Zermatt tourist information & hotel reservations.

We warmly welcome you to visit Zermatt and wish you a wonderful vacation.

Zermatt, situated at 1594 meters elevation is a small village at the base of the Matterhorn (Mont Cervin), lying on sixty-six kilometers southwest of Sierre, 48 km southwest of Brig and 242 km east of Geneva. Zermatt is famous hiking and hill-climbing resort for more than 150 years. A couple of the most memorable hikes include the climb up to the Mettelhorn (3300 meters.) and the hike up to the Matterhorn Hut.
Zermatt is a world-known resort with many luxurious quality accommodations and numerous fashionable boutiques. One can walk from one end of the town to the other in just about fifteen minutes, which is convenient, since no cars are allowed on the local streets. The resort also has one of the best systems of alpine cable cars, gondolas, and cog railways in Switzerland – thirty-six of them are in operation during the winter and twenty-one during the summer.

Zermatt Skiing Holidays

Due to the more snowfalls on the Zermatt resort than on many other winter resorts in Europe, high-altitude skiing, particularly at the Théodul Pass continues throughout the spring and even early summer. As for winter skiing, skiers can choose from a wide, gentle slopes and difficult runs only for expert skiers. Zermatt's ski school  offers certified instruction and mountain guides.
Piste info: overall, the resort has 313 km runs, of which blue: 73; green: 25; red: 6; black: 15, Highest lift is at 3883 meters and the drop - 2200m.
Zermatt also features a popular curling center, with 8 rinks, as well as 2 natural ice-skating rinks, unusual shops, and a good diversity of bars and restaurants.

Of interest for most visitors of Zermatt is the Alpine Museum, which details Whymper’s climb to the Matterhorn. The displays here include climbing equipment, various relief models of the majestic mountain, and different artifacts discovered around Zermatt from prehistoric and Roman times. The Alpine museum is open from June to October daily from ten am to noon and from four to 6 pm; from December to May, its open Sunday to Friday 4:30 - 6:30 pm; and closed in November. the train station; the museum is in back.
The resort of Zermatt is also famous for its après-ski activities, which include some exciting tea dances, nightclubs, discos, restaurants and bars; actually Zermatt has more nightclubs than any other resort in the Valais.

Festivals and Events in Zermatt

Zermatt Marathon

July (annual), Zermatt
As if running on a marathon is not an achievement enough itself, the Swiss take on the forty-two kilometers challenge through steep and rugged Alpine terrain. Zermatt Marathon starts in St. Niklaus at 1116 m. elevation, and race up the mountain side to the town of Zermatt, finishing atop the 2585 m. majestic Riffelberg, encircle by snowy peaks. The scenic views and the effect of running uphill for about 7 hours are simply fascinating.

Swiss Snowboard Championship
March (annual), Zermatt
The Swiss Snowboard Championship is a half-pipe competition that attracts the top snowboard riders to the resort of Zermatt. However, the traditional Swiss Alpine village has also lots more to offer in addition to the skiing and snowboarding, including climbing, paragliding, swimming and tobogganing. These competitions are the breeding ground for professional boarders, so keep yours eyes open for the future snowboarding stars.
 Triftji Bump Bash
5 - 8 April (annual), Zermatt
Zermatt’s annual Bump Bash is held on the slopes encircling the majestic 3000 meters high Triftji glacier, and offers great world-class skiing and snowboarding.
The Bump Bash offers 4 days of lighthearted contest and great partying in one of the best Swiss ski resorts - Zermatt. The Triftji event, offering plenty of fun, attracts in an international crowd, which is divided into “amateurs” and “pros” based on one’s experience and ability. The rivals in both categories contest for the overall Bump Bash title by participating in bodefull named disciplines such as “Women Just Bumps no Jumps”. The event ends up with a “Mega Party” in the Saigon Bar, with plenty of loud live music and top DJs until the small hours.

Zermatt Festival

September (annual), Zermatt
The Zermatt Festival is an international classical music fest, which includes world renowned artists. Many of the concerts on Zermatt Festival are carried out in the acoustically unique Riffelalp Mountain Chapel, located against the magnificent backdrop of the Matterhorn, at 2222m. elevation.

Matterhorn Run

August (annual), Zermatt
The Matterhorn run is regarded as one of the world’s greatest mountain races and brings elite runners from around the world. The race goes from Zermatt to Furi and on to Schwarzsee at 2582m. above the sea level. It is 14.35 kilometers long and includes a vertical drop of 1001m.

Zermatt Transportation

Take a train to Visp or Brig, from where one can transfer to a narrow-gauge train to Zermatt.  The trains depart on every twenty minutes daily from 6am to 11:30pm. It takes about four hours from Geneva. Additionally, buses run from Visp and Brig to Täsch on every hour, which is also the departure point for the cog railway that goes frequently to the resort of Zermatt.
If going there by car, head to Täsch, which is on less than 5 kilometers from Zermatt, and park your car in an open lot or a garage (no cars are allowed on Zermatt’s streets!). A rail shuttle in the center of the village will take you to the resort for about 15F per person round-trip.
From the town of Zermatt, one can take one of the grandest and most picturesque train rides in Europe. The Glacier Express might be the slowest “express” train in the world, but it is also the most panoramic, offering some breathtaking views from Switzerland. The train starts its daily run in Zermatt and heads for St. Moritz in the Engadine. On its way Glacier Express crosses 291 bridges and goes through ninety-one tunnels. Windows on the train are designed for maximum wide views of these outstanding mountain panoramas.

For flights, trains and car-rental reservations as well as for buses, coaches and taxi ski transfers refer to the general Switzerland Transportation page!