Matterhorn

Viewpoint

Viewpoint · Zermatt, Switzerland 45.9764°N 7.6586°E

Why you should go

Ninety seconds on the Matterhorn

Time needed

Half a dayGornergrat and back

Best time

Clear morningsTrains run from seven

Cost

Free to look atThe railways are not

Effort

No climbingTrains and lifts only

Season

Train off 2-14 NovGornergrat railway works

Guide

Not neededA mountain guide needed for glaciers

Getting there

How to get to the Matterhorn viewpoint?

The Gornergrat railway starts from Zermatt village, and its valley station sits directly opposite the railway station. The ride to the top takes 33 minutes, climbing to 3,100 metres.

Train times

How often do the Gornergrat trains run?

Trains climb from Zermatt to Gornergrat on most days of the year. In the main season they leave every 24 minutes from 08:00, and in quieter weeks the gap widens to 48 minutes. The line can also stop for construction work, so the current timetable is worth checking first.

Tickets

Do tickets need to be bought in advance?

Tickets are sold at the station in Zermatt, so there is no need to buy them in advance. Buying on the day of the trip works even in early July, with a seat on the next train.

Best time

When is the best time to see the Matterhorn?

Mornings give the clearest view of the summit, because cloud around the peak is most common in the afternoon. The weather on the mountain can change quickly, so the summit is worth checking before a trip is planned around it.

Guide

Is a guide needed to see the Matterhorn?

Viewing the mountain from Gornergrat or the Riffelsee needs no guide. Climbing it is a different matter: Zermatt mountain guides are advising against the climb after several near-accidents, and are taking only private clients they know well.

Highest view

What is the highest view of the Matterhorn?

Matterhorn Glacier Paradise, at 3,883 metres, is the highest viewing point of its kind in Europe. From there the view takes in 38 four-thousanders and 14 glaciers across three countries.

Ride the Gornergrat railway up early in the morning, when the Matterhorn is at its clearest. From the top it stands alone across the Gorner Glacier, with nothing between you and the peak.

What makes it special

From Gornergrat the Matterhorn rises across the Gorner Glacier with 28 other four-thousand-metre peaks around it, the most dramatic angle on the mountain that you can reach without climbing. In the morning the sun is on the east face, the side that looks towards you.

The second famous view is the reflection. On a calm, windless day the Riffelsee, a small lake below the summit station, holds a perfect mirror image of the peak, and it is at its best in the early morning or late afternoon.

The highest view is from the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise, a platform at 3,883 metres, the highest in Europe, looking over 38 four-thousanders in three countries. Under the ice below the platform, the Glacier Palace is a run of cut tunnels lined with ice sculptures, with a natural crevasse you can walk through.

Edward Whymper and six other climbers made the first ascent in 1865, on a peak then thought unclimbable, by the Hörnli ridge that guided parties still follow. The Matterhorn Museum in the village keeps the rope that broke on that climb, along with finds from the ascent and original houses from old Zermatt.

Visiting

A same-day ticket from the station is all you need; in summer you can usually take the next train. Sit on the right-hand side for the view on the way up. The line climbs to 3,100 metres, and the top station is where the view opens out.

Come down in stages. Get off at Rotenboden, one stop below the summit, and allow an extra half hour for the short walk to the Riffelsee. If you would rather keep walking, the lake path goes on to Riffelberg in about an hour.

From June to September the other classic view is on the five lakes walk from Blauherd to Sunnegga, about nine kilometres and two and a half hours. It passes the Stellisee, whose still water gives the clearest reflection of the peak on that side of the valley.

Tips

Check the summit from the village before you buy any ticket. Cloud is very common on the summit in the afternoon, and a ride to the Glacier Paradise on a cloudy day shows you very little. If you plan two or three days of viewpoints, a multi-day lift pass covers unlimited trips on the Gornergrat, Glacier Paradise and Rothorn lines.

On any of the walks, stay on the marked paths and keep off the glacier unless you are with a mountain guide. The weather turns quickly at this height, so head back early if the sky looks uncertain.

Combine the visit with Matterhorn Ski Paradise.