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Resort information for Zermatt
Zermatt, which was originally a traditional mountain village, developed as a mountaineering centre in the 19th century, then became a winter resort. Summer is as important as winter here. The high mountain scenery is spectacular and is dominated by the Matterhorn. The central part of the village is car-free. Zermatt is big business, and it shows. The clientele is more overtly part of the jet set. The village sprawls along either side of a river, mountains rising steeply on each side. It is a mixture of chocolate-box chalets and modern buildings, most in traditional style. You arrive by rail or taxi from Tasch, where cars have to be left for a fee. The resort attracts an older age group than you get in rival resorts with comparable slopes, so there’s not as much of the youthful vitality.
Practically all of the slopes here are open, above the trees, and are beautiful and varied. Zermatt’s piste map divides the slopes into several sectors – Rothorn, Gornergrat, Schwarzsee and the Glacier area (which gives access to Cervinia) - and markets some as ‘paradises’. There are pistes back to the village from all four areas – though some of them can be closed or tricky due to poor snow conditions. They can be hazardous at the end of the day due to crowds and speeding skiers. Zermatt has rocky terrain and a relatively dry climate. But it also has some of the highest slopes in Europe, and quite a lot of snowmaking. Piste grooming is excellent. The lift system here has improved greatly in recent years, eliminating major bottlenecks, but a few problems remain. The village buses cannot handle demand at the end of the day at the foot of the slopes from the Glacier area.
Zermatt has the world’s best mountain restaurants – even reporters who don’t normally stop long for lunch usually succumb to temptation here. The choice of restaurants is enormous, the food usually excellent, the small hut-based places very atmospheric (some with spectacular views), the table-service friendly (if over-worked). There are over 100 restaurants to choose from down in the village from: top-quality haute cuisine, through traditional Swiss food, Chinese, Japanese and Thai to egg and chips – a huge choice at all price levels. The après-ski is lively and varied with a good mix of sophisticated and informal fun, though it helps if you have deep pockets. Promenading the main street checking out expensive shoes and watches is a popular early-evening activity.
We'd like to wish you an enjoyable holiday in the snow and please don't hesitate to get in touch with us if you have any queries regarding your insurance cover.
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