Zermatt switzerland
Review of snowboarding and skiing in Zermatt Switzerland.
Zermatt Ski Holiday Facts
Established in 1928 the Swiss ski resort Zermatt lies at 3899 metres altitude in the Valais region of the Swiss Alps / Alpes. With the highest lifts and ski slopes above 2500m Zermatt ski area is snow sure. Over 350 snow cannons ensure artificial Zermatt snow making covers 99.2km of ski trails, which equates to around 60 of the ski slopes. The nearest airport transfer to Zermatt (Switzerland) is Zürich at a distance of 248km or approximately 180 minutes driving time. Zermatt ski season runs from December to November.
SNO-man says
Regarded by most as Switzerland's top ski resort and by many as the world's best. Picturesque, car free with spectacular views of the Matterhorn. Large glacier for Summer skiing, lift links to Breuil Cervinia and Valtournenche in Italy, world's second biggest lift-served vertical drop.
alpine downhill runs to ski in Zermatt Switzerland
Beginner Trails
 0 runs 0km |
0% |
Intermediate Trails
 12 runs 29km |
16% |
Advanced Trails
 41 runs 109km |
55% |
Expert Trails
 21 runs 21km |
28% |
Zermatt Resort & Holiday Info
| Beginners learning to ski |  |
| Intermediate Skiers | |
| Expert Skiers | |
| Snowboarders | |
| Apres Ski | |
| Family friendly | |
| Snowsure | |
| Ambience | |
| Value for money | |
| Ski Pass Prices (adult 6 day) | CHF359 - CHF359 |
Traditional Ski Village / Purpose Built Ski Resort |
| Ski Resort Opens | Dec 2011 |
| Ski Resort Closes | Nov 2012 |
| (snow conditions often influence resort opening & closing) |
Ski Area Zermatt Mountain
| Downhill Ski Runs | 185km |
| total length of Zermatt trails |
| Longest lift serve Run | 21km |
| longest piste or trail reachable by ski lift |
| Ski Slope Orientation | N W S E |
| direction Zermatt ski areas face |
| Top Altitude | 3899m |
| top station of highest ski lift |
| Bottom Altitude | 1620m |
| bottom of lowest ski run |
| Resort Altitude | 1620m |
| centre of Zermatt ski resort |
| Vertical Drop | 2200m |
| total descent from top lift to bottom piste |
| Skiable Vertical | ^v 2380m |
| can include extra hike up which may be possible above top lift - stat used by some resorts to con us about true "vertical drop" which is lift-served |
Skiing in Zermatt
Skiing Zermatt you'll enjoy 74 pistes and trails and that means approximately 185km of ski runs. Zermatt lifts number 33 with the capacity to uplift 51350 skiers up the mountain per hour. The longest ski run in the Swiss ski resort of Zermatt is over 21km long. Ski Zermatt summer or winter as there is also glacier skiing in Zermatt.
SNO-man says
Zermatt skiing is some of the best in the world and part of one of the largest inter-linked ski areas, most of which is accessible from the Matterhorn Ski paradise area. There are three major sections to the Zermatt ski area, one of which includes the Italian Breuil-Cervinia ski area. Although, deservedly, the resort is a serious mountain sports mecca, with 50 special ski programs on offer, you do not have to be an expert to enjoy and ski Zermatt. The area and choice is so versatile that there are an abundance of challenges for all levels of skier and snowboarder, and beginners are very well catered for. Gornergrat has gentle slopes, whilst Sunnegga is suitable for the more intermediate and expert levels. There are also special powder / hard packed snow courses, heliskiing and the Haute Route ski touring options to Chamonix and Saas Fee on offer.
Zermatt Ski Area
Zermatt ski area has 0% beginner ski runs or nursery slopes, 16% intermediate, 55% advanced ski slopes and 28% for expert skiers - the most difficult Zermatt piste is the 33km Tiefbach run, with a steepness/slope angle of 60%. You can't ski Zermatt after dark.
Zermatt for skiing gets 4 stars out of 5 overall
Snowboarding in Zermatt
If you snowboard Zermatt you'll want to know that, of the 33 ski lifts in total, 20 are surface lifts or "drag lifts" - this gives a good indication of how modern the lift system is and well set up Zermatt snowboarding is - especially for beginners learning to snowboard. Zermatt snowboard facilities include 1 terrain parks and 2 half pipe (longest half pipe length is 200 metres), 0 quarter pipe and 0 boardercross courses.
SNO-man says
Snowboarding Zermatt is becoming increasingly popular as the resort becomes more recognised as a top snowboarding destinations. Zermatt snowboarding offers plenty to keep even the most experienced boarder happy with its versatile terrain.
The Gravity Park on the glacier , open year round, has many features, an incredible 200m superpipe, kickers of all sizes, rails of all types being amongst them.
The easiest way to snowboard Zermatt is by getting to know the best parts of the ski area through one of the snowboarding schools.
Zermatt for snowboarding gets 4 stars out of 5 overall
Zermatt Apres Ski
The apres ski Zermatt scene and off-slope or "non-skier" activities include:
44 apres ski bars 91 restaurants 1 bowling 8 night club 1 cinema 1 billiards / pool 1 games room 0 concert 7 indoor swimming 0 outdoor heated pools 16 saunas 2 hot tubs 1 solariums 1 masseurs 0 indoor ice skating 2 outdoor ice skating 1 indoor sports centre 0 indoor tennis 0 squash racquetball 1 sleigh rides 0 ballooning 0 horse riding 45 prepare winter walks 1 climbing 1 golf 0 fishing 1 museum 0 library Plus these additional apres ski facilities Bridge, Curling, Art Gallery, Heliskiing, Helicopter Flights, Ice Climbing, Ice Hockey, Indoor Golf, Table Football, Theatre.
SNO-man says
As you might expect Zermatt has a wide selection of off-slope activities on offer including two natural and one artificial ice rinks, a fitness centre, indoor golf, tennis and squash, bowling and a bridge club or ice hockey school. Helicopter rides are possible without the need to ski down and also up in the air there's paragliding.
There is an excellent Alpine Museum and nine of the hotel's private swimming pools are open to the public.. There is a Catholic and a Protestant church, the latter offering two services each Sunday in English, the English St. Peter's church having been built by British mountaineers and tourists in 1870.
Zermatt for apres ski gets 4 stars out of 5 overall
More Zermatt Snow Ski Area and Resort Information
Zermatt resort - ski Zermatt by any other name
The Swiss ski resort of Zermatt ski resort is also known as Zermatt Sunnegga, Rothorn, Gornergrat, Stockhorn, Matterhorn Glacier Paradise and has the following common misspellings: Zarmat, Zarmatt, Zermat, Zermat, Zermatt, Zermatte, Zermot, Zermott, Zirmat, Zrmat, Zurmat, Zurmatt
Zermatt ski area has ski slopes which face N W S E
The direction which the various Zermatt ski slopes face can make or break your skiing or snowboarding holiday. If you want to guarantee good snow and ski conditions, you should choose a resort with ski slopes which face the right way for the time of year you're travelling.
- In the coldest winter months of January and February you need a ski resort with some sunny south facing ski slopes, so your days on the snow doesn't feel like a polar expedition. Conversely, in the warmest spring skiing months of March and especially April, a ski resort with some cool and shady north facing slopes will ensure you're not skiing on slush, but benefitting from best late season snow. The best ski resorts have ski areas and slopes which face in all directions so that you're guaranteed greating skiing whatever the weather. Zermatt ski resort has ski slopes facing N W S E.
Zermatt for snow gets 5 stars out of 5 overall