Zermatt… otherwise known as one of the the most picturesque ski towns in Switzerland!
Things to see and do in Zermatt
No matter what time of year you visit there’s a few options:
- Ski
- Glacier Paradise
- Drink hot chocolate
- Raid the chocolate aisle in the supermarkets (I was surprised the prices were the same as supermarkets elsewhere in Switzerland i.e. they didn’t charge a premium for the remote location)
- Matterhorn Museum
- Try and catch a glimpse of the Matterhorn
- Day hike around the mountains
- Relax in the hotel (and stay warm!)
- Walk along the river
Early morning = less crowds
Taking the cable car up to Glacier Paradise..
Weather
Being in the Swiss alps (basically at the border to Italy) it’s cold. As in if you feel the cold like I do, wear thermals, puffer jacket in addition to a thick winter coat, scarf, gloves, boots etc. – especially if you’re heading up in the mountains. There was a blizzard so I couldn’t go to the Glacier Express 🙁 The tour group I was with got kicked off the mountain and told to go back down the cable car after only an hour… but it was still worth going all that way for the amazing view. The journey up in the cable car is spectacular with views from all sides!
On the way up (this was in early May btw… i.e. 1 – 2 months before summer ‘officially’ starts)
The chocolate aisle in one of the supermarkets… obviously a must!
How to get there
I took the Glacier Express from Chur to Zermatt (read my review in this post).
Only 16,500km from home…
Tips
Zermatt is expensive. As in super expensive. $7 for a shake from McDonald’s, $10 for gelato etc.
Most shops are closed on Sundays.
Most of the shops have stuff you can get elsewhere so as long as you’re prepared, don’t forget something and need to buy it last minute, you probably won’t need to visit the shops anyway.
If you’re a fellow stationery lover: these are my favorite Switzerland stationery shops for planner addicts (there’s even a small stationery shop in Zermatt!)
There are no cars – only mini service vehicles and a few taxi’s. It’s so small you can walk from one end to the other in half an hour, tops (including stopping to peek in a few shop windows).
Would I go to Zermatt again?
I wouldn’t go back to Zermatt. I feel it’s a place you really only need to go to once, especially since it takes so long (and is so expensive) to get there. I felt like a day and a half was sufficient to see the highlights. Note that I didn’t ski (since I would likely just end up on my ass / injure myself). Depending on the weather, they may need to close the slopes (check the board near the town square) so if you really want to see the Glacier Paradise up the mountain or go skiing, allow a couple of days just in case!
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