Trip Report, June 2022: Central Switzerland By Car & Train—Lauterbrunnen To Zermatt

Although the webcams showed mixed sun and clouds at the top of Klein Matterhorn, we decided to bet that it would clear enough later at the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise (www.matterhornparadise.ch/en/Experience/Peaks/Matterhorn-glacier-paradise) for good views of the Matterhorn. As usual, there is a 50% discount with the STP. There are three cableways up to the top, and as we reached the second one, we entered the clouds and it started sleeting. Prior to that, we did have some good views of the glaciers.

The summit station is Europe’s highest mountain station at 12,740 ft (3883 m). We definitely needed our warm jackets, hats and gloves! Once we reached the top, we took the elevator and steps to the Panoramic Viewpoint, which had 360° views of—nothing! Not only was there zero visibility, but it was also sleeting to boot. We decided to be patient in hopes that conditions would improve later.

We toured the Glacier Palace, which is a maze of tunnels carved through the ice field between the Klein Matterhorn and the Breithorn. In some spots there are ice carvings and a view into a crevasse. There is also an Ice Slide, which is exactly what it sounds like: you sit on a pad and slide down a tube cut into the ice. We found it very hard to arrange ourselves on the pad, but finally managed to do it. We also spent a little time watching people try to snowboard (we skipped that), checking out the gift shop, and watching a slide show about the mountains and the ice carvings. This is the only attraction we visited that charged extra (2 CHF pp) to use the toilet.

Finally we went back to the Panoramic Viewpoint, where we persevered until we had great views of the Breithorn and about 90% of the Matterhorn. As we headed back down in the cable cars, the views cleared even more and we saw the Matterhorn clearly from several perspectives. We also had much better views of the glaciers. Later we were able to see the mountain from several viewpoints in Zermatt.

John had wanted to take an alternate route back to Zermatt via the Schwarzsee station and hike along the Schwarsee Ridge. However, it was still too early in the season and that cable car line was not operating yet.

After the trip up to Glacier Paradise, we walked to the Gorner Gorge (www.gornergorge.ch/en/gorner-gorge.html), a smaller version of the Aare River gorge, but still enjoyable. On the way back into Zermatt, we stopped briefly at the Mountaineers’ Cemetery (www.zermatt.ch/en/Media/Attractions/Mountaineers-cemetery), next to St. Mauritius Parish Church. The cemetery contains the graves of some of the estimated 500 people who have who have died trying to summit the Matterhorn. There is a “Grave of the Unknown Climber” dedicated to the missing and those whose bodies could not be found or removed from the mountain.

Back in town, we visited the COOP grocery near the train station to pick up some wine, half a good roast chicken, a fresh pasta salad with delicious tomatoes, and chocolate for dinner. We then alternated eating dinner with checking on the laundry, which took a long time because the dryer doesn’t work very well. The token needed to start the dryer cannot simply be inserted into the coin slot; it just keeps being rejected. I complained at the front desk and was told that the token needs to be thrown hard to the back of the slot; John managed to get the knack of that. Also, the dryer was pretty anemic and didn’t dry our fast-drying travel clothes very well. At last we got the laundry done; we would not need to wash clothes again during the trip.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 8: ZERMATT

Breakfast was included in our room rate and it was really good: homemade cake, good sausages, fluffy croissants, jams, meats, boiled eggs, scrambled eggs, and baked beans. Alas, there was no bacon. The breakfast area was quite crowded because a tour group that stayed here last night was getting ready to depart.

This morning it was bright and sunny, so we took the cogwheel railway up to Gornergrat (www.gornergrat.ch/en/). We had stunning views of the Matterhorn on the way up and from all the viewpoints at the top at 10,171 ft (3100 m). From the observation platform, you can see twenty-nine peaks over 13,123 ft (4000 m) high through telescopes that superimpose the names of the peaks. There are also terrific views of the Gornergrat Glacier.

On the way back down, we got off at the Rotenboden stop and hiked down to the next stop (Riffelberg) before reboarding. This was not only to have an invigorating Alpine hike, but also to pass the Riffelsee, a lake that gives a lovely reflection of the Matterhorn. We had great views of the mountain scenery all along the way. We also saw a number of Alpine marmots; one of them seemed to be deliberately posing for us!

Back in Zermatt, we tried to do another Alpine hike that John had planned. In the summer, you can take an in-mountain funicular, a gondola, and a cable car (all 50% off with STP) from Zermatt up to the Rothorn summit at 10,180 ft (3,103 m). We knew that the cable car from Blauherd to Rothorn was not running yet, but the gondola from Sunnegga to Blauherd was supposed to be operating by now. John’s idea was to take the gondola and hike from Blauherd to Stellisee, a beautiful lake with classic views and reflections of the Matterhorn. However, when we reached the ticket office, we learned that neither of the cableways was operating yet, only the funicular from Zermatt to Sunnegga (www.zermatt.ch/en/Media/Attractions/Sunnegga). From the upper funicular station, we walked down to the Leisee, a popular recreational area all year round. After walking around a bit and getting more fantastic views of the Matterhorn, we took the free funicular shuttle (sort of a mini-funicular) back up to the Sunnegga summit station. 

Back in Zermatt, we stopped at the COOP grocery for a couple of cold beers and more chocolate. We were eating a tremendous amount of chocolate, many more calories than we were burning off by hiking.

The weather was supposed to be rainy latter this afternoon, so we went to the Matterhorn Museum-Zermatlantis (www.zermatt.ch/en/museum). The museum simulates an archaeological dig of mid-19th-century Zermatt, showcasing the typical buildings and lifestyles of the time. It also tells the story of the first successful ascent of the Matterhorn in 1865 and the subsequent tragedy when a rope broke during the descent and four of the seven climbers plunged to their deaths. There are many artifacts, including the broken rope, from that and other attempts to summit the mountain. This was an interesting presentation, but we probably wouldn’t have gone if it wasn’t included for free with our STP. 

After the museum, we picked up dürüm and döner kebap sandwiches and an order of fries at the only halal restaurant in Zermatt, Take It Döner (Oberdorfstrasse 24). This is a small, storefront takeaway operation with a couple of tables.  The sandwiches are made from meat stacked and roasted on a skewer, like shawarma, plus vegetables and sauces. One is wrapped in a flatbread and the other in a type of bun.  They were both delicious and a nice change from cheese. While we were waiting for the sandwiches, it started to rain. Back at the hotel, we enjoyed the sandwiches with a bottle of wine that we bought at COOP yesterday.