Luxury Ski Getaway – Zermatt, Switzerland

If you are planning a winter getaway to the Swiss Alps, I highly recommend basing yourself in Zermatt. What could be better than skiing underneath the majestic matterhorn?

After months of deliberation, my husband and I decided we would split our time between Lauterbrunnen / Grindelwald in the Jungfrau Region (near Interlaken), and Zermatt.

I should start by sharing my ski-level is nowhere near expert, in fact, my husband and I decided to teach ourselves to ski in Lauterbrunnen, three days before arriving in Zermatt. I skied as a child in Breckenridge, Colorado, but that was about 15 years ago, and my husband had never skied before. We are a relatively athletic duo, having taught ourselves to snowboard a few years back in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, so we felt confident enough to make it work. However; even if you have never touched snow before, you are in great hands as Zermatt is home to some of the best ski instructors in the entire world, and there is a plethora of beginner pistes to wipe out on!

Where to stay?

I have mentioned before that I am a big Airbnb gal, but in Zermatt we opted for a hotel. There are hundreds of hotels to choose from, each with their own unique Swiss flare, but Hotel Matthiol stood out in my book. The igloo fondue dining option, with the backdrop of the Matterhorn made this choice a no-brainer.

Before you go booking this hotel, there is a something I wish I knew before staying here. Since Zermatt is car-free, (only electric vehicle taxis, buses & hotel shuttles) renting a car is not an option. Ski rental shops, most restaurants, apres-ski bars, shopping, train stations, ski-lifts, etc. are all in the town center, and Hotel Matthiol is a good mile uphill from there. We didn’t mind the brisk morning walk with our skis and boots down to the ski-lifts, nor the exhaustive afternoon hikes back up to our hotel with our skis and boots, but to make the trip back down there into the cold night for dinner, for a drink, to shop, etc. was a bit of a pain, and taxi’s are EXPENSIVE. To take a taxi about a mile up to the hotel was a flat 25CHF ($25USD) one-way. Truth be told, while Hotel Matthiol was a beautiful and luxurious hotel to stay in while in Zermatt, and their hospitality was top-notch, I would opt for a hotel closer to the town center next time to maximize my time on the slopes.

Where to eat?

Where NOT to eat is the real question! Everything you read will tell you that Zermatt is a prime foodie destination, and they aren’t wrong. We went to sushi and pizza both in one night just so we didn’t miss out on either restaurant. It’s true, and it was glorious. Here are a few major food highlights from our trip.

• Restaurant Capri – this Michelin-Starred Italian restaurant absolutely blew us away. It is only open from December – April, when the team heads back to Capri, Italy for the rest of the year! We celebrated Valentine’s with the Capri team and I dream about that meal at least once a week.
• Ristorante Pizzeria Grampi’s – because Pizza … of course, the true Italian way.
• Fuji of Zermatt – I have read mixed reviews, but we had a phenomenal dining experience with exquisite sushi, highly recommend!
• Brown Cow Pub – after a long day of skiing, but hours before our dinner reservation, we popped in here for a beer and to split a burger and it was fantastic! Definitely your typical pub atmosphere, but with the Zermatt price-tag.
• Après-ski – Harry’s Bar and Hennu Stall are must-do’s. You can ‘ski in’ to both, so just pop your skis next to the dozens of other skis outside and grab a beverage. You’re sure to meet lots of awesome people while you enjoy a cold one – you earned it after all!
• BREAKFAST – Hotel Matthiol had a delightful breakfast included with our stay, so we filled up on breakfast each morning before hitting the slopes, and never ate lunch (opted for beer on the slopes instead).

Skiing in Zermatt – Matterhorn Ski Paradise

Okay, now on to the good stuff. First – ski rentals: We obtained our ski-rentals from Julen Sport because they provided a discount from our hotel, and kindly delivered our rentals to our hotel. No complaints there, but there are lots and lots of rental shops so feel free to shop around for the price-point you want!

Here’s the piste map for Matterhorn Ski Paradise- I recommend looking at this while reading through what we did! Also, since we are beginner skiers, know that my recommendations are tailored to beginners, but the beginner pistes (blue on the map) are heavily intertwined in all locations on the map with the more advanced pistes (red and black). Whatever ski level you are at (unless a helicopter is dropping you in) you’ll start in Zermatt. There is only one lift in the town center and it’s hard to miss, so go ahead and jump on that.

Day 1: We purchased a regular ski pass for day 1, and we spent nearly all day at the Gornergrat piste area. Take the lift from Zermatt to Furi, Furi to Riffelberg, then Riffelberg to the Gornergrat. There are a bunch of blue (easy) pistes to choose from, and honestly it is SUCH a fun atmosphere up there. The Gornergrat itself is a sight to see, and lots of non-skiers take a train up there from the town center, so feel free to check that out while you’re up there!

Day 2: We purchased international passes so that we could take the lifts up to Matterhorn Glacier Paradise, and ski down into Italy. This didn’t work, as several of the pistes were closed, so we grabbed a beer, enjoyed the view and decided to make it to Italy a different way. We took the lift back down to Trockener Steg, and then took Piste 73 all the way up to Plateau Rosa Testa Grigia. This mostly worked, but we didn’t make it as far down into Italy as we had hoped, just because we weren’t sure we had the technical skill to make it. Not trying to sound like a wuss, but wouldn’t it suck to get stuck half way down the slopes in Italy and have to walk yourself down? After most of the day hovering around the Swiss – Italian border, we ended up back by the Gornergrat because it was just such a fun (and absolutely stunning) location for beginners. I would say unless you feel like you are a confident skier, the international pass isn’t worth it.

Overall – don’t be afraid to work your way all over that map! Every new piste boasts a new and breathtaking view of the Matterhorn, and Zermatt village down below! The lifts are very easy to navigate, and there are plenty après-ski bars scattered around each lift area (and some mid-piste), ready to offer you a 10CHF can of beer!

Zermatt is a magical place fit for the winter adventurer and foodie – open your heart to Zermatt and you’ll be sure to leave with fond memories and great new friends.