Deralpinbergsteiger, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
The Matterhorn
The most recognisable mountain in the Alps, seen from a village that has no cars in it — and from three railways built to look at it.
A border, a village, and three ways to look at it
The Matterhorn rises to 4,478 metres and its summit ridge is the frontier between Switzerland and Italy, so the mountain is not in Zermatt and Zermatt does not own it — Breuil-Cervinia sits on the Italian side. What Zermatt has is the approach. The village is car-free, reached by train up the valley, and three separate mountain railways and cablecars exist essentially to put you in front of the north and east faces: the Gornergrat cog railway, the Sunnegga funicular, and the cableway up to the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise. The first ascent in 1865 ended with four of the seven climbers falling to their deaths on the descent, which is why the village museum is as much about the mountain as the mountain is.
Explore The Matterhorn on the map
City locations, drawn from our published destination data. Attractions, hotels and restaurants are not mapped yet.
What to look at
Every viewpoint gives you a different face.
🚞 Gornergrat
- A cog railway from the village up to a ridge facing the Matterhorn across the Gorner glacier
- The classic panorama, and the easiest of the three to fit into half a day
🚡 Sunnegga and Rothorn
- A funicular from the village, and the Riffelsee and Stellisee reflections that the postcards use
🏔️ Glacier Paradise
- The highest cable car station in Europe, and glacier terrain year round
- Altitude is real here and some visitors feel it
🏘️ The village
- Car-free, with the old timber Hinterdorf quarter, and the mountaineering museum built around the 1865 ascent
Getting there
The last stretch is by train whether you like it or not.
🚆 By train
- Zermatt is car-free, so vehicles stop at Täsch and the shuttle train covers the last few kilometres
- The Glacier Express terminates here, which is why so many itineraries route through it
🚞 Up the mountain
- Gornergrat, Sunnegga and the Glacier Paradise cableway all leave from within the village
🚶 In the village
- Small enough to cross on foot; electric taxis handle luggage
When to go
The mountain makes its own weather and it is never promised.
🕰️ Time of day
- Early morning is the most reliable — cloud builds around the peak through the day, in every season
- A clear afternoon is luck rather than planning
📅 Season
- Summer for the hiking and the lake reflections; winter for the snow and the skiing
- Shoulder seasons close some of the lifts, so check what is running before committing a day to it
⏱️ How long
- A full day. One railway, the village, and time held back for the weather to change its mind
Worth knowing
Nothing here is guaranteed and the honest itineraries say so.
☁️ The peak is not promised
- It generates its own cloud and can stay hidden for days. No itinerary should be built on seeing it, and any that promises it is wrong
🚗 Car-free
- Drivers park at Täsch and take the shuttle; this catches out people who booked a car for the Alps
🏔️ Altitude
- The Glacier Paradise is high enough that some visitors feel it. Go up slowly and later in the trip if you can
🎫 Which railway
- Gornergrat is the one to do if you only do one; it gives the widest view for the least time and effort
Nearby
The rest of the Valais.
Frequently asked
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