Ultimate Edition

Zermatt, Switzerland

Published for the Matterhorn and the highest lifts in Europe

CH Monday, October 12, 2026

Guides › Switzerland › Zermatt, Switzerland

A car-free village under the most recognisable mountain on earth

Zermatt has no private cars, year-round skiing on a glacier, Europe's highest cable-car station, and the Matterhorn standing at the end of the street. It earns its reputation.

The Ultimate City Desk

Zermatt was a poor Valais farming village until Edward Whymper's first ascent of the Matterhorn in 1865 — a climb that killed four of his seven-man party on the descent and made the mountain and the village famous within weeks. The Matterhorn's profile is so singular that it has become shorthand for mountains generally, and the village has organised itself entirely around the fact that you can see it from almost everywhere.

It is car-free, and seriously so: you leave your vehicle at Täsch five kilometres down the valley and take the shuttle train, and in the village it is electric taxis, horse carts and walking. The lift system is extensive and goes very high — the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise station above 3,800 metres is the highest cable-car station in Europe, and from it you can ski across to Cervinia in Italy and back, passport in pocket.

The practical consequence of that altitude is a season that effectively never closes: the glacier above Trockener Steg has historically supported skiing through the summer, which is where national teams train in July. Lower down, Sunnegga, Rothorn and Gornergrat give long descents, and the Gornergrat cogwheel railway — open since 1898 and running to over 3,000 metres — is worth riding even if you do not ski.

Where People Live

The neighbourhoods

Bahnhofstrasse & the village centre

The main street from the station: hotels, watch and sports shops, restaurants, and the Matterhorn framed at the end of it.

Hinterdorf

The old quarter of timber stadel barns raised on stone discs to keep rats out — the village as it was before 1865.

Winkelmatten & the southern slopes

Quieter residential chalets above the village, with the best views and a short walk or shuttle to the lifts.

Gornergrat & Riffelberg

Up the cogwheel railway: the observatory hotel at the top, the Riffelsee that reflects the Matterhorn, and the high trails.

Airports

Sion Airport (SIR) 39 km to the centre

Sion, VS, CH — Indoor waiting areas, but some gates board by bus or on foot across the apron — plan for the weather on the day.

Indoor | Outdoor

Raron Airfield 32 km to the centre

Raron, VS, CH

Outdoor

Ghiacciaio del Lys 14 km to the centre

23, IT

Outdoor

Ghiacciaio del Braoulé altiporto 19 km to the centre

23, IT

Outdoor

Coaches & shuttles

PostBus

Intercity coach

Living Here

Practical notes for residents

The season

Zermatt is effectively a year-round ski destination, with the glacier above Trockener Steg historically open through summer and the main season running from late November to late April. Confirm current glacier operations with the lift company, as arrangements change.
The Alpine ski season runs roughly from December to April, with glacier and high-alpine terrain holding later. Exact opening and closing dates move with the snowpack every year — check the lift company before booking travel around them.
The link to Cervinia in Italy requires suitable weather and open lifts; take a passport and watch the time, because being caught on the wrong side of the border when the lifts close is a long taxi.

Getting there

There are no cars. Drive or take the train to Täsch and transfer to the Zermatt shuttle, which runs every twenty minutes.
Geneva is about three and a half hours and Zurich about four, both by train with a change at Visp or Brig. The Glacier Express runs east to St Moritz.
In the village, electric taxis and your own feet. It is small enough to walk end to end in twenty minutes.

When the snow goes

The hiking is as good as the skiing and considerably cheaper: the Five Lakes Walk, the Hörnli Hut trail towards the Matterhorn's base, and the Gornergrat ridge.
Mountain biking on marked descents from the lifts, and the Matterhorn ultraks trail running race in August.
The Matterhorn Museum in the village covers the 1865 ascent and holds the broken rope from the fatal descent — a genuinely sobering object.

Practicalities

Zermatt is expensive, and the lift pass is among the dearest in the Alps. The Peak2Peak and regional passes are worth comparing against your plans.
Altitude is real here. The top stations are high enough that a slow first day is sensible.
Afternoon cloud frequently hides the Matterhorn. If it is clear in the morning, go up then and do the village in the afternoon.

Sources

Everything above is checkable

A car-free village under the most recognisable mountain on earth

Where People Live

Bahnhofstrasse & the village centre

Hinterdorf

Winkelmatten & the southern slopes

Gornergrat & Riffelberg

Restaurants & places to go

Airports

Sion Airport (SIR) 39 km to the centre

Raron Airfield 32 km to the centre

Ghiacciaio del Lys 14 km to the centre

Ghiacciaio del Braoulé altiporto 19 km to the centre

Trains & rail

Coaches & shuttles