The obsessions many of us have with Rolex and Rado and the heavenly Lindt and many more of these have their origins from this wonderland. From classic music festivals to fondue and cheese, the place owns us. we're talking about the place that's home to some of the most beautiful Alps and stunning lakes, Switzerland. It has numerous places such as Geneva, Bern, Interlaken, Davos, Saint Moritz and we could be going about naming them.
The incredible scenery, view of the Swiss Alps spiraling behind some of the cleanest lakes and the evergreen meadows during train journeys, sporting the country side look which many yearn for, are alone reasons enough to visit Swiss.
How much would a vacation in Switzerland cost? It depends on a lot of factors - the season you are visiting, the number of people travelling, whether you want to travel luxuriously or on a budget, the type of food you want to have and the places you want to visit. Switzerland is one of the most expensive countries to visit.
Even a budget trip can create a hole in your pocket. Having said that it's one of the most beautiful countries on earth and it's worth spending some money to explore it. Tourism is one of the most important business and the Swiss take it very seriously. Natural beauty and amenities for tourists are in abundance.
Even remote areas will have excellent accessibility and heavenly views. A few days are not enough to explore and enjoy the Swiss beauty that can take you to some beautiful places in Switzerland if planned properly. Currently, the main activity is tourism, and there are many tourist hotels and restaurants.
The Zermatt valley on the western side offers a tranquil environment where you can relax and enjoy the fauna and flora in the area. Many visitors flock Zermatt for great shopping, culture, world-class restaurants, and spas. Zermatt is one of the best places to visit in Switzerland, and it offers unique and authentic swiss adventures that you can enjoy throughout the year, depending on the prevailing weather conditions.
Are you looking for what to do in Zermatt? Here are the top things to do in Zermatt.
1. Skiing around Matterhorn Glacier Paradise
Gornergrat is one of the three skiing domains of Zermatt. The other two are Sunnegga Rothorn and Schwarzsee. In this last one is located the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise, the highest panoramic viewpoint in Europe, at 3,883 meters, accessible through the cable car that climbs the highest altitude of the continent.
While scaling Matterhorn can be very tempting, it will not be the first activity in Zermatt. However, if you are seasoned mountaineer with years of experience, then it is a perfect location for mountaineering. You can take a gondola to the highest peak of the mountain and check out glacier paradise.
At the top of the mountain, you can have a panoramic view of the valley below. If you have a group that does not want to hike, then they can enjoy movies at the cinema or chill at the restaurants with unforgettable views. You can as well visit the Plateau Rosa and enjoy snow tubing during summer.
Zermatt has over 400 kilometers of walking trails and around 250 kilometers of pistes for snowboarding and skiing. For Skiers and snowboarders, a good day on the slopes is something to appreciate and look forward to. But visiting ski areas has an environmental impact, and it’s often up to the skier to ensure theirs is as minimal as possible.
These locations are mainly located on the eastern side of the valley, and these can be easily accessed through gondolas, cable cars, and mountain railways. If you want to hike, ski, or enjoy mountaineering, then this is the right location to visit. The perfect time for you to visit the area for skiing is between May and November.
You can ski from village to village and even across country borders. The mountains are rugged and spectacular. The views are truly amazing. The weather and snow conditions in the Alps is spotty.
2. Take a trip to Gornergrat
When spring and summer arrive, hiking in the mountains of Zermatt is one of the favorite activities of the locals. Watch the mountain lake and the snow mountain singing songs. You will never get enough of the region, and it is an excellent location to enjoy the beautiful view of Gornergrat. It is one of the most popular excursions that was open in the year 1898, and you can reach this location through Gornergrat Bahn.
The place is open all year round, and you can enjoy the exciting experience going through the tunnels, bridges, mountain lakes, and forests. The area is rich in activities that you can do, including sledding slopes, hiking paths, and mountaineering places. Don’t forget to check out a Gornergrat hiking guide while planning your next Swiss adventure.
3. Hike in Leisee
The village of Zermatt is dominated by one of the greatest symbols of Switzerland, the unmistakable Matterhorn peak of Mount Matterhorn. Zermatt is a paradise for glaciers with snow-capped mountains and is one of the best sites for hiking in Switzerland.
The stretches of white mountains line the beautiful lines of the sky, and the greenery and flowers scattered among the valleys make the whites more transparent. Located in the canton of Valais, in the south of the country and bordering Italy, Zermatt is one of the most famous mountain destinations in the Swiss Alps for hiking in Switzerland.
During the summer you can enjoy swimming activities at Leisee lake or watch marmots at the marmot station. There is a barbecue location as well as playgrounds for the kids. In the winter, multiple trails are safe for the kids, and you can park your automobile at the metered parking lot.
4. Enjoy your time in Sunnegga
The Matterhorn and surrounding peaks might not be the best places in Switzerland if you have small kids. However, Sunnegga gives every family member a chance to have something to be excited about. The funicular ride from Zermatt will take 5 minutes, and you can embark on the sunny platforms with direct views of the Matterhorn.
5. Visit Unterrothorn
Once you have finished having fun at Sunnegga, you can enjoy other fun activities by taking a four-seater chairlift to Findeln village. The village is 2,100 meters above sea level, and it is only inhabited during the summer period. The villagers take cheese, grain, and milk to sell down the valley. Even if you do not visit the area during the summer, you can see the 17th-century chapels in the village at any time of the year.
6. Explore adventurous Schwarzsee
The Schwarzsee is a cable car station located in the upper region of the mountain. However, you can enjoy a more magnificent view of Zermatt at a higher level because you will see everything below. It is an accessible location for sightseeing, and you can also embark on a hike in the trails around the area. Boulders, lakes, and streams often characterize the trails.
7. Visit Matterhorn museum
Matterhorn Museum shows the history and traditions of the town. When you know the history of Matterhorn, you will know the history of Zermatt. The museum is the best location where you can learn the ancient history Zermatt, understand its development as well as the changes that have occurred over time.
8. Explore Klein Matterhorn
Skiing in Zermatt takes you to another dimension. The fabulous landscape will captivate your attention from the moment you step on the station. And who does not dazzle being surrounded by 29 peaks that exceed 4000 meters?
The three ski areas of Zermatt rise above 3100 meters. This translates into excellent snow conditions and long tracks.
For example, the track that starts at the Klein Matterhorn cable car, 3820 meters high, and ends in Zermatt, is 13 kilometres long and 2200 meters high, being one of the longest and highest tracks in the world. You can also end the day in the idyllic village of Findeln, tasting a fondue in one of its restaurants.
The splendor of the sun in the alpine snow is unimaginable, nowhere is there such an exhibition of size and beauty as can be seen from the Gornergrat Top.
9. Visit the Glacier Palace
Visit the Glacier Palace, located 15 meters below the surface and decorated with ice sculptures, a restaurant and a shop. From Zermatt you can also access the Cervinia station in Italian territory. The panoramic views of much of Switzerland, northern Italy, and even the French Alps, is something truly extraordinary. Here you will discover the silent, wild, and beautiful landscape of the eternal alpine ice.
10. Strolling around Charles Kuonen Suspension Bridge
In Switzerland, you’ll locate a 1,620-foot engineered overpass that is the world’s longest bridge solely for walker use. As indicated by the Telegraph, the Charles Kuonen Suspension Bridge crosses, “A valley among Grächen and Zermatt, and offers scenic views on a portion of Switzerland’s most noteworthy peaks, including the celebrated Matterhorn.”
11. Strolling around Kirchbrücke
Zermatt is a very popular ski town and the gateway to the Matterhorn. Naturally it is a little crowded, so strolling around the town in the evening, make your way up the hill along narrow, winding, cobblestone paths in search of a quiet place. The paths are lined with dark wooden chalets, that has snow-capped roofs and smoking chimneys.
Switzerland has an excellent public transport system. So, you can avoid taxis or any other private vehicles. You can buy a Swiss travel pass of 3/4/5 days. This is an all-in-one ticket to travel by train, tram, bus or boat.It covers most of the Swiss areas except for a few very popular mountain tops for which you will need to pay extra, but at a discounted rate as you have the pass.
If you use the Swiss travel pass you can stay far away without extra transportation charges. Just that you will have to leave early everyday. However, as in summer the days are longer you will still have enough daylight to enjoy the attractions. The country is quite safe. Hence, you don't need to bother much about this aspect.
As you reach the top, you can see the village bathed in the soft glow of yellow lights, contrasting beautifully with the darkened wood and snowy roofs of the buildings. Hear the muffled tolling of the church bells as they shatter the stillness of the wintry evenings. And towering in the background sits the magnificent Matterhorn, easily the most photogenic mountain in the world.
If you want to take home some of the popular Swiss chocolates for your friends and relatives consider buying less known brands. They’re less expensive, can taste really good, and you might not see them ever again in your life. You don't necessarily need to visit Switzerland to get Toblerone.
Several airlines offer direct flights to the Swiss airports of Zurich, Geneva, Bern and Basel, from where you can take direct trains to Zermatt (between three and four hours). Swiss trains are frequent, reliable and connect well at stations, where you need to change. Many staff speak English as well as several other major European languages. Station signage and departures are easy to understand. At stations, a network of local onward buses, meet incoming trains.