Gornergrat
The Gornergrat area is our favorite mountain area in Zermatt, particularly with kids. The viewpoints are easy to access and the hikes very customizable to fit different abilities.
At a minimum, we suggest visiting the Gornergrat viewpoint and Riffelsee lake, no hiking required.
If you like to hike, we have a few options of different lengths and difficulty.
Planning your day
We suggest a minimum of 4 hours for this outing, longer if you hike. We typically spend the whole day on the mountain, stopping for a picnic and lots of photos.
Since the Gornergrat railway runs later than most other transport, it's possible do this in the late afternoon if you just arrive in Zermatt that morning.
Hiking options
A. Riffelsee to Riffelberg (easiest): From the Riffelsee, follow signs to Riffelberg, where you can ride the mountain train down to Zermatt. About 1 hour.
B. Riffelsee to Riffelalp: From the Riffelsee, follow signs to Riffelalp, which is one train stop further down the mountain. More difficult trail. About 2 hours.
C. Gornergrat to Riffelsee: Instead of riding down to Rotenboden, start hiking at the Gornergrat stop down to the Riffelsee. Optionally continue to Riffelberg or Riffelalp or Zermatt. About 1hr to Riffelsee.
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