Worldwide Ski Resorts • Switzerland • Zermatt
Overview
Zermatt is a summer resort as well as being a mecca for winter sports tourists. It is an attractive village with some very attractive traditional chalet style buildings that exist comfortably alongside some modern developments that have been sympathetically designed to fit in this pretty community. The main street is the site of most of the bars, shops restaurants — and some very smart hotels. There is a wide choice of accommodation to be found in and around Zermatt with some excellent catered chalets and over a hundred hotels that mainly fall into the three and four star classification. Self catering apartments are also available. Be careful when selecting accommodation as many of the hotels are an inconvenient distance from the lift stations, which means a long walk or an overcrowded bus ride.
Profile
The resort stands at 1620m and provides access to 194 km of pisted runs served by 34 lifts. It has a good record for snow on its upper slopes, many of which face north and lie generally well above 2000m mark. Both experts and all categories of intermediates will be in ski heaven at Zermatt, with an incredible choice of cruising runs, mogul fields and long runs that will appeal to even the most demanding. Add the marvellous scenery, perfectly groomed pistes and efficient lifts and it is easy to understand why it is such a popular resort.
There are also plenty of off piste opportunities including areas reserved for free riding and the availability of heli-skiing. Surprisingly, snowboarders are not common in Zermatt, despite the fact that some of the slopes are ideal and the resort has two, very high quality terrain parks and a specialist school. For novices however, this is a resort to avoid. While there are nursery slopes, they are not well situated and there are hardly any slopes suitable for progression. Cross country skiers have little going for them here, it being more a ‘down hill’ resort.
Mountain Information
There are three main linked areas serving Zermatt. The Sunnega/Blauherd/Rothorn where some of the more gentle runs can be found for the less confident. From here, the second area of Gornergrat/Hohtalli/Stockhorn is accessible via Gant. This is where some of the best mogul fields are located and where experts will find excellent runs back down to Gant. The third and highest area is the Klein Matterhorn/Trockener Steg/ Schwarzsee. This is where the experts generally head, to take advantage of the excellent tree lined, steep runs down through the gullies. All three areas have runs back to the village, but these are inclined to become very crowded at the end of the day. There are plenty of first class mountain restaurants in all three areas.
Apres Ski
The fun starts early in Zermatt, with a number of mountain side bars providing their own ‘specials’ to attract the crowds on their way back from the slopes. Hennu Stadl on the way back from Klein Matterhorn has loud music and the Zum See and the Baku (with a wigwam) are also special. Back in the village, Papperazi is an early starter, while Grampi’s and Z’Alt Hischi are well worth a visit. Be warned, a evening out can be expensive but it’s a great place and a good time is guaranteed.
Swiss Resort Guide
Resort Information • Zermatt
 |
Resort Height | 1620m |
 |
Top Station | 3899m |
 |
Bottom Station | 1620m |
|
Vertical Descent | 2200m |
 |
Drag Lifts | 19 |
 |
Chair Lifts | 4 |
 |
High Capacity | 16 |
 |
Opening Dates | Nov - May |
 |
Rating Expert | 10 |
 |
Rating Intermediate | 10 |
 |
Rating Beginner | 6 |
 |
Apres Ski Rating | 9 |
 |
Snow Reliability | 10 |
