The ski area
Zermatt’s slopes are spread across three sectors, Sunnegga-Rothorn, Gornergrat and Schwarzsee-Klein Matterhorn, all linked and all topped by views of the Matterhorn. The Matterhorn Glacier Paradise cable car reaches 3,883 m, the highest lift station in Europe, and from there you can ski over into Italy to Breuil-Cervinia and Valtournenche. The whole Matterhorn Ski Paradise counts 360 km of slopes and 52 lifts, including around 38 km of marked ski routes; the pisted terrain is roughly 75 km blue, 220 km red and 27 km black. A Zermatt-only pass still gives you about 200 km.
Snow is never in doubt. The village sits at 1,620 m and most of the skiing is far higher, so the winter season runs from 1 November 2026 to 3 May 2027 and the glacier stays open in summer. The runs are long, the reds relentless and the mountain restaurants legendary.
Who is Zermatt for?
Zermatt rewards confident intermediates and experts who want vertical, length and scenery, and who will enjoy a lunch in Italy as much as the skiing. The village is car-free, charming and sophisticated, with lively après-ski and some of the best restaurants in the Alps. Beginners, however, are poorly served and pay the same high prices, and families with small children face long lift rides to reach the easy runs.
Practical
From Brussels it is about 850 km and 8.5 hours to Täsch, where you park and take the train into Zermatt; a Swiss vignette is required and Geneva airport is 230 km away. Lift passes are dynamically priced, from roughly 110 euros a day and 458 euros for 6 days on the International pass, more at peak dates. Budget generously for food and accommodation.