An inside guide to Zermatt, the car-free Swiss ski resort with spectacular views

With good reason, it can feel as if all journeys in the canton of Valais lead to Zermatt. Its barrage of pointed summits, reflective mountain lakes and brochure-shot chalets has an extraordinary draw, even by knockout Swiss Alpine standards. The car-free resort is anchored by the country’s most instantly recognisable peak, the unsurpassable Matterhorn, and that alone brings trainloads of sightseers to this high Alpine plateau. Stand gawping at its striking pyramidal majesty and you could be nowhere else.

On a pair of skis, you can feel closer to all of this. The resort is laid out to maximise the soaring mountain views, and the whole ski area — connected to Cervinia over the Italian border — has roller coaster slopes, epic off-piste and Europe’s highest cable car station, at 3,883 metres. As a result, Zermatt is a destination where winter sports are always worth the effort and the atmosphere is that of a collective lottery win. Even if the vibe tends to be more jet-set than ski bum.

New for the 2025/2026 winter season, the revamped Gifthittli ski lift is one of the first eight-person chairlifts in Switzerland. It delivers unbeatable Matterhorn vistas, while also being partially solar power-driven and avoiding any use of gear oil. Amid all the talk of climate change turning skiing into an endangered pastime, the Swiss are leading the charge to future-proof their resorts, with Zermatt the first destination in Switzerland to launch smartphone digital lift tickets — using Bluetooth Low Energy, no mobile data required.

All visits start at the train station, which connects the village to the towns of Visp and Brig down the valley; if arriving by car, you’ll need to leave your vehicle at the Matterhorn Terminal in Täsch before boarding the shuttle train. The platforms lead into the thick of Bahnhofstrasse’s flowerbox-festooned parade of chalet hotels and boutiques, but the journey shares little of the drama of the Gornergrat Railway across the road.

Corkscrewing through larch and stone pine to the mountain station at 3,089m, it empties skiers out below the bubble dome of the Gornergrat Observatory and Monte Rosa massif. From here, all pistes deliver a multitude of panoramas, with the long descents around the Rotenboden and Riffelberg to below the sheer-sided cliffs of Schweigmatten promising the real-life thrills of a Warren Miller ski film.

Next, it’s time to board the Furi cable car up past the Schwarzsee, then over the monumental Theodul Glacier in yet more snakes-and-ladders fashion to Matterhorn Glacier Paradise, which tops out the entire ski resort. The view from the Klein Matterhorn, of three countries, 13 other glaciers and 38 cloud-shredding summits over 4,000m, is worth it with or without ski boots on. This god-like vision of the peaks is capable of stirring up such profound feelings that it’s easy to see why early mountaineers set forth into the Alps with little more than a few crampons and some rope.

From here, you can delve 15 metres below the surface to explore the Glacier Palace ice sculpture gallery, and its Guggenheim-meets-Disney’s-Frozen display. Alternatively, continue on the Matterhorn Alpine Crossing cable car across the Italian border to reach the Aosta Valley, where wild boar stew and an Aperol spritz await.

An equally memorable experience is to yo-yo up and down the high-Alpine Plateau Rosa draglifts, then swoop along Zermatt’s longest and widest runs, such as Schusspiste and Theodulgletscher. Afterwards, the challenge is to test yourself on the 10-mile descent from the Klein Matterhorn via Furgg-Furi back into the village. However you ski, these widescreen views are inevitably interrupted by the undeniable draw of the Matterhorn’s crumpled cow horn.

Now starts the apres-ski and mingling. The village’s luxury hotels and dining venues are fiercely competitive, with four restaurants holding a Michelin star. Brasserie Uno continues to push boundaries with its six-course tasting menu —it’s also rolled out Hemma, a Nordic kitchen inside the 22 Summits boutique hotel. A big reason behind its successes is the team’s long-established green credentials. As a minimal food waste operation, all kitchen surplus is recycled back into energy to power the village.

Like in many Swiss resorts, it’s hard to escape the dominance of the grande dame hotel. Zermatt has as many tourist address landmarks as Gstaad or St Moritz, albeit more independent-minded and less fussy. Hotel Monte Rosa, dating back to 1855, is the original, but the superlative Mont Cervin Palace, Grand Hotel Zermatterhof and The Omnia are equally romantic. And if you’re desperate to get on the slopes before everyone else, the beautiful Riffelalp Resort 2222m perches high above the whole village, with an outdoor deck, heated pool and low-hanging stars.

The newest stay — and one that’s happily powered by 99% solar and geothermal energy — is Cervo Mountain Resort, a micro-village of timber lodges, restaurants, and refined apres-ski in the shape of elegant gin and wine bars. These all lean delicately into the scenery and, seemingly, are always only a few feet away from — you guessed it — the pyramid silhouette of Switzerland’s most storied mountain.