Notes from 2020 Zermatt Ski Trip
Zermatt is only reachable by train - so no matter how you get there, you end up in Täsch where you get a 15 min train ride to Zermatt. You arrive at Zermatt Bahnhoff - the Ambassador hotel is about 100m away!
We took 2 lifts from close to the hotel: (1) Gornegrat train to the top of Gornegrat - if you take it - sit on the right hand side. Awesome views of Matterhorn. Also (2) Sunnega Finicular - both are close to our hotel. At the Gornegrat train station (across from Bahnhoff) there is a large live map with current openings / closings. Link to lift status. Gornegrat train takes you to a pile of blues and reds - ski down to Riffleburg and take the chair back up to Gornegrat. You can stop on this run at Iglu Dorf - an iglu restaurant. Make reservations for lunch fondue
Ski over to Italy – you need to go up to the top of Matterhorn Glacier Paradise to do so. It’s as 12,739 ft - so be prepared for altitude. You need to stop at the Plateau Rosa - Refugio des Guides - for food and drink out on the deck overlooking both Italy and Switzerland. If you ski down to Valtournenche - stop on the ski trail at Foyer des Guides for lunch!
On the #2 run from Patrullarve back to the town - there is a very cool Champagne Bar you have to stop at.
In the area of Findeln near Sunnega - you need to stop at Chez Vrony for lunch. Make reservations at both Vrony and Foyer des Guides.
Apres Ski Destinations: SnowBoat - Zermatt Yacht Club, Harry’s Bar, Papperla Pub. They have live music on different nights at these places. All are loud and rocking
Dining & Shopping: The best Fondue experience in town was “Cheese Factory” - on Bahnhoffstraße (the main drag / shopping district) down town. Up a little “off shoot alley” from the main street. At the Hotel Schweizerhof, across the street from McDonalds. Downstairs. Get the Black Truffle fondue and the Fondue with Garden herbs - they have these cool split fondue pots
There are two shops near to hotel - Denner Partner (Supermarket) and Wein- und Getränkhandel - bottle shop. Supermarkets - Denner, Migros and CoOp all have good selections of cheese, dried meats. Migros has a good liquor store in the supermarket. (as you enter the migros, there is a liquor store on the right hand side. Might not be associated with Migros, but it's right there. ) There is a Lindt Chocholate shop just down the street from the hotel as well. The store across the street from Lindt was good for shopping, as well as the store on the corner with Gornegrat lift and Bahnhof.
In bad weather - best bet to ski is Sunnega - down low.