MARCH 2024
Yes, you heard it right, we went to Zermatt and we didn’t see the Matterhorn and we didn’t ski. As our little one was with us we didn’t have the opportunity to ski in this iconic destination. Zermatt is an expensive destination and a sight of the Matterhorn is not guaranteed, as it seems to have it’s own micro-climate. In this blog I will explain whether or not it is worth it to visit Zermatt in these conditions, depending on your interests of course.
Zermatt “budget” accommodation options
First budget tip: make sure to book on time. We only booked about six weeks in advance, meaning lots of accommodations were sold out. We settled on staying in Le Petit Charme Inn, where we paid € 220 for a three-person room including breakfast. The location was perfect, at the end of Zermatt town, within walking distance of all the main sights. € 220 a night is very reasonable for Zermatt in February, it is definitely one of the cheapest options you will find. The hotel was okay, a bit run down and old-fashioned, but comfortable enough. Unfortunately they were very strict about 3PM check in time, which is not ideal with a toddler who needs an afternoon nap. To make you stay in Zermatt more kid-friendly, you could book a hotel with a pool. Plenty of options in Zermatt, but you can expect to pay about € 800 a night! Some hotels offer swim passes to non-guests, but these don’t come cheap and kids are not always welcome.
Another budget option that you have is to stay in Täsch. This is the little town where you have to leave your car in a carpark as Zermatt is car-free. Täsch still is quite expensive, because Switzerland, but you will get a better value deal. We paid € 245 for a room in the Matterhorn Inn, which was lovely and had an affordable restaurant. We were allowed to leave our car for free in the hotel car park, while we were visiting Zermatt, but this does depend on availability and is not guaranteed. The train ride from Täsch to Zermatt is about 8 CHF, so it doesn’t add too much costs to your trip. Trains go every twenty minutes. until late in the evening.
No Matterhorn views
Lots of people who visit Zermatt, end up not seeing the Matterhorn. We were able to see the mountain peep through the clouds for a few minutes, but it definitely wasn’t the view we expected. I pinned some Matterhorn viewpoints, but it just wasn’t a photo worthy day. Our second day in Zermatt it snowed all day, so again no view. I would have loved to take the Gornergrat Bahn up to the Matterhorn, but without a view I didn’t want to pay the 100 CHF per adult. On the Gornergrat you can do lots of fun activities, such as snow-shoeing, fonduing, sleighing and visiting an iglo village. But having a day with no view does take the fun out some of these activities.
Activities you can do when there is no view
Ice skating: In the middle of Zermatt town there is an ice skating rink, which you can use for free. Make sure to bring or rent skates to enjoy this free activity!
Après-ski: Even if you can’t ski, you can still après-ski. Apparently Cervo Mountain Resort is the place to be for après-ski, as the beautiful hotel & restaurant is located directly at the end of the slopes. We went there early in the day for some drinks, when it was still pretty quiet and absolutely loved the atmosphere and beautiful decorations. If you are a lover of pink blush interiors it is a must visit. We were taken by surprise when we discovered a full play room including slide in the middle of the terrace. Hugo absolutely loved it! If you want to splurge, make sure to stay in Cervo or at least go for a meal. It seemed like such a kid friendly hotel too, so if you have the cash, this is a good option.
Fondue/Raclette: Zermatt is a real foodie heaven! If you are a real foodie and love cozy restaurants, Zermatt is the place to be. I found it much cozier than Sankt Moritz, where it is all about luxury brands. In Zermatt you don’t find an awful lot of luxury stores, but you can find great restaurants fully decked out in mountain style. It can come in handy if you do reservations in advance, because lots of restaurants get fully booked for the evening. We had a cheese fondue at Old Zermatt, which we loved, great atmosphere, food and personnel. We had Raclette at Restaurant Pinte in the Pollux Hotel, which was delicious but we found the personnel a bit moody. Hugo loved the raclette & fondue as well, it is definitely fun for kids to participate in this style of food!
Sightseeing: For a ski-village I found Zermatt quite big. The architecture is absolutely beautiful, with lots of wooden details and wood carvings in alpine style. I loved wandering around the town and admiring all the luxury real estate and taking pictures. One hotel that was particularly lovely was the BEAUSiTE, which had a lovely outdoor pool, cute picture opportunities outside and a gorgeous lounge. Definitely go there for a cup of coffee!
Swimming: Some hotels offer day passes to non-guests to use the pool and spa facilities. For example the BEAUSiTE offers these for 80 CHF (kids under 6 not allowed). To be honest most of the day passes are really expensive, and if you don’t have a view of the Matterhorn I wouldn’t pay these prices. So we didn’t 😉
Concluding
Zermatt is a gorgeous town, but whether it is a must depends on your wallet and whether you’re a foodie. The skiing seemed great, but if you can’t ski and there is no sight of the Matterhorn, there isn’t a whole lot you can do. I know this visit will not be in my travel highlights of 2024, so I have to be honest about this. We still loved the old world charm in Zermatt and we were able to book a budget stay, so I think we made the most of our 36 hours in Zermatt. Happy to cross this one of the bucket list, but not in the way I hoped for.