WELL, THAT'S PICTURESQUE //
Zermatt is the ideal winter wondered. The tiny Swiss village is quaint and cozy, surrounded by mountains in every direction. From ground level the trees are dusted with fresh powdery snow, contrasting from the completely snow-covered peaks above. The streets are car-free and quiet between summer. At the center of Zermatt, The Matter Vispa River runs through and can be heard in the distance. Chalets line the streets and cascade up into the sides of the mountains. On a perfect day, the sky is blue, and clouds will clear to giving a view of The Matterhorn and her majesty looming in the background.
GETTING THERE //
We arrived in Zermatt on around midnight by train. When we left the station, we opted out of an "electro" taxi and instead decided to drag our luggage through the snow. Coty said it was a 5-minute walk, but it felt like 15. It wasn't that storybook snow; it was raining and slush. I yelled, "Why in the world did we come here? I'm not ready for winter!" I was a little exhausted from the long travel day as we started in Venice, took the high-speed train to Milan. We had a 3-hour wait to take the high-speed train to Brig, Switzerland then from there had about an hour before we took the last train to our destination of Zermatt. We made it to our cozy room at "Le Mazot," a little B&B restaurant beside the Matter Vispa River.
WAKING UP IN WINTER WONDERLAND // day 1
When we woke in the morning and walked out on the balcony my jaw dropped.. I've never seen anything more beautiful. Everything was covered with a fresh powder of snow. From our window, we could see the mountains above and the river that ran through town. Through a thin layer of fog, I could see Matterhorn and all her majesty. I had to laugh at myself the night before asking why we decided to come here.
After we bundled up and had some breakfast downstairs, we rushed out the door to explore. I seriously felt like a little kid skipping down the streets. This was one of the moments I reminded myself why I work so hard so I can enjoy seeing places like this. No one wants to work only to pay bills we want to have experiences like this. Am I right? We, of course, had no idea where we were going but walked towards Matterhorn until we had a clear view.
We quickly realized we weren't prepared for the cold and snow. Since we packed 18 days of stuff into our carry-ons, we didn't have room for our snow gear. I also only had room for one sweater and knew I'd be layering. Before leaving Brooklyn, we checked the weather and of course had no idea what it would be like once we made it there. It was 59 degrees when we left and 25 degrees when we got here. We both needed new heavy jackets, so we had to purchase them. By the time we got to Milan, and I could see my breath; I knew I had to find something before our next train. I'm happy we didn't wait until Zermatt because we wouldn't have been able to afford them (but I'll get to that in a bit).
TIME FOR A LITTLE HIKE //
After we got our boots, we set out for a hike. Zermatt is known for the endless day hiking trails and of course the year-round skiing. We happen to be there for the three weeks between the summer (mid-October) and winter seasons. The slopes were only open from 8:30-2:30pm. It didn't make sense for us to spend $200+ to rent everything and only get in a half day. Instead, we decided to hike to Furi. There are a wide variety of trails ranging from easy to difficult. They pride themselves on having such a well-linked system that allows hikers to carry nothing but a daypack. Our hike took about 2 hours to get to the gondolas at Furi. We didn't have or need much; in fact, we were too warm, so we slowly removed the layers and ended up carrying our jackets. Although the trail was plowed, it was hard at times to keep myself from slipping; the fresh powder was easier to walk in. I wish we would have had poles, but they weren't necessary. Once we made it to the top, we decided to take the gondolas back down (11 francs per person) instead of trekking another 2 hours back down. I didn't realize how high we had climbed until we started descending the mountain. Woof! How did it take me so long to know I am slightly afraid of heights?
GORNERGRAT RAILWAY // day 2
We woke early and watched the sun come up over Matterhorn from our room. The fog slowly cleared, and we were lucky enough to have another clear day. At breakfast, our B&B host was so excited for us because he knew our trip was short and that it's common to spend a week in Zermatt and never have a clear view of Matterhorn. He gave us a handful of recommendations, and we set out to find the Gornergrat Railway.
We made it to the ticket office and purchased our tickets for $83/per person. Although that seems like a lot, it’s totally worth the cost! The train climb up is slow, but the views are unreal. You can see for miles! We took the train to the top where we walked around Gornergrat and stopped in the visitors center.
The view from above were unreal. Matterhorn was so close, yet still so far away. We spent about an hour up here before figuring out our next stop.
HIKING TO RIFFELSEE LAKE //
We took the train from Gornergrat down to the Rotenboden station. From there we took our time hiking down to the Riffelsee. The lake lies below the Riffelhorn Mountain, and if the weather is right, you can admire a breathtaking reflection of Matterhorn in the water. The paths seemed like the obvious option, but we quickly realized the snow had become pretty slushy, making it hard to descend without slipping. It just meant we had to go a bit slower. Once at the lake’s edge, the wind calmed the water, and we could see the reflection. Afterward, we hiked back up and took the train back down to Zermatt just in time for dinner.
If you want to take advantage of all the hikes, I would plan to visit early to mid-morning, on a clear day. The tickets are expensive you want to make sure the weather is good enough for viewing Matterhorn.
EATS & DRINKS //
BROWN COW PUB - We ate dinner here both nights we were in Zermatt. The atmosphere was casual, warm, and cozy. We usually opt to sit at the bar when we can, which allows us to chat with the bartenders and other travelers. The bartender had lots of recommends, gave us a history lesson, and provided incredible service. We ordered a giant burger that came with a salad and fries for roughly $18; we washed it down with a cold IPA. Everything in Switzerland is expensive, even a burger at Burger King is $18, which made me want to cry.
"Half the fun of touring Switzerland is simply getting around on its altitude-defying transport systems. Alpine trains cross tongue-bitingly high viaducts and burrow through spiral tunnels blasted into mountainsides. Cog railways claw their way up vertiginous slopes. Gondolas, cable cars and urban funiculars transcend gravity. And in Zermatt, at the foot of the Matterhorn, battery-powered shuttles whisk guests to hotels with barely a whisper." - Tom Koppel of The Globe and Mail
COSTS //
The Swiss like the best of everything, which means you have a high end after a high-end option. In the US, we are spoiled with many price point options. Be prepared to spend A LOT in Switzerland; it's not cheap. Swiss Francs and US dollars are almost 1:1. To give you an idea, two medium black coffees at Starbucks costs $11. A burger at McDonald's was $18; a medium fry was $8. I was thrilled when we found a place to rent hiking boots for two days for $28. I did find that the food at the grocery store was priced much better. If you're looking for a budget-friendly trip, this probably isn't the place to visit. However, if you end up anywhere near here, I'd recommend doing whatever you can to visit.
TIPS FOR SAVING MONEY //
The lifts are very pricey - the sky lift we took was 11 francs each person one way. I'd suggest trying to avoid paying for a round trip and take it one way. Meaning hike up and take the lift back down or take the lift up and ski or walk down.
Food is expensive, especially after being in Italy. Maybe our wallets set us back from trying something spectacular, but next time we'll be better prepared for the costs. We visited the grocery store to pick up some pre-made items. We visited Burger King at the airport, and a sandwich and fries were around $18. (I will admit, I haven't had BK since I was a child and it seemed wrong to pay that much for a burger there.) If you eat out the cost for the lower end meals and a drink will set you back $20-35 per person. You can also opt for soup which is usually a filling stew of sorts, that will run you about $7-9.
Water fountains are safe to drink out of so no need to buy bottled water.
Look into buying a Swiss Pass.
OVERALL THOUGHTS //
I absolutely loved Zermatt and would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys skiing, hiking, and crisp mountain air. It's a photographers paradise. It's not a place you should plan last minute as it gets extremely busy during peak seasons. It's costly, so be sure to pack your cold weather gear to save yourself from having to rent or purchase. For a nice relaxing trip plan on spending 4-5 days there and don't forget your sunglasses, all that snow is bright!
BUDGETTING: A general idea of what we spent in USD (rental and lift passes are estimated and may vary)
Meals - food $20/each - beer $7-10/each - Roughly $60-70 for dinner
Rental - hiking boots $15/day, snowboard rental $50-70/day
Lift pass - $80/day
Hotel for 2 - $150-200/night (breakfast included)
Gornagrate cogwheel train - $83 roundtrip/per person
FUN FACTS FOR THE TRIVIA JUNKIES //
The entire town is a combustion-engine car-free zone to prevent air pollution which could obstruct the town's view of Matterhorn. Electric vehicles are allowed but only for local businesses. The only exception is emergency vehicles and three weeks between the summer and winter seasons.
On December 26th they go from a populated of 6,000 people to 35,000 or 40,000 people in just one or two days.
The taxis, which stop and go all day without time for a break, need their batteries changed after about 5 hours. Each automobile costs more than $100,000 USD and lasts 30 to 40 years.
Zermatt attracts 2 million visitors per year.
MORE ON ZERMATT //
Sun, snow and sustainability in Zermatt
Biogas plant - Matterhorn's Bioelectricity - The first of it's kind
Zermatt sightseeing and hiking
How to get around without a car
Have you ever been to Zermatt? If so, do you have any suggestions. If this is your first time hearing about Zermatt does it seem like a place you’d like to visit? Comment below. xx ASH
