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Everything in the long-established Ski resort of Zermatt evolves around Switzerland’s icon, the majestic and unmistakable Matterhorn. Standing at a hypnotic 4478m, (affectionately tagged as the Toblerone Mountain) which puts this well-to-do, rustic alpine village in Valais firmly on the adventure map in since the mid-19th century, Zermatt being mentioned as far back as 1470s.
The scenery around Zermatt is a real joy and counts as one of those things in life that you should ideally have seen at least. The village has everything; beautifully aged chocolate box chalets, car-free narrow cobbled lanes, and slated barns that marry with a scattering of the grand belle-époque and the funkier builds skirting the resort.
A famed ski foodies bolthole, the village boasts some 30+ restaurants, 21 of which were reviewed in the 2022 edition of GaultMillau, and there are several Michelin-starred localities. By the same token, Zermatt has a lively and varied Après ski scene with some 50 bars, including the infamous Elsie’s Bar ideal for a glass of fizz before returning home. In the centre of Zermatt, retail therapy can be sourced in the numerous designer & luxury boutiques that dot between the more traditional shops, making this resort equally a favourite with both the Ski and non-ski fraternity.
The naturally high altitude (over 4,000m) of the almost 30 peaks that envelop Zermatt play the perfect long-seasonal host to the excellent snow conditions with fantastic long vertical runs back down to the village up to 13km. Skiing in Zermatt of course, takes precedence and is on a vast scale divided between four areas; Sunnegga (3,103m), Gornergrat, (3,089m) Klein Matterhorn (3,883m) and Schwarzsee (2,552m). Zermatt also has superb additional facilities; toboggan runs, snowshoeing, ice skating, curling, cross-country skiing, heli-skiing and paragliding.
Another highlight has to be the cross-border ski run into Cervinia, Italy- whereby the great Matterhorn is referred to as the Monte Cervino, perfect for the lunchtime ski run.
Zermatt is a lively, extremely picturesque ski resort with jaw-dropping vistas, excellent snow conditions and top-notch resort entertainment offerings - it’s no wonder it remains a firm favourite within the ski and winter sporting circles.
We picked the designer den of alpine cool, the boutique hotel Beausite is just one of the Alpine Ski Hotels - our ski pads that make up the community of The Aficionados – a network of like-minded places & people who value independence.