The Gornergratbahn or Gornergrat railway in Zermatt hosts an array of majestic views of the Matterhorn and its sisters. As a result, it is one of the most popular attractions in Switzerland. Some say it is overhyped, but I think it is totally worth the hype.
The Gornergratbahn is one of the oldest mountain rack railways that is being operated electrically. It stands at 3135 metres above sea level in the canton of Valais in Switzerland.
It connects the spectacular village of Zermatt with the summit of Gornergrat. Gornergrat is a rocky ridge in the Pennine Alps with a view of the Matterhorn and Gorner Glacier
Best time to visit
Gornergrat is beautiful every day of the year.
The best time to visit is from January to March if you want to go skiing. There is plenty of snow during this period.
However, if you want to enjoy the scenery the best time to visit would be from June to July. The Edelweiss along with many rare mountain flowers bloom during this time. In addition, there are plenty of hiking opportunities in the region. Try to visit Gornergrat earlier in the day in order to avoid rush in the train.
Getting there
From any major city like Bern, Zurich, Lucerne, or Interlaken you can reach Gornergrat in 3 easy steps.
Step 1: First, any major city to Visp by train.
Step 2: After that, Visp to Zermatt by Gotthardbahn (panoramic train).
Step 3: Finally, Zermatt to Gornergrat by Gornergrat Railway mountain rack train.
Tip: You can find the tickets and the official information here. In addition, you could also book your tickets from the Tourist Office in Zermatt. However, there might be a long queue during peak season.
Tip: The main attraction of Zermatt is the Matterhorn and if the weather is not good there is a chance you would not be experiencing this place at its full potential. Therefore, you should check the weather before coming to Zermatt.
Our Gornergrat Experience
We visited Zermatt as a day trip from Interlaken in July. I know it is a long way, but the route is extremely scenic, and the journey became part of the destination for us.
First, we took a train from Interlaken to Spiez. After that, we went from Spiez to Visp, and finally took the Gotthardbahn from Visp to Zermatt. The entire journey took around 2 hours and 13 minutes. We booked our tickets from the Zermatt Tourist Office.
Tip: If you want to take both the Gornergratbahn and the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise on the same day, I recommend you buy the Peak2Peak pass. Consequently, this will save you time and money for the trips.
We visited the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise first. You can find detailed information about this trip here. Then we made our way to Gornergrat. On our way back from the Glacier Paradise we got down at Furi from the Matterhorn Express gondola. We changed into another gondola from Furi to Riffelberg that, finally took us directly in the route of the Gornergrat railway.
First stop: Riffelberg
Riffelberg is a station in the route of the Gornergratbahn that hosts sweeping views of the Matterhorn. So, if you need a peaceful and undisturbed view of the Matterhorn this is the place you should visit. Moreover, there are also several hiking trails all over this area and the scenes are literally majestic.
We spent most of our time here enjoying the views, taking pictures, and soaking in the mountain air. We also had a most romantic picnic here amongst a host of Edelweiss without a soul to disturb us.
Minor setback: Riffelalp
Instead of taking the train upwards, we took the train going downwards by mistake and ended up visiting Riffelalp. As a result, we had to wait for about 20 minutes. There was nobody there except for a couple of other passengers who had made the same mistakes as us.
There was an amazing view from the Riffelalp station and there were butterflies everywhere. Some of them came and sat on our head and hands without any fear. It was indeed a very pleasant setback.
Second stop: Rotenboden
We took the Gornergrat railway and went to its next stop, Rotenboden. Unlike Riffelberg, there were quite a lot of people here. Rotenboden is a favourite stop for tourists because here you can find the Riffelsee, a tiny mountain lake. On a clear and windless day you could see the reflection of the Matterhorn in this lake and it is almost magical.
But that is not all, Rotenboden hosts a view of other Alpine mountains like the Weisshorn and presents an almost unreal landscape. I would let the pictures speak.
Third stop: Gornergrat Summit
We took our final leg of the journey from Rotenboden to Gornergrat in the same train. As we were ascending, the views were becoming more widespread and spectacular. Gornergrat was the end station and therefore was even more crowded than Rotenboden.
After a short hike, you will reach the summit and from here, you could see a 360 degree panoramic view of the Alps. It is almost unreal. There are tiny mountain lakes with turquoise blue water on the slopes of the mountains. Above all, the Gorner glacier looks beautiful and the Matterhorn stands tall in all its glory.
We took as many pictures as possible before taking the Gornergratbahn down the slope to Zermatt.
Some helpful tips
Tip: There are hiking opportunities everywhere in the route of the Gornergrat railway. For example, the hike from Riffelberg to Rotenboden is quite scenic. You could get down at a station, hike to another, and take the train again.
Tip: The hikes in this region could be a bit tough on your feet. For example, the hike from Rotenboden station to Riffelsee is short but not very easy. Therefore, I highly recommend wearing sturdy hiking shoes or sneakers for this trip if you want to experience it to the fullest.
Tip: Do check the direction of the train before boarding. We made a mistake and went down instead of up and had to wait 20 minutes at Riffelalp for the next train as a result. We noticed other people had made the same mistake and were waiting with us.
Tip: The Gornergratbahn could be too crowded to have a choice but I would recommend you sit on the right side while ascending for better views.
Tip: You will have to validate your ticket each time you go in and out of a station. Therefore, always keep your ticket handy and try not to lose it.
You may also like: Gornergrat and Matterhorn Glacier Paradise in 1 Day – Peak2Peak Pass
What to eat
We did not see any restaurants in the middle stations of the Gornergratbahn. However, there is a nice restaurant on the top where you could enjoy some snacks and drinks.
We had brought our picnic from Interlaken and enjoyed it at Riffelberg.
Where to stay
Zermatt hosts a number of hotels and Airbnbs in all kinds of budgets. Therefore, the best place to stay to visit Gornergrat would be Zermatt. Moreover, the train network in Switzerland is very efficient. So, you could easily make a trip to Gornergrat from any nearby Swiss city.
Activities and Budget
Must Do
- Take a picture with the mighty Matterhorn.
- Visit the Riffelsee.
- Enjoy the panorama at Gornergrat.
Unique Experience
- Make at least one hike in the mountains.
- Have a picnic in the grass with a view of the Matterhorn.
Budget
There is no additional cost of visiting Gornergrat except for the transport fee. However, if you want to eat at the restaurant at Gornergrat, you can add that to your expenses.
A round trip to Gornergrat costs 102 Euros and it is 50% reduced with the Swiss Travel Pass or Half Fare Card. In addition, I would suggest you to reserve a seat for an extra 5 Euros if you are visiting during peak season.
