Zermatt, Switzerland

Zermatt is big. More of an Alpine town than a cozy Alpine village. There are lots of shops, restaurants and even McDonalds. Big also applies to skiing. A tip to choose the accommodation according to the proximity to the lift or train as the first lift or train of the day takes at least 30-45 minutes before reaching the skiing.

Skiing is divided into four main areas, of which Cervinia in Italy is one. You get here via drag lifts from Trockner Steg or Kabin via Kleine Matterhorn. As the altitude is +3800 meters, sensitive people may feel a little dizzy. The glaciers on the Zermatt side offer wide flat slopes. These are open all year round. Down towards Schwartsee and Zermatt the skiing is steeper.

The third area is Gornergrat and is reached by mountain train from Zermatt or by the new long-awaited egg lift from Furi. The area offers mostly varied easy skiing but steeper down towards Sunnegga/Rothorn which is the fourth area. You can also get here by cable car from Zermatt.

No matter where you go during the day, it's worth bearing in mind that the descents back to Zermatt are long. Considering that you get a lot of vertical drop in your legs during the days, as the slopes are long and sucking, less fit people may want to consider taking the lift down.

Sometimes the long slopes can make you feel like you're on a ski tour, and since almost all skiing takes place above the tree line, the area is weather-sensitive. However, if you are lucky with snowfall, the possibilities for off-piste are enormous. This is actually true even on marked slopes, as the size of the area means that it takes days before the piste machines have time to ski.

If you like to combine city life with great skiing, Zermatt is perfect. If you only go for a week and want to maximize the skiing, there are better ski resorts in Switzerland.

It is a myth that Switzerland is expensive. Trains work great for transfers. Zermatt and other towns are still car-free and even the mountain trains run within seconds, no matter how much it has snowed. However, the Swiss could be better at providing information about most things. If you want to climb the Matterhorn, which can be seen everywhere in the Zermatt valley, you should be able to climb grade four mixed at a speed of at least 500 meters per hour. Mountain guide 1-1 is mandatory.