While the town has a bustling feel, one major difference sets it apart from most other tourist hubs: Zermatt is car-free. Aside from the electric hotel shuttles that buzz around town, just about everything is done on foot or by bike.
Planning a trip there or curious about the trail running scene in Zermatt? Run the Alps gathered the inside scoop on all things Zermatt from our guides, staff, and trail running friends who’ve spent hours on the trails in and around Zermatt. We’ve collected all that information into one, handy guide to Zermatt so you can enjoy our favorite places in this iconic valley.
If you’d like someone else to plan your trip, Run the Alps can create a self-guided trail running tour designed for your skill level and goals. Our self-guided trips include hotel bookings, baggage transport, turn-by-turn run descriptions, and more. Sign up for your very own Run the Alps self-guided trail running vacation in Zermatt, Switzerland.
Each August, we also offer a guided trail running trip to Zermatt, that includes the option to run one of the Ultraks trail races. You can read more about that annual Run the Alps trip to Zermatt, here.
The best airports to fly into are Geneva or Zurich. From either airport, catch one of the frequent trains connecting to Zermatt. All things being equal, Geneva is a slightly better choice, with fewer connections and less travel time.
Trains
Since no cars are allowed in Zermatt, there are two main ways to reach town: by train or by foot. Luckily, the famous Swiss train system is one of the most reliable public transit systems anywhere. It’s easy enough to hop on one of the regularly running trains from the Rhone valley city of Visp, which itself is easily accessed by train from much of Europe. If you’re driving, Täsch is the end of the road before boarding the train up to Zermatt. There is a large parking garage there, but you’ll pay for long-term parking at airport-level rates. There are also private parking services available.
Europe Hotel is our favorite choice of hotels in Zermatt. In the center of town, this 4-star hotel has been managed by the Julen family for three generations. It’s a Run the Alps favorite, and our first pick for our trips.
With a friendly staff that stays largely unchanged year-to-year, large, modern rooms, and a gourmet dinner and dessert menu, Europe Hotel is also consistently reliable. The hotel offers a mix of local dishes such as beef entrecote or herb crusted rack of lamb, along with international menu choices. We’ve always found the hotel to be accommodating for our Run the Alps guests who have dietary restrictions.
After a long day of trail running, we highly recommend the spa on the lower level. It never seems to be too busy, and you can soak in the jacuzzi, take a steam bath, or sweat it out in the Finnish sauna. There’s also a nice quiet space, simply for chilling out!
This run is Run the Alps writer and editor Kim Strom’s favorite trail run from Zermatt. For a big vertical day, you can’t get much better than going up the Mettelhorn. You’ll get unbeatable views of the big peaks around Zermatt including the Matterhorn and a feeling of accomplishment summiting the steep-topped Mettelhorn. This trail run has lots of vert, so be ready to spend a fair bit of the day fast-hiking. The final section includes a glacier-crossing, but you won’t need technical gear, as there are no crevasses. However, traction is a must, and the route ends with a final scramble up a steep, rocky slope.
You can see a more detailed route description for running the Mettelhorn from our partners at ALPSinsight.
There are a number of excellent sports shops along the main street of Bahnhofstrasse. Stoked is a popular trail running shop, along with Matterhorn Sports, which sells a wide array of trail running gear. There is also a Decathlon retail store on Hofmattstrasse if you’ve
Leave a Reply