Jaw-dropping scenery, incredible skiing, guaranteed great vacation (English-speaking, extremely safe, efficient easy-to-use transportation, clean, polite locals), can ski to Italy for lunch.
- 01 -
Hotel Julien has a free tour of the famously adorable Valais black-nosed sheep in their barn by the owners themselves, and offers free wine and lamb delicacies (including air dried and aged sliced off the lamb hock) with the tour, including a free roundtrip ride from their hotel to the barn. Not to be missed!
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Flying high above Zermatt –what an exhilarating experience –this was the highlight of our vacation! There’s nothing like running off the side of a mountain at just over 10,000 feet above sea level from Rothorn and gliding all the way back down to Zermatt.
Just imagine watching the skiers heading down the slopes from way above, looking over to the Matterhorn seemingly level with it, and witnessing all of the beauty we came to see in Switzerland from a bird’s-eye view. Highly recommend FLYZermatt; the pilots were great about walking us first-timers through every step, the opportunity to take incredible photos and video, and the best part –going on a “rollercoaster ride” above all the chalets, as we weaved our way down in between the mountains to our landing spot. Absolutely incredible.
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Best ski hut restaurant on the mountain: Chateau Etoile for setting, décor, and food. Best tiramisu we and our European friends ever had, and highly recommend their pesto pasta.
It’s the ski hut of your dreams: authentic alpine ambience, sun loungers on animal skin lined loungers, and the only way to get there is to ski (on run #6 off Breuil-Cervinia lift, Italy)! Get there early for lunch, it’s justly popular.
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Best ski run restaurant with photo op: the Chami-Hitta Berg restaurant is a great place for lunch and your souvenir ski photo posing opposite its entrance in front of a stunning Matterhorn backdrop.
Order their perfect apple schnitzel (with Swiss flag toothpick)in traditional alpine ambience, and enjoy a superb view of the iconic alp in their solarium greenhouse (on run #42 to Furi off the Riffelberglift).
Another great place to ski to lunch and takean Instagram-worthy selfie in front of a dramatic Matterhornis the Findlerhof. Ski from Sunnegga lift past Chez Vrony to Findeln –look for the small church in our photo.
- 05 -
Best location for the last evening: take the outdoor elevator to Cervo Mountain Resort for their sophisticated take on the traditional fondue dinner with an amazing view from their balcony of the rooftops of Zermatt village and the Matterhorn looming above.
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In Zermatt village, walk along the Hinterdorf to see an entire street of 30 traditional houses from the 16th to 18th century.
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Get off the Gornergrat at the Rotenbodenstation and walk down to Iglu-dorf and admire the decorated real snow igloo village and enjoy a beer and bratwurst.
Then walk along the ski trail with the Matterhorn directly in front of you and walk down to the next station –or two –where you can hop the train back to the center of town. You will be walking alone in wide sunny snow fields enjoying quiet surroundings as you have the Matterhorn to yourself.
- 08 -
Choosing a hotel in the right location is critical to enjoying Zermatt. In the wrong location, which is most of the village, your vacation will be a suffer-fest. Only along the river is flat –otherwise it’s all steep walking a long way, and imagine it with ski boots carrying your skis at the end of the day. There are only two places to access the lifts at opposite ends of the valley. Don’t be fooled by hotels that claim they are “conveniently” at a bus stop – you will never get on. The bus is completely packed at each lift, so unless you are at the very start or end of the bus route, it’s useless to you –the bus doesn’t even bother stopping at any of the stops en route. Plan on walking from the hotel to the lift.
There are very few ski in/out places to stay, and almost none of those are close to the village. That is why for particularly its key location but many other reasons, we cannot stress enough that the best place to stay that has it all is the Hotel Metropol.
A superb view of the Matterhorn. From your balcony it is directly in front of you, unobstructed from base to top.
Stunning indoor pool and hot tub with all glass walls and an incredible unobstructed view of the Matterhorn. After skiing the steep alps, your thighs will thank you.
A very good inhouse restaurant if there’s weather or you’re too tired to walk up a slope to eat.
Free Fuchs’ chocolates in the shape of the Matterhorn when you arrive
Unmatched location: short flat walk from the train station for arrival and departure; short flat walk to rent skis at FlexRent which also acts as your daily ski locker, and which is directly across the street from one of two major lifts. When you finish skiing you just cross the street and drop off your ski gear, then walk in your comfortable shoes a short flat walk to your hotel. Well within 20 minutes of exiting the lift you will be swimming while viewing the full Matterhorn (not just the peak). It’s also a short walk to the center of Zermatt village.
Make reservations anywhere they take them. Zermatt is a popular place and most restaurants will be full or have long waits.
Ski trails are almost all perfectly groomed cruisers, so it’s a paradise for intermediate skiers. Finding ski trails can be very confusing because they are numbered –and they repeat the number!
So for Trail #6 or #1, there may be two or three on the trail map in completely different places. Not typical for the Swiss which normally have logical and clear directions.
FRIDAY
Catch evening flight from the USA
SATURDAY
Arrive ZurichAirport, take the subway to Zurich central station, take the cable car to Hotel Leoneck which has a train stop right at its door, and drop bags, then immediately hop back on the cable car to continue uphill to the zoo and catch the Emperor Penguin Parade at 1:30 pm. Relax and recover from flight and enjoy dinner at the hotel.
SUNDAY
Catch the morning train to Zermatt, relax and enjoy the beautiful scenery for 3 hours, check into Metropol Hotel, explore the pedestrian-only city (except for e-taxis and e-buses on some streets).
MONDAY
Walk a few minutes to rent skis at FlexSki, buy ski passes at the lift Sunnegga, go to the Matterhorn Museum –Zermatlantis, be at Hotel Julen at 4:00 pm to take a shuttle to visit the Valois black-nosed sheep, and walk back to the hotel through Hinterdorf.
TUESDAY
Skiing under bluebird skies with perfectly groomed wide sunny trails with the epic Matterhorn in front of you –you will find yourself screaming, “ARE YOU KIDDING ME??!!!”
WEDNESDAY Take the ski lift to Matterhorn Glacier Paradise, the highest cable car station in Europe. You can see France, Italy, and Switzerland from the top. Ski to Cervinia, Italy and Chateau Etoile for lunch.
THURSDAY
Ski in the morning and then hop the Gornergrat and get off at Rotenboden which rents sleds right at the station to the highest sled run in Switzerland! No instructions needed; hop on your sled and at the end of the run in Riffelberg, you’ll want to hop back on the Gornergrat and do it again! The train runs every 10 minutes, and you can just hand in your sled at Riffelberg when you’re done. It will be one of the highlights of your trip!
FRIDAY
Ski in the morning and in the afternoon hop Gornergrat and get off at Rotenboden again to walk to Iglu-dorf and continue an easy walk surrounded by virgin snowfields with the towering Matterhorn ahead of you to the next train station.
Farewell dinner at Cervo Restaurant overlooking the twinkling lights of Zermatt’s village.
SATURDAY
Check out of the hotel in the morning (avalanche precautions may delay later trains) and take the train to Zermatt airport to catch a flight home.
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