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- Written by: Roger Fulton
- Last Updated: 12 Nov 2025
Zermatt is one of the best ski resorts in Switzerland, and a magical year-round destination, as popular in summer as it is during the winter ski season; nestled at the foot of one of the world's most iconic peaks, the Matterhorn, that instantly recognisable global trademark for Switzerland, and home of the Matterhorn glacier paradise, reached via the Matterhorn Glacier ride, the world's first cableway of its kind.
The skiing here is on a grand scale and Zermatt attracts a high percentage of advanced skiers, but much of its terrain is ideal for adventurous intermediates and even non-skiers can access many of the ski lifts in order to reach the magnificent viewpoints and superb mountain restaurants.
Of all the trans-national linked ski domains in Europe, the Zermatt-Cervinia shared ski area, which straddles the frontier between Switzerland and Italy, is the highest and most impressive.
"The centre has an almost urban buzz about it, filled with elegant cafés, and well-heeled clientele"
Cars are banned from Zermatt's streets, with only electric-powered public-service vehicles permitted, so the fresh mountain air is unsullied and the car-free village retains much of its traditional charm and its human scale.
The quaint narrow lanes in the oldest quarters are lined with age-old buildings and dotted with ancient wood-built barns, yet this is no olde-worlde backwater; the central quarter has an almost urban buzz about it, filled with designer boutiques, elegant cafés, and well-heeled clientele, and the modern suburbs contain many swish hotels and dozens of impressive super-chalets.
In a region of the planet filled with world-class ski resorts, Zermatt still tops the lot. It's one of the best resorts in Europe for powder and it's a deserving entry on our 2026 list of the best ski resorts in the World.
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Zermatt - Ski Map & Pistes:
Zermatt has three inter-linked ski areas: The Sunnegga-Rothorn area is accessed via an underground funicular railway directly from the centre of the village. This area offers some good long red runs and a couple of great black pistes; the Sunnegga plateau sector also has a compact beginners' area, although Zermatt isn't really a good choice for novices.
The neighbouring Riffel-Gornergrat-Hohtalli area is linked to the Sunnegga-Rothorn slopes by cable car and chairlift, but can also be reached directly from Zermatt village by rack railway. Again this area offers some fabulous long red pistes, plus a few high-end blue pistes between Gornergrat and Riffelberg.
The summit sector is a bit special: an additional experts-only sector extends above the usual summit of Hohtalli. The principal Klein Matterhorn ski area has a sequence of gondolas and cable cars that climb from the southern end of Zermatt to the highest pistes in Europe, linked with the ski area of Cervinia in Italy. On the Swiss side there are gentle blue and red pistes on the Theodul Glacier and epic long runs down to Zermatt over great varied terrain.
All sectors are surrounded by sublime scenery and served by a plethora of excellent mountain restaurants.
Zermatt - Off-Piste, Backcountry & Ski Touring:
Zermatt has incredible, extensive off-piste terrain. Vast, empty fields of untouched snow await the adventurous and the curious - and of course, you should hire a mountain guide to explore the terrain as safely as possible. We really have Zermatt's high altitudes and mass of north-facing slopes to thank for the abundance of powder which you can still ski fresh lines on long after a fall.
Amid so many great spots, here's one: the 'experts-only' summit area of Hohtalli is exclusively comprised of unpisted itineraire routes off the higher summit of the Stockhorn (3,532m); this 'Triftji' sector is one of the jewels in Zermatt's many-faceted crown, but is usually only accessible from February onwards.
Zermatt - Restaurants, Bars & The Town:
Despite being a magnet for advanced skiers and boarders, Zermatt is very much a year-round Alpine holiday destination that appeals to and caters for a wide range of tourists. The resort contains plenty of shops, cafés, tea rooms, restaurants and bars, as well as a very good range of non-ski sports & 'wellness' facilities: including swimming pools, squash and indoor tennis courts, two ice rinks, bowling alleys, gyms and fitness suites, and a wealth of spas and beauty salons.
A local saying states that 'In Zermatt, après ski begins at noon', and with more than 100 venues ranging from first-rate mountain restaurants and slope-side terrace bars to downtown pubs, lounge bars and nightclubs, there's certainly no shortage of watering holes. Live music and entertainment feature at many venues and the ambiance ranges from lively and informal to relaxed and sophisticated.
Prime après ski joints include the Hennustall and the Papperla Pub, whilst the Hotel Post complex covers all bases for many visitors with its choice of in-house pubs, live music lounge and basement nightclub - the infamous Broken Bar Disco with a dance podium atop an oversized wine barrel.
Zermatt - Ski Hire:
Unsurprisingly, you're spoilt for choice for ski hire in Zermatt. All the usual big players are present, and there are some local shops too. For a five percent discount on ski hire in Zermatt book with Snow Rental.
Zermatt - Ski School & Lessons:
When it comes to learning to ski in Zermatt, options include European Snowsport's Zermatt Ski School, Zermatters, and Stoked.
You can find the perfect ski instructor for you on Maison Sport. Compare ski instructors by looking at their profiles - taking their experience, reviews from past customers and available lesson timings into account to find the ideal instructor for your needs. Your perfect ski instructor is just a click away!
