This short trail leads to the beautiful Stellisee lake, which is a popular place to take photos of the Matterhorn reflected in the water.

Trail: easy • 2.8 km round trip • 1 hour • 60m up and down • trail map

Open: late June to early October

Conditions: webcams • Zermatt weather

How to get there

1. To reach this trail, you ride the Sunnegga funicular train (Vispastrasse 34, 3920 Zermatt) up the mountain.

2. Then transfer to a gondola up to Blauherd at 2570m.

3. From Blauherd, follow signs labeled "5 Seenweg" aka 5 Lake Walk. The first lake is Stellisee on this trail.

4. When you reach the lake, walk to the far side to the get the reflection photos. Usually there are several people with tripods setup in the best spots, waiting for the perfect shot.

5. Hike back to Blauherd gondola. You can ride go carts down to Sunnegga. Or ride the gondola.

6. Or continue hiking on the 5 Lake Walk, ending in Sunnegga, another 2h+.

Tips for your visit

Clear skies: If possible, plan a flexible itinerary so you can pick the clearest weather for your Stellisee visit. Both times I've been to the Stellisee, the Matterhorn was determined to stay partially hidden behind the clouds.

Go early: Since this lake is so easy to reach, it can be quite crowded. So best to go early if you want to take pics without any people in them. 

Easier path: The trail is a narrow dirt footpath with rocks that meanders down to the lake. But there's also a service road that parallels the trail. So if you have trouble walking on uneven surface, you can walk on the service road instead.

More hiking 

If you have a little more time, we suggest hiking past the Stellisee to the Flühalp mountain hut (about 30 mins) for lunch with a glacier view. We love it there! We splurged on the truffle fondue and a nice bottle of wine. What a treat! See trail map.

If you have lots of time, you can continue following the 5 Lake Walk all the way to Sunnegga.

Tickets

If you are just going to the lake and back, you'll need a return ticket from Zermatt to Blauherd. You get a discount with the Swiss Travel Pass, Swiss Half Fare Card, and SBB GA. Included in the Zermatt Peak Pass.

If you are doing a longer hike, you may pay less. Just tell the ticket office which hike you plan to do and they will sell you the right ticket.