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Zermatt Skiing Holidays
Zermatt, sitting in the shadow of the Matterhorn, is one of the most popular ski resorts in Europe, offering some of the best skiing, views and après-ski around. Located in the Matter Valley in southern Switzerland, and surrounded by more than 30 mountains with peaks of over 4,000m, the scenery around Zermatt is simply stunning, and the picturesque car-free village, with its’ extensive choice of great restaurants, provides a charming base for exploring the vast ski area.
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Skiing in Zermatt – The Mountains
The ski area around Zermatt is huge, offering 394km of terrain spread over 3 areas, all with skiing reaching at least 3,000m. The slopes of Zermatt attract serious skiers, with challenging long runs and high-altitude glacial trails, perfect for intermediates and expert skiers and the resort enjoys a long ski season, running from November to May. From the resort base, at 1,600m, skiers can use the extensive lift system, comprising 70 lifts and with an uphill capacity of 75,000 skiers per hour, to explore the north-facing high altitude slopes of Zermatt and reach the top elevation of 3,800m.
The most extensive skiing is found on the huge sector that links Zermatt with its’ Italian neighbour Cervinia, with plenty of long, immaculately groomed intermediate trails, including an 11km cruising run down into Cervinia, and skiing on the Klein Matterhorn at 3,800m, reached by the highest cable-car in the world. More long and varied trails are found on the second sector, Sunnegga, reached by underground funicular, and experts will delight in the some challenging terrain with steep chutes and narrow forested trails, including the infamous run, Triftiji, site of an annual mogul competition, the “Bump Bash”. The best area for beginners is the third sector, Gornergrat, with some gentle slopes, and accessed by either cable-car or mountain railway, or the upper slopes of the glacier, where there are some nice easy trails. Zermatt is a haven for off-piste skiers, with huge powder fields, and heli-skiing is available throughout the resort.
Skiing in Zermatt - The Après-ski
Zermatt is lively and bustling, with a thriving après-ski scene that attracts a well-heeled international clientele. The town is authentic and very charming, with traditional chalet-style buildings, and the pedestrian streets are home to a wide selection of facilities. After a hard days skiing, the bars are usually packed, and Zermatt offers plenty of choice, from quiet piano bars to crowded pubs playing live music. With 38 restaurants on the mountain, and over 100 throughout the town, Zermatt is known for its’ high standard of dining, offering everything from traditional Swiss, French and Italian to Japanese and Thai. The nightlife is busy and vibrant, with a choice of 9 clubs open until the early hours. Whilst skiing in Zermatt, other activities to enjoy include ice-skating, sleigh-rides, dog-sledding, paragliding and curling.
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