorfstrasse.
Views of Matterhorn
Nothing quite prepares you for your first view of the Matterhorn! I had seen it in pictures and videos numerous times and I actually expected it be a familiar sight by the time we visited. However seeing it in person for the first time and looking at all the details like the shape of the mountain, how frozen snow sticks to its near vertical cliff with patches of the rock visible, was a sight one can never quite forget!
From the narrow lane of Englischer Viertel we were able to see the steeple of the St. Mauritius Church and the Matterhorn next to each other. SC didn’t even realise that this was THE Matterhorn, the most famous mountain of Switzerland!
We walked over to the famous bridge (Kirchebrücke) for more views of the Matterhorn with the milky Visp river in the foreground. After a long time we spotted some tourists in this part of the town. The best views are from the eastern end of the bridge.
It was getting windier and colder and the Matterhorn had almost disappeared behind the clouds! We were able to see patches of blue sky when we arrived in Zermatt. However within a few minutes several thick clouds had moved in and it became dark, cloudy and cold!
Bronze Alphorn
The Bronze Alphorn was commissioned and installed in the steps of the parish hall in July 2015 to mark the 150th anniversary of the first ascent to Matterhorn. The Alphorn is a traditional Swiss instrument made of wood originally used by herders in the Alps to call to their cattle. It has since become a musical instrument used in folk songs.
The Alphorn with its larch branches, both made of Bronze, are positioned on the steps to point directly at the matterhorn. The views from the square below and from the terrace are extraordinary. There is also a telescope on the terrace to get a closer view of the Matterhorn. Spending a few minutes sitting on the benches and gaping at the Matterhorn was an ideal break on this walk that we used to drink some of the sweet tasting water and plan our further walking route.
Bridge over Visp
Continuing to walk further south, we wanted to get more views of the Matterhorn with different foregrounds. We ended up at the wooden bridge near the Glacier Paradise Gondola station. The traditional wooden chalets were fewer in this part of the town and the views out to the Matterhorn were devoid of any intrusions. The bridge right beside the Gondola station gave us views of the Matterhorn with rolling green hills in the foreground.
Further up was a farm for the black-nosed sheep which was closed by this time, so we decided to return. This time we walked right beside the Visp river admiring its milky green waters and awing at its journey from several millennia old glaciers, down the slopes of the Alps and into the Visp river.
It was nearly 8 pm and we decided to wind up our walking at this point as the Matterhorn was fully obscured by clouds and it was getting cold. We made our way to Coop (as Migros was closed by the time we got there), bought some essentials and took the shuttle back to our hotel in Täsch.
Murini Hill viewpoint
Our initial plan was to visit this viewpoint on our way to the station but that was pointless as the Matterhorn wasn’t visible anyway! However we were rewarded with a similar POV on our train to Gornergrat the next day. As you can see what a difference it makes to visit Zermatt in the mornings!
Map of the walking route
Here is a printable walking route and map for a DIY walk through Zermatt. Click on the picture below to take you to directions on Google Maps.
Fly ✧ Ride ✧ Drive 
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