Zermatt has banned combustion-engine cars since the 1960s. You drive to Täsch, five kilometres down the valley, leave the car in a multi-storey and take a shuttle train that runs every twenty minutes and takes twelve. In the village itself the transport is electric buggies, horse-drawn sleighs in winter, and walking.
That is not a gimmick and it is not recent. It is why the village at the end of a dead-end valley is quiet, why the air is clear, and why the Matterhorn at the head of it is visible without a haze of exhaust.
The mountain that decides everything
The Matterhorn is 4,478 metres and it is the most photographed mountain on earth. It is also visible from a specific direction: the village runs roughly north to south up the valley and the peak stands at the southern end.
Which means rooms facing south see it and rooms facing north do not. Hotels here price accordingly and the phrase to use when booking is "Matterhorn view," confirmed, rather than "mountain view," which everything has.
The other thing worth knowing is that the peak is frequently in cloud. Clear mornings are more common than clear afternoons, and a week in Zermatt might give you three good views of it.
The village and the mountain
The Bahnhofstrasse runs from the station up through the village and is the centre of everything.
The Matterhorn Glacier Paradise side rises to 3,883 metres, the highest cable car station in Europe, with skiing that continues through the summer.
Riffelalp and Riffelberg, on the Gornergrat railway, are at 2,200 and 2,600 metres above the village, with hotels served by the cog railway and no road at all.
Cervinia, over the ridge in Italy, is linked by lift, which means you can ski to Italy for lunch and back.
The eight below are grouped by that.
The village
Along the Bahnhofstrasse and the river.
The Omnia occupies a rock outcrop above the village reached by a lift cut through the stone, with a spa, a design that is American mountain lodge rather than Swiss chalet and a terrace facing the Matterhorn. It is the most interesting building in Zermatt.
The Omnia
Rock above the village · 5★ · $$$$
Reached by a lift cut through the stone, facing the peak
Check availabilityMont Cervin Palace sits in the middle of the village as the grand hotel of the resort, operating since 1852, with a large spa, several restaurants and south-facing rooms.
Mont Cervin Palace
Bahnhofstrasse · 5★ · $$$$
The resort's grand hotel, operating since 1852
Check availabilityGrand Hotel Zermatterhof occupies a position by the church, opened in 1879 and owned by the community itself, with a spa and a formality that has not moved much.
Grand Hotel Zermatterhof
By the church, Zermatt · 5★ · $$$$
Opened 1879 and owned by the community itself
Check availabilityCERVO Mountain Resort sits above the village at the foot of the Sunnegga funicular with a design-led interior, a good bar and a younger tone.
CERVO Mountain Resort
Foot of the Sunnegga funicular · 5★ · $$$$
Design-led with a younger tone above the village
Check availabilitySchweizerhof Zermatt occupies a position near the station with a rooftop spa, contemporary rooms and rates below the grand hotels.
Schweizerhof Zermatt
Near the station · 4★ · $$$
Rooftop spa and contemporary rooms below grand-hotel rates
Check availabilityHotel Firefly sits in the village with a small room count, ski storage and the best value at this standard.
Hotel Firefly
Zermatt village · 4★ · $$$
Small, with ski storage and the best value at this standard
Check availabilityBackstage Boutique SPA Hotel occupies a building with a music theme, a spa and a bar that is one of the village's late-night fixtures.
Backstage Boutique SPA Hotel
Zermatt village · 4★ · $$$
A music theme and one of the village's late-night bars
Check availabilityRiffelalp, above the village
At 2,222 metres on the Gornergrat railway, with no road.
Riffelalp Resort 2222m occupies a position at 2,222 metres reached only by the cog railway and the hotel's own tram, with an outdoor pool that is the highest in Europe, a spa and the Matterhorn directly in front. Guests ski to the door and the village is twenty minutes below.
Riffelalp Resort 2222m
Riffelalp, 2,222m · 5★ · $$$$
The highest outdoor pool in Europe, reached by cog railway
Check availabilityWhat we have left off
The apartment rentals across the village are excluded, and in Zermatt they are a large share of the beds, particularly for longer stays. They are apartments rather than hotels.
What to do
Take the Gornergrat railway, a cog line opened in 1898 that climbs to 3,089 metres facing the Matterhorn the entire way. It runs all year and it is the single best thing to do here.
Go up to the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise at 3,883 metres, the highest cable car station in Europe, with a glacier palace cut into the ice.
Ski to Italy. The link over Theodul Pass to Cervinia is straightforward in good weather and lunch on the Italian side is a different meal at a different price.
Walk the Five Lakes trail in summer, where the peak reflects in several of them, and the Gorner glacier viewpoints.
Understand what you are looking at. The Matterhorn was first climbed in 1865 and four of the seven men on that descent died on the way down. The village museum tells it properly.
Practical notes
Geneva and Zurich are both about three and a half hours by train, changing at Visp. The last leg is the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn up the valley. Cars stop at Täsch.
The winter season runs late November to late April and the glacier skiing continues through summer. July and August are the walking season and are busy. May and November are the quiet months when much closes.
Book Matterhorn-facing rooms specifically and expect to pay for them.
Explore 4 & 5 Star Zermatt Hotels
Questions people actually ask
Can you drive to Zermatt?
No. Cars stop at Täsch and a shuttle train runs every twenty minutes, taking twelve.
Do all rooms see the Matterhorn?
No. The village runs north to south and the peak is at the southern end. Confirm a Matterhorn-facing room specifically.
Is it always visible?
Frequently in cloud. Mornings are better than afternoons and a week might give you three clear views.
How many nights?
Seven in winter. Four or five in summer for the walking.