SWISS
HOLIDAYS
The village of Zermatt at the foot of the Matterhorn, the most photographed mountain
in the world. Zermatt epitomizes the image of Switzerland: high-alpine,
awe-inspiring and original. Almost one-third of the 4,000m Mountains in the Alps
are grouped around this world-famous resort, which has been visited by
mountaineers from all around the world since the first successful ascent of the
Matterhorn in 1865.
Zermatt was discovered in the middle of the 19th century, in the golden age of high alpinism. A myth was born at that time: the names of Zermatt and the Matterhorn became known all around the world, and Zermatt was regarded as the Mecca of the skiers and mountaineers world.
ZERMATT is one of the OTP Premier Resorts, with our own experienced Resort
Managers meeting you, taking you to your accommodation, handing you your ski passes & rental equipment and skiing with you if you would like to be shown the amazing ski area. In OTP Premier Resorts we offer hotels, self-catered accommodation and also an option of CATERED accommodation with 4+ persons.
The name Zermatt comes from the local dialect words Zer which means to, and matta, which means field or meadow. Therefore: to the field.
As a village, Zermatt has it all. Based at 1,620m it has the most iconic
mountain in the world as a backdrop, a massive, high-altitude international ski area, some of the best mountain restaurants in the world and a traditional Swiss chocolate-box, fuel car-free village. Zermatt boasts the name of one of the best winter resorts in the world and delivers in every respect. The village itself has a mix of rustic old wooden Stadels and Grand Luxury hotels. The main street is fully traffic free, except the occasional horse drawn carriage and is packed with lively bars, restaurants and shops. At any time of the day, there’s an amazing atmosphere across the entire resort.
Zermatt’s mountain restaurants are blessed with a winning combination of great cuisine, majestic views and the authentic feel of charmingly restored alpine farm buildings. This is the point of coming to Zermatt, maybe even the reason to learn to ski in the first place. There are 38 mountain restaurants, many of them famous for great cuisine, some even with Gault Millau points.
Throw in the views (not just of the Matterhorn, but it’s a good starting point) and the authentic feel of many of the restaurants – charmingly restored alpine farm buildings – and you’re onto a winner, whether you’re cooking or dining.
Après-ski ranges from quiet informal cafes to lively bars with music and rock bands. There are bars for every taste, and night clubs with dancing until dawn, if you have the energy! Night clubs are generally free entry and they and the main bars offer a number of theme nights as well.
It’s no secret that you can eat well around the clock in Zermatt. Zermatt not only has the highest density of four-thousand-metre summits, but also of gourmet restaurants. Gault Millau confirms this every year. Zermatt offers much more than gourmet cuisine, however. If you ask someone from Zermatt where you should go for a meal, they’ll first start scratching their heads. Where to start? What do you like to eat? Experimental cookery, Asian, accompanied with songs or not, Mediterranean-Alpine, grilled on an open barbecue, minimalist menu with local specialities, or venison and ostrich meat? There is literally everything on offer in Zermatt.
The ski area is not only the highest in the Alps – it is also one of the best developed and most convenient in the world. This ensures thrilling skiing on the steepest slopes and that is 365 days a year. This ski region boasts some of the most varied and dramatic skiing with slopes up to 3,900m!
Skiing in Zermatt is split up into four areas; Sunnegga, Gornergrat, Klein Matterhorn and Schwarzsee. There is also a connection to Cervinia and Valtournenche in Italy.
In winter, 360km of pistes attracts skiers of all levels. Unlimited skiing and snowboarding between Switzerland and Italy – no other destination can offer this. Carve and relax alongside national ski teams from the whole of Europe, with the Matterhorn always in sight. Runs to the resort are also covered by snow-cannons and there are a number of snow parks and half pipes for snowboarders. And in the summer? Enjoy the 20km of pistes on the Zermatt Theodul Glacier.
Cervinia contrasts and compliments Zermatt beautifully, not only in terms of the slopes it offers, but also in the spirit of the people. While skiers in Zermatt are (generally) quiet, efficient and precise – the atmosphere skiing into Italy changes markedly.
There are also special ski passes which allow you to ski, for example, for 5 days out of 7, so that you can have a day off to sample the tremendous range of shops and boutiques. For non-skiers, there is the Peak Pass, covering a non-skier for all the lifts at a special reduced rate.
Over the years we have managed to negotiate some superb equipment at excellent rates and have passed the benefits of this directly to you.
We use one of the top Sports Shops in Zermatt, Matterhorn Sports, with 4 shops and you can leave your skis / snowboard & boots there overnight in heated storage!
SKIS: Top rate skis are included in the rental price with the latest brands and models.
SNOWBOARDS: No extra for snowboards with the latest bindings and designs.
We include Cross-Channel Ferries for those who are self driving or Airport Transfers for those flying, so you can choose the best option that suits you.
Zermatt is a car-free resort; this however does not mean that getting around or to and from the resort is difficult. The trains travel straight into the resort centre and then electric taxis can move you around the resort itself. There is even a free electric ski bus to get you to the lifts. If you are driving to the resort, it’s still easy. Simply park your car at the village of Täsch and then take the 10 minute shuttle train straight into the resort centre.
| Train Transfer Time from Basel: | 3hr 45min |
| Train Transfer Time from Bern: | 2hr 50min |
| Train Transfer Time from *Geneva: | 3hr 40min |
| Train Transfer Time from *Zürich: | 3hr 30min |
| Driving Distance from Calais: | 560 miles |
* Swiss Fly-Luggage available
View the Swiss Rail timetable.
We have 2-person studio apartments and every size, right up to 8-person apartments. They are spacious and convenient to amenities, the ski lifts and free village ski bus.
In this resort we can also offer Catered Options which includes…
Again, we offer a huge range of availability on hotels. We can offer any level from our 2, 3 or 4-star hotel selection. In some resorts we can even 5 star hotels.
Our prices are simple, LOW & HIGH season. We have Youth prices for up to 19yrs old, discounts for children up to the age of 16yrs and even bigger savings for Children under the age of 9yrs!
LOW & HIGH season vary for each accommodation/resort – we do not add any of our own surcharges onto the cost of your stay. NEW YEAR and HALF-TERM are standard HIGH Season. If you have any queries about which dates are LOW or HIGH for the accommodation level you desire, please contact us directly.
(Comprehensive breakfasts every morning, plus 5 filling 3-course evening meals with good Swiss wine in the accommodation, 1 Fondue night meal out in a top quality restaurant)
Live: Open Lifts
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