What does an Alpine paradise look like? Probably quite like Matterhorn Glacier Paradise. The peak with Europe’s highest mountain station soars 3883 metres above sea level. The peak lift takes you up to the 360° viewing platform. The view from there is like paradise.
You can see an incredible 38 four-thousand-metre peaks and 14 glaciers. And a must-see in Zermatt’s glacier paradise: a real glacier palace. Up above, there is a cinema lounge, fine cuisine, superb ski slopes and a little lower, on Trockener Steg or Schwarzsee, hiking and biking trails. And on top of that many unforgettable experiences the whole year round ...
CAN'T GET OUT OF THE AMAZEMENT
Step right into the highest Glacier Palace in the world: the Glacier Palace in the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise, at an altitude of 3883 metres above sea level. A place of enchantment which will draw you into the fascinating world of eternal ice. Surrounded by painstakingly created ice sculptures and centuries-old ice formations, it’s as if you have entered a magical fairy tale.
The Glacier Palace is not immediately visible in the broad ice field between the Klein Matterhorn and the Breithorn – you’ll find it 15 metres below the surface. The only way in is via a lift, and the journey down is already a spectacular experience.
ADMIRE AND ENJOY
The magical charm of the ice
The atmosphere inside the palace is anything but icy, with soft lighting effects and music creating a mood of relaxation. You’ll be amazed at the naturally formed ice shapes and the new creations sculpted by artists every year. Gather yourself for the walk along the floor of a real crevasse. Wander through tunnels of ice. Pause for a while in one of the seating areas strewn with animal hides and take in the enchanting surroundings which glitter, sparkle and gleam all around you.
P.S.: There are lots of good photopoints where you can take great souvenir pictures.
Details:
- Duration of visit: 30 to 45 minutes
- Recommended wear: warm clothing and closed-toe shoes
- How to get to the Glacier Palace: on the Matterhorn Express from Zermatt to Trockener Steg mountain station; continue by cable car or the new Matterhorn Glacier Ride up to the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise
- The journey takes approx. 45 minutes.
- Open: all year
Tipp
Groups and organizations can arrange to have exclusive use of the new Star Lounge in the Glacier Palace for meetings or events. The Star Lounge provides a stylish atmosphere in which apéritif parties for up to 25 people can be held. The team at Zermatt Bergbahnen AG will be happy to advise you about the wide range of apéritif options.
RailAway offer
To Zermatt - Matterhorn and into the Matterhorn Glaicer Paradise by public transport. With public transport you travel to Zermatt - Matterhorn without stress and parking worries. Depending on your purchase and travel time, you can benefit from attractive offers. Search for your connection on sbb.ch and find the right ticket. You can find more information here.
RESTAURANT MATTERHORN GLACIER PARADISE
The prize-winning modern restaurant has a futuristic look with its show kitchen, panoramic window and zero-energy design. But the dishes on offer are traditional regional fare: home-made soups and Valais specialities.
Shopping in paradise: In the peak shop beside the restaurant you’re sure to find the right souvenirs for loved ones back home, for example a wine from the Alps that is stored at the highest altitude. Take a look in the web shop now ...
RestaurantZERMATT'S SCREEN ON THE MOUNTAIN
In the Breithorn Tunnel, at the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise, is Europe’s highest picture house: the Cinema Lounge. Visitors are introduced to Zermatt’s alpine world with captivating film sequences lasting several minutes each and covering subject matter that includes mountaineering, the local fauna and flora, the lift facilities and ice and snow.
The comfortable shell seats and mystical mood lighting in the tunnel ensure that the climatic conditions at 3883 metres above sea level are quickly forgotten. So, if you feel like relaxing after the exciting journey on the Matterhorn Glacier Ride while you get acclimatized to the thin mountain air, why not take a detour into the Cinema Lounge?
Admission is free and it’s a great place to visit if the weather is bad or to get a foretaste of the high-alpine world of adventure that is the Matterhorn glacier paradise.
BREATH-TAKING 360° PANORAMA
You don’t need any mountaineering skills, ropes or crampons to reach the summit of the Klein Matterhorn. Just step off the Matterhorn Glacier Ride and into the summit lift and up you go. Then you mount a flight of steps and the summit cross is almost within touching distance.
From the highest viewing platform in Europe visitors can enjoy a unique alpine view that knows no national boundaries. The 360° panorama opens up over 38 four-thousanders and 14 glaciers in France, Italy and Switzerland. It’s impossible to get enough of this view, which takes in the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau in the north, the craggy north face of the Breithorn in the west, and Mont Blanc, the highest peak in Europe, in the east. And the Matterhorn too can be seen from a different perspective up here. The long-distance view is captivating and instils a quiet, reflective mood in many visitors.
Romance in the mountains
The romantic nature of the Alpine world comes into its own up here on the viewing platform. When lovers pledge to remain true to each other “for better, for worse…”, they mean their love will prevail through good times and bad, sunshine and storms, overcoming all adversity. And here, in a symbolic gesture witnessed by the towering mountain peaks, the romantically inclined can reaffirm their feelings by attaching a love lock to the railings of the viewing platform as a token that will endure through sunshine and storms – quite literally. If you put the padlock key in the letter box at the entrance to the lift, it will be taken to the Glacier Palace and set in the eternal ice as a symbol of undying love.
Tipp: Love locks are available from the Matterhorn Peak Shop
Has that made you want to visit Zermatt’s glacier paradise? The team at Zermatt Bergbahnen AG will be happy to answer your questions and help you plan your trip.
