Matterhorn

On July 14, 1865, Edward Whymper and six companions reached the Matterhorn’s summit for the first time. It was the last of the great Alpine peaks to be climbed, the holdout, the one that had defeated Whymper seven times in four years. On the descent, Douglas Hadow slipped, pulling guide Michel Croz, Charles Hudson, and Lord Francis Douglas off the ridge. The rope connecting them to Whymper and the Taugwalder guides snapped under the load. Four men fell 1,200 metres to the glacier below. Whymper survived. He later had to defend himself against accusations that the Taugwalderscut the rope deliberately to save themselves, though the inquiry found no evidence of it.

The Matterhorn Museum in Zermatt holds the remnants of that rope. It is frayed, thin, inadequate. The kind of rope you look at and wonder what they were thinking.

The Mountain

The Matterhorn stands at 4,478 metres on the border between Switzerland and Italy, directly above Zermatt in the Swiss Valais canton. Its shape is the reason it became a global shorthand for “mountain”: four near-symmetrical faces meeting at a near-perfect pyramid. No other summit in the Alps photographs as predictably or dramatically. Hotels here angle their rooms toward it. The Toblerone chocolate bar has used the silhouette since 1908.

About 3,000 people attempt to climb the Matterhorn each year. Around 450 have died on it since Whymper. The mountain demands genuine technical competence: the Hornli Ridge route, the standard ascent, involves hands-on-rock scrambling from early on and requires fixed ropes in sections. You hire a mountain guide in Zermatt, confirm the weather window, and ideally spend a night at the Hornli Hut at 3,260 metres to acclimatize before the push to the summit. This is not a day hike dressed up in climbing language; it is proper alpinism and should be treated accordingly.

For Everyone Else

Most visitors to Zermatt are not there to climb anything. They are there to be near the mountain, photograph it, ski beneath it, and ride the various cable cars that make the high alpine accessible without crampons.

The most popular option is the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise on Klein Matterhorn, which at 3,883 metres is the highest cable car station in the Alps. The return ticket costs CHF 143 to CHF 207 depending on season (less if you have a Swiss Travel Pass or Half-Fare Card, which halve the price). The views from the top on a clear day extend across 14 glaciers and into four countries. There is also the Glacier Palace, a series of carved ice rooms inside the glacier itself, which is either a wonderful novelty or a slightly contrived one depending on your appetite for such things. I lean toward the latter, but children love it unconditionally.

The Gornergrat Railway, a cog railway that climbs to 3,089 metres with unrestricted views of the Matterhorn and the Monte Rosa massif, is often more satisfying for non-skiers. The train runs frequently and you can get on and off at intermediate stops. Adult return tickets run CHF 88 to CHF 126 depending on season.

The 5-Lake Hike

If you are going to do one walking route in Zermatt, do the 5-Lake Walk. It circuits five mountain lakes, each of which reflects the Matterhorn at a slightly different angle under different conditions, and takes about 3 to 4 hours of moderate effort. The classic approach takes the Sunnegga Express funicular up and walks back down. Mid-July to early October is when the walking is clear of snow.

Skiing

Zermatt is one of the few year-round ski destinations in Europe. In summer (July and August), skiing runs on the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise above 2,900 metres, though the terrain is limited and the queues at the cable cars are long. For serious skiing, winter (December through April) is the season. The linked ski area with Cervinia on the Italian side is accessed from Trockener Steg and gives you an unusual option: ski into Italy for lunch and back into Switzerland for the afternoon. The Matterhorn Alpine Crossing is a dedicated one-way route from Zermatt to Cervinia that has opened in recent years, though it requires appropriate conditions and gear to complete safely.

Food

Zermatt has more than 100 restaurants, which is remarkable for a car-free village of fewer than 6,000 permanent residents. The level ranges from fondue tourist traps to two Michelin stars.

Chez Vrony in Findeln (accessible by walking trail or from the Sunnegga lifts) is the most honest recommendation on this mountain. It is a farm-to-table operation run from an actual working farm: their burgers use their own beef, their cheese dishes use their own milk. The terrace faces the Matterhorn from just above the treeline. There is no obvious way to have lunch here and not feel satisfied with your choices.

After 7 by Ivo Adam at Hotel Mont Cervin Palace holds two Michelin stars. It is expensive, requires a reservation well in advance, and is worth it if you eat at that level. The cooking is technically precise and draws on local ingredients in ways the fondue menus do not.

For something less planned, the mountain restaurants at various cable car stations serve rosti, soup, and grilled meats at sensible prices in extraordinary settings. Eating at 3,000 metres outdoors in the sun is a specific pleasure that costs less than you would expect.

Where to Stay

Hotel Monte Rosa is the place to understand if you want to feel the weight of Zermatt’s history. It opened in 1855 and was Edward Whymper’s base for his Matterhorn attempts; the hotel still displays period equipment and memorabilia. Comfortable without being excessively modern, and located right on the main street.

The Omnia sits above the village on a rock face accessed by a tunnel lift. The rooms are designed around the views, the Matterhorn is visible from most of them, and the restaurant has 17 GaultMillau points. It is genuinely contemporary in a village where “contemporary” is not always a compliment. Worth knowing it exists before defaulting to the nearest chalet hotel.

Budget options include the Backstage Zermatt Hostel and the Mountain Hostel, both straightforward and functional. Zermatt is not cheap at any level; if budget is the priority, staying one valley away in Tasch (where you park and take the shuttle train into Zermatt) cuts accommodation costs significantly.

Getting to Zermatt

Zermatt is car-free. You drive or take a train to Tasch, park there (around CHF 15 per day in the official car parks), and take the shuttle train to Zermatt (about 12 minutes, frequent departures). Alternatively, train connections from Geneva, Zurich, and Brig are excellent; the scenic Glacier Express is the most famous approach from St. Moritz, but the direct train from Brig is faster if you’re not after the panoramic experience.

The most important practical note: check the weather before committing to any high-altitude activity. The Matterhorn makes its own weather. A clear morning can become cloud and wind by noon. If the high cable cars matter to your visit, build in a spare day in case the first one is socked in.

The Matterhorn Museum (Zermatlantis) in the village is a couple of hours well spent. It puts the rope from the 1865 ascent in context and explains what this mountain has meant to the people who live under it.