Zermatt in Winter: Matterhorn Views, an Igloo Village and Fondue Every Night

I tossed and turned in bed, my thoughts focused on how I would demand the hotel receptionist to exchange our room for one with a mountain view.

The nightly $400 price tag for a tiny, although luxuriously elegant, room looking out onto a cluster of overcrowded Swiss cottages was unacceptable.

Little did I know what the morning would reveal.

The Big Reveal

As sunlight peeped through, I leaped out of bed and opened the curtains. I will never forget what I saw. Outside the window was a massive mountain. It was under attack by a violent storm, the wind hitting against its steep face and blowing copious amounts of snow. The mighty Matterhorn stood in front of me.

We soon discovered that no matter where you were in Zermatt, Switzerland, on any slope, on any street, you could always see the Matterhorn. The mountain beckoned to you all the time.

Look at me! Look at me! I turned to my daughter, who was alternately tugging at my shirt and hanging off me, and said to her, “I have finally found the right term for you. You have the Matterhorn complex.”

The Impressive Matterhorn

Rising a dramatic 14,600 feet above sea level, with four steep faces, one for each cardinal direction, the mountain dominates the sky. Matterhorn is a German name derived from the words matte, meaning meadow, and horn, meaning peak. The mountain straddles the frontier between two countries: Switzerland and Italy.

The first light of the sun hits the east face. The sun later disappears behind this monstrosity, creating a halo of light, before setting in the west. As the wind hits the steep faces, it creates a surge of snowstorms: a testimony to the sheer force of nature.

If you have ever eaten a Toblerone and wondered about its triangular shape, here is your answer. The all-time favorite candy was invented by chocolatier Theodor Tobler, inspired by the mighty Matterhorn.

For an unforgettable perspective, take a tandem paragliding flight over the valley, soaring past the iconic peak with the village far below for the kind of thrill that lingers long after the snow melts.

Winter in Zermatt is a Skiers’ Paradise

Zermatt is as close to a winter paradise as it gets, with sugar-coated peaks touching the clouds. It’s traffic-free except for electric public transport like buses and taxis.

Furthermore, the tap water is cleaner than bottled water, the mountain air is untainted and the locals pour their hearts out for you. All this makes for a destination that connects you to nature at its purest.

A skier’s dream come true; Zermatt lends itself to skiing almost year-round. The resort has it all: from beginner blues to intermediate reds to acres of off-piste trails for adventure junkies. The longest run through the mountains is 25 km with a vertical drop of 2200 m.

If you’re new to skiing or want to sharpen your skills, a Half-Day Private Ski Lesson is a great way to get started confidently and explore more terrain with an expert guide.

The resort is massive with three interlinked areas: Sunnegga-Blauherd-Rothorn, Gornergrat-Stockhorn and Trockener Steg-Schwarzsee. These are accessible by a network of cable cars, gondolas, a train and a high-speed funicular.

Even four days are not enough to ski all the slopes; the amazing pistes satisfy both beginners and the most avid skiers.

An Unexpected Adventure

Off-piste skiing was not on my list of things to do. Let’s just say getting down a beginner slope without event or injury was enough of a feat. Yet one of the days on the slopes took a disastrous turn. 

When we skied down the mountain and reached the Zermatt gondola station, the gondola had closed for the day. The gondola was our only way to the village as the snow had melted downhill from that point.

After trying, but failing, to hitch a ride on one of the tow trucks, we were directed to an off-piste slope. This slope had a place on the map and even an official sign.

What the sign didn’t mention was that it was an untrodden, treacherous path through forest, ditches, slippery, narrow trails and icy tarmac roads.

When we finally reached the village bus stop, I was on the verge of collapse. But we made it and had a great story to tell. 

A Thrilling Ride and An Ice Castle

When we needed a break from ski boots, we would head up to Rotenboden for a high-speed, thrill-packed toboggan run. It is the highest one in the Alps and certainly the most breathtaking.

The Iglu-Dorf nearby was also a bucket list item: a hotel and restaurant created entirely by artists using snow crystals.

The igloo hotel takes overnight guests for those brave enough to spend the night in an ice castle fit for Elsa. We decided to pass and simply took a tour of the ice rooms with the admirable crystal sculptures.

Then we crawled into the igloos and curled up with hot chocolate in the ice restaurant.

Evenings of Delicious Decadence

Every evening, we would head down to the quaint streets of Zermatt. Shops here offered an abundance of local wares from watches to Swiss knives, lacy silk aprons to hats and jewelry.

Chocolatiers such as Lindt, Sprüngli and Läderach delighted our taste buds with mouthfuls of creamy, chocolatey decadence.

All this, while the cutesy shops and restaurants with lanterns, floral pots, sleighs, bears, and dwarves transported us to a land of fairy tales.

After working up an appetite, we were faced with a delicious array of dinner options. First, no winter in Zermatt experience would be complete without a Swiss cheese fondue at the Cheese Factory.

Then there’s Japanese hibachi-style steak at Myoko. Plus crepes, quiche, and homemade pizza, the culinary offerings were endless. Fresh local ingredients cooked to perfection with a dash of love.

Finally, we would head to our hotel for a relaxing spa experience, sauna and steam or a de-stressing massage before the nostalgia of a wintry wonderland lulled us into a deep slumber.

If You Go:

Getting There
Fly into Zurich Airport and take the train straight to Zermatt, which takes about 3 hours and 20 minutes with a change along the way. Zermatt is car-free, so if you drive, you’ll park in Täsch and ride the shuttle train the rest of the way. Fares climb as your travel date gets closer, so once your plans are set, book early through SBB to grab discounted Supersaver tickets.

Where to Stay
Hotel Carina pairs design-forward rooms with a refreshing lack of TVs, because the windows framing the Matterhorn are all the entertainment you need. Breakfast is a highlight, with the creamiest cream and butter served alongside homemade dishes made from fresh seasonal ingredients. A sauna, steam room and spa treatments help after a long day on the slopes. Book your stay at Hotel Carina

Where to Eat

• Cheese Factory: Swiss cheese fondue and raclette at the Schweizerhof
• Myoko: Japanese teppanyaki, seafood, tempura, sushi and green tea ice cream, also at the Schweizerhof

Skiing

• Ski passes often cost less than at comparable resorts in the United States. Kids under nine ski free when traveling with a paying adult, and on Saturdays the Zermatt pass is free for everyone under 16.
• Most hotels have a ski room, many with heated boot racks.
• With an international ski pass, you can ski from Switzerland across to Cervinia, Italy. Keep an eye on the clock, though, because if you miss the last lift back, you’ll be spending the night in Italy.
• New to skiing or want to sharpen your turns? This half-day private ski lesson pairs you with an instructor who’ll get you comfortable on more of the mountain.

Things to Do

• Ride the Gornergrat Bahn up to Rotenboden for the highest toboggan run in the Alps. Sleds are available to rent right at the station.
• The Iglu-Dorf igloo village near Rotenboden reopens each winter in mid-December for tours, hot chocolate in the ice restaurant and overnight stays.
• For the Matterhorn from the air, this tandem paragliding flight soars over the valley with the village far below.

Getting Around
Zermatt is car-free, so you’ll get around on foot or by electric bus and e-taxi. For lift info, trail maps and current pass prices, visit matterhornparadise.ch.

Stay Connected
Skip roaming charges with an Airalo eSIM for Switzerland, which lets you set up data before you land.

Travel Insurance
Ski trips are exactly when coverage pays for itself, especially for mountain rescue and medical costs abroad. Compare plans on Squaremouth, or look at SafetyWing for flexible coverage that’s easy to buy.

Need a hand planning your trip? Here are the sites and services we rely on most, from booking tools to travel products we love.

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• Switzerland Bucket List: 10 Epic Adventures You Can’t Miss
• St. Moritz, Zürich, Zermatt and More: Top 14 Most Beautiful Places in Switzerland

Author Bio: Travel is in my DNA. Each new destination ignites in me a desire to explore the next. I have travelled to countries in Europe, the Far East, the Middle East and Asia and some of the most exotic places in Africa. And with travel comes a desire to share my experiences, my adventures, my passion and my pictures.

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