7 Things to do in Zermatt, Switzerland
7 Things to do in Zermatt, Switzerland
We recently had a whirlwind trip to Switzerland and spent a day in Zermatt, Switzerland. If you ever wondered, there are other things to do in Zermatt, Switzerland apart from seeing the Matterhorn. Visiting the Matterhorn is, however, a must-do! Since it was the beginning of summer, skiing did not seem like an option, but there were plenty of other things to do and see.
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Here are the best 7 things to do in Zermatt, Switzerland:
1. Going up the mountains to see the Matterhorn
Seeing the Matterhorn is almost a given, I am sure everyone who visits the area has this at the top of their list of things to do in Zermatt, Switzerland. There are many ways to go up and see the Matterhorn; we decided on going up with the Gornergrat , which is the second-highest railway in Europe.
2. Riffelsee
To visit Riffelsee is easy, it is one stop down from the top of the Gornergrat. There are several lakes at this stop. When the lakes are liquid, you can see a magnificent reflection of the Matterhorn in some lakes. Unfortunately, when we were there, the lakes were frozen as the region had snow the week before.
3. Enjoying traditional Swiss food
After asking several locals for the best place to have cheese fondue, we found they all agreed on the same restaurant: Restaurant Stadel not only sold the best cheese fondue but also had the best variety of fondues and also other traditional Swiss meals.
We had cheese fondue and a Swiss veal sausage and rosti. Both dishes were delicious and filling. We can recommend Restaurant Stadel .
4. The Mountaineer’s Cemetery
We were initially not too keen to visit the Mountaineers’ Cemetery, but I was glad we stopped there. It is sobering to see so many people who died while climbing the mountains around Zermatt. Some of them were young. There is a grave of a father and son that died together while trying to conquer one peak – how sad!
5. Matterhorn Museum
We did not get to visit the Matterhorn Museum even though we had allocated time to visit it. The museum only opened between 14:00 – 18:00 and we only had the morning, so we did not get to go in. It was a pity that it was closed. Just like us, so many tourists wanted to visit the museum. Based on our research, the museum tells the history and development of tourism in Zermatt. It also tells about the first ascent of the Matterhorn by Edward Whymper and his friends.
6. St Peter’s English Church
Perhaps not one of the most exciting things to do in Zermatt, Switzerland, but since it is next to the Mountaineer’s Cemetery and the Matterhorn Museum, making it an easy stop. As with most churches in Europe, St Peter’s English Church is a beautiful church. I loved the stained glass windows, but the ceiling was also spectacular.
On the side of St Peter’s and next to the Mountaineers’ Cemetery is the St Peter’s Community Garden. It is a beautiful garden and very relaxing to just sit and chill for a few minutes.
7. Hinterdorfstrasse
The historic area in Hinterdorfstrasse surprised me. The receptionist at our hotel told us about the street with its historic houses when she gave us directions to Stadel Restaurant.
There are several beautifully preserved historic buildings, including grain stores and houses. Definitely, something to see and it takes less than 5 minutes to walk through the street. It is a short detour from the main street, Bahnhofstrasse, in Zermatt.
We loved our time this small town, and as you can see, there are plenty of things to do in Zermatt, Switzerland.
Have you been to this little town? Did you visit it to see the Matterhorn or did you go for any of the other things to do in Zermatt, Switzerland? What was your favourite thing to do in Zermatt?