Zermatt summer holidays

Holidays in Zermatt

You’ll be hard-pressed to find a more iconic mountain than the Matterhorn or a more typically Swiss town than Zermatt. Prepare to be enchanted on seriously scenic hikes, bike rides and mountain climbs and enjoy the finer things in life in the posh bars and restaurants. Look carefully and you’ll discover little Alpine chapels and Alpine lakes dotted around on the 400km of hiking trails, including glacier routes. To enjoy the sights without the legwork, take the half hour train ride to Gornergrat.

Highlights: • Over thirty 4000m peaks within reach • Summer skiing on the glacier • Climbing & via ferrata

Zermatt Walking

The Matterhorn is something of a hiking Holy Grail; impossibly steep and breathtakingly beautiful. Zermatt, sitting cosily in its shadow, is unique in its easy access – it even has a Matterhorn Trail, a manageable 10km that meanders around stunning lakes and gorgeous little chapels below the peak. The Furi-Weg is an easy walking route; it’s just 5km and barely any elevation but it’s still a great way of taking a look around the mountain woodland. That’s just a tiny taste of Zermatt’s 400km of tracks; the Seenweg route’s similar to the Matterhorn Trail, but if you’re looking for more of a challenge, have a go at the nearest stage of the Monte Rosa tour. There are 19km of pretty testing pathways cut into the solid rock-face, through tunnels and over bridges. The final lake, the Leisee, has one of the best views of the mountain you’ll ever see. It fits perfectly with that smug feeling at the end of a big hike!

Zermatt Cycling

Keeping your eyes on the track and not on the Matterhorn is a challenge for even the most serious cyclists in Zermatt. Mountain bikers have over 100km of trails and 4 cross courses between 1400 m and a lofty 3000m. Buy the special ‘bike pass’ for the Sunnegga, Schwarzsee and Gornergrat lifts for transport up the mountain. For the best views it’s got to be the 12.42 km Rothorn – Zermatt ride; if you really enjoyed it and still fancy a challenge, turn around and ride back up! The Sunnegga mountain-cross course has got a good flow and a couple of tasty jumps. If you fancy more take on its big brother, the white-knuckle Downhill ride, which will seriously test your steel.

Try the bike school if you’re looking to improve your technique or just feeling a bit rusty before attempting the runs. There are a few places that rent out E-bikes as well, for those of us who prefer a more relaxed ride. Make use of the integrated motor when the uphill sections get the better of you.

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