Zermatt in summer – more than hiking

There’s no question about it, Zermatt makes the hiking heart of young and old beat faster in summer. Last summer, we mastered two classics with flying colors over a magnificent weekend. But what else can you do in summer besides hiking and taking pictures of the Matterhorn? We went on a search last weekend and put together our summer tips for Zermatt for you.

Spend the night in the mountains

Around Zermatt there are some great hotels and mountain huts in the middle of the fantastic mountains. You are a bit off the beaten track there, but you experience nature all the more intensively. We stayed at the Hotel Riffelberg near the Gornergrat railway station of the same name at 2,600 m above sea level. Perched high above Zermatt since 1855, the hotel offers postcard views of the majestic Matterhorn. This was a bit during our stay and stubbornly hid behind a wall of clouds, but the rest of the peaks took over the “ah” and “oh” factor at sunset, which we marveled at from our room. Of course, only after we had fortified ourselves with a slice of raclette cheese deluxe.

If you like it a little simpler, I recommend an overnight stay in the Gandegghütte above the Trockener Steg. The location of the hut on the edge of the cliff edge with a direct view of the glacier world is incomparable. If you’re lucky, you’ll hear the glaciers “singing” here.

Start
the day with a view of the Matterhorn

The most beautiful mountain pictures are taken in morning or evening light. Of course, this also includes some luck with the weather. Unfortunately, we were not blessed with the latter. Nevertheless, we set the alarm clock for 5:00 a.m. and hiked in the dark from the Hotel Riffelberg for an hour and almost 300 meters in altitude in the direction of Gornergrat to the Riffelsee. In addition to the Stellisee, the Riffelsee offers one of the most popular photo motifs for Matterhorn pictures. Unfortunately, the wind was so strong that the Matterhorn was not reflected in the lake. Nevertheless, we waited two hours in the icy cold (did I mention that it’s summer?) and watched the mountains wake up. Minute by minute, the sky changes from dark gray to light pink, violet and finally even presents us with some blue stripes. An experience that I will tell my grandchildren one day.

Tracking down a herd of ibexes

Also at the Riffelsee we had the unexpected luck to come across a herd of ibexes in the late afternoon – the flood of tourists was already on their way back to the valley. From a distance, we mistaken the magnificent animals for chamois. As you get closer, you realize “Shhh These are Capricorns!!! I don’t believe it, Capricorns!”. I had met the last ibex x years ago on the Niederhorn and hoped to finally see one of these impressive animals again.

What luck to be able to observe a whole herd at close range (about 20 meters away) for about 30 minutes! I can’t promise you that you’ll see this herd at Riffelsee on a regular basis. But keep your eyes open, maybe you’ll spot the climbing masters somewhere on a rock face.

Marvel at magical glacier worlds

From the Gornergrat to the Rotenboden, there is an enchanting sea of ice masses to marvel at even without strenuous hikes. For me, glaciers are beautiful natural phenomena that have “shaped” a large part of our landscape and therefore fascinate me again and again. Hopefully we will be able to enjoy exactly such images for many years to come…

Stroll through quaint alleys

Who would have thought. I’ve actually been to Zermatt three times and only discover the quaint of all streets on the fourth time – and only thanks to a local guide. The Hinterdorfstrasse is part of the oldest core of Zermatt and is lined with ancient flower-decorated Spycher.

Breakfast in the gondola

Once a year, the Matterhorn Express is transformed into a culinary meeting place. During the Swiss Food Festival, you can have breakfast in the gondola with a view of the Matterhorn – if it shows up. You drive up and down from Zermatt to Trockener Steg. At each stopover, the breakfast table is supplemented with new culinary delights. A fun experience with family or friends.

Experience
Swiss traditions

The Folkore Festival takes place at the same time as the Swiss Food Festival. Every year on the second weekend in August, Zermatt offers a colourful spectacle of pure Swissness and local delicacies (don’t miss the Ehringer bratwurst). At the parade, well over 1,000 participants present magnificent traditional costumes, traditional folk dances and folk music. I hope that all the tourists who saw the parade don’t return to their homeland with a totally transfigured view of Switzerland and tell them that we all have a St. Bernard at home.

Summer snow fun

Last but not least, Zermatt offers summer fun on the slopes for all ski bunnies and, of course, for the pros. From the lush green alpine meadow up into the eternal snow up to 3,883 m above sea level in no time at all. But even here, the weather can sometimes throw a spanner in the works. We went to the Matterhorn Express early in the morning in full ski gear to find out that the ski area high above Zermatt remains closed due to the bad weather. Nevertheless, we paid a visit to the ski area on the Theodul Glacier and took a look at the slopes. In summer, by the way, the professionals from the national ski and snowboard teams from all over the world also train up here.

Winter fun on the slopes at bikini temperatures (admittedly, that’s a bit of an exaggeration – we were happy to wear our thick winter clothes at -1 degree on the Klein Matterhorn) is not quite cheap. The ski pass for one day costs 82 CHF in the summer season (end of June to end of November).

Note: My stay in Zermatt was supported by Zermatt Tourism – thank you very much for this. As always, my readers can be sure that I always represent my views and enthusiasm here.