The List

Zermatt, Ranked: 7 Experiences You Should Not Miss

Zermatt, SwitzerlandJuly 1, 20252 min read

The Matterhorn mirrored in a still alpine lake surrounded by golden autumn larches

One mountain rules them all — but here is the full ranked list, from the Gornergrat railway to the lanes of the old village.

Zermatt exists because of one perfectly shaped mountain, and everything worth doing here orbits it. These are the essentials, ranked.

Key facts

Where: canton of Valais, southern Switzerland, at about 1,600 meters; the village is car-free — arrive by train
Best months: December to April for snow; July to September for hiking and clear summits
The rule: the Matterhorn hides in afternoon cloud more often than mornings — do viewpoints early

1. Ride the Gornergrat railway

Europe's classic mountain railway has climbed from the village to the Gornergrat ridge at over 3,000 meters since 1898. The open panorama at the top — the Matterhorn to one side, the great sweep of Monte Rosa and its glaciers to the other — is among the finest in the Alps. Sit on the right side going up, and go on the first clear morning you get.

A red Gornergrat cog railway train standing on snow-covered track at the summit station above Zermatt, the dark pyramid of the Matterhorn rising into a cloudless deep-blue sky behind it.Photo: Michael Lammli / Unsplash

2. Ascend to the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise

Cable cars rise to the Klein Matterhorn station at around 3,800 meters — typically cited as Europe's highest cable-car station — with a glacier palace carved into the ice and, on clear days, views stretching across Alpine giants toward Italy and France. It is genuinely high altitude: take it slowly and bring warm layers even in August.

3. Walk the Five Lakes Trail

In summer, ride the funicular to Sunnegga and hike the famous Fünf-Seen-Weg past five mountain lakes. Stellisee is the celebrity: on still mornings it mirrors the Matterhorn perfectly, producing the photograph everyone comes for. The route is moderate, around three hours of walking, with mountain restaurants en route.

A mountain railway track curves along a ridge above a thick sea of clouds, with peaks piercing through.Photo: Young Shih / Unsplash

4. Ski where summer never ends

Zermatt's linked ski area crosses into Italy's Cervinia and ranks among the highest in the Alps, which is why its glacier slopes have traditionally offered skiing even in summer months. In winter the network is vast; in any season, sliding downhill while the Matterhorn watches is unforgettable.

5. Get lost in the Hinterdorf

A few steps off the busy Bahnhofstrasse, the oldest corner of the village preserves centuries-old larch-wood barns and storehouses propped on flat stone discs — designed to keep mice from the grain. It is a two-minute detour into Zermatt's hardscrabble past, best in soft evening light.

The old town of Zermatt, SwitzerlandPhoto: Patrick Robert Doyle / Unsplash

6. Face the mountain's history at the Matterhorn Museum

The underground museum in the village center tells the story of the 1865 first ascent led by Edward Whymper — a triumph that turned to tragedy when four of the party fell on the descent. Seeing the actual broken rope changes how you look at the peak above town.

7. Earn your raclette

End days the Valais way: raclette scraped from the wheel, or fondue, in a wood-warmed stübli. The canton is also wine country — ask for a local white with dinner.

Tip: Weather decides everything in Zermatt. Check the live summit webcams before committing your money to the high viewpoints, and keep your highest-altitude plans for the clearest forecast day.

Rankings aside, the real experience is simpler: stepping off the train, looking up, and understanding instantly why this one mountain became the symbol of the Alps.

In pictures

Two hikers follow a ridge trail beneath a massive glaciated mountain wall and icefall.Photo: Ivo Raeber / Unsplash

A wooden boardwalk with railings clings to the rock wall of a narrow forested gorge.Photo: Joël Manser / Unsplash

Still wandering?

Scroll the world one photograph at a time

Sixty places, each with the one fact worth knowing before you go

Open the feed

Same place, another angle

More from Zermatt

Zermatt's chalets and hotels glowing amber at blue hour, packed along the valley floor beneath the pale snow-streaked pyramid of the Matterhorn under a deep cobalt sky

Stays

Where to Stay in Zermatt: The Areas to Book, and the Ones to Think Twice About

Matterhorn views, lift access and the walk home in ski boots — a candid neighbourhood-by-neighbourhood guide to basing yourself well in Zermatt.

Switzerland · 2 min

Weathered wooden chalets in Zermatt's old village with the snow-streaked pyramid of the Matterhorn rising behind

The List

Zermatt for Culture Lovers: The Best of Its Alpine Art and History

Beyond the pistes, Zermatt guards one of the Alps' great stories — the tragic first ascent of the Matterhorn — along with centuries-old wooden hamlets and pioneering railways. The cultural essentials, ranked.

Switzerland · 2 min

Zermatt after dark seen from the slope above, hundreds of chalet windows glowing gold along the snowy valley floor with the black walls of the mountains closing in on either side.

Itineraries

Sunrise to Midnight: One Full Day in Zermatt

Catch first light on the Gornergrat, wander the old village, find a mirror-still mountain lake and end with fondue and a nightcap — a single perfect day beneath the Matterhorn, hour by hour.

Switzerland · 2 min

Keep exploring

More in The List

Aerial view of London at sunset: Tower Bridge, the River Thames and the skyline of the City

The List

The 10 Experiences You Cannot Miss in London

London is a city you can never finish, but ten experiences earn their place at the top - and the difference between a great trip and an exhausting one is the order you do them in.

United Kingdom · 12 min

Seljalandsfoss waterfall in south Iceland plunging off a green cliff into a wide valley at sunset

The List

7 Natural Wonders of Iceland That Will Take Your Breath Away

Seven Icelandic landscapes that justify the flight, plus the routing, seasons and 2026 costs that decide whether you actually get to see them properly.

Iceland · 11 min

Piazza della Signoria in Florence at night, the floodlit Palazzo Vecchio and its crenellated tower standing over the empty stone square, with the lit arches of the Loggia dei Lanzi to the right.

The List

Florence's Unmissable Experiences, Ranked

Seven Florence experiences ranked, with the order to do them in, what they cost, when to book, what to skip and the hours that make or break each one.

Italy · 13 min

The Washington Monument rising above pink cherry blossoms in full bloom along the Tidal Basin in spring

The List

The best day trips from Washington, D.C.

Presidential estates, Chesapeake sailing towns, Blue Ridge overlooks and a river gorge minutes from the Beltway — seven escapes that repay a day away from the Mall.

United States · 2 min

a large room with a lot of black and white walls

The List

Iceland's Best Museums and Galleries: 8 Places That Explain the Island

Beyond the waterfalls and lava fields, Iceland tells its story indoors — in Viking longhouses, whale halls and a glass dome above Reykjavik. These are the eight collections worth your weather day.

Iceland · 2 min

The salvaged 17th-century warship Vasa towering inside the darkened hall of the Vasa Museum in Stockholm, its carved stern and rigging lit warm against black timber walls.

The List

The Experiences That Define Stockholm, Ranked

A ranked, opinionated guide to what actually defines Stockholm — the salvaged warship, the old town at eight in the morning, the boat east into the archipelago — with the costs, the hours and the order to do them in.

Sweden · 13 min