The beautiful Stellisee lake is a popular place to take photos of the Matterhorn reflected in the water. If you are lucky. Both times I've been there, the Matterhorn was determined to stay partially hidden behind the clouds. If possible, plan a flexible itinerary so you can pick the clearest weather for your Stellisee visit.

You don't have to do a long hike to reach the Stellisee. Just ride up some mountain railways and a 30 minute downhill walk to the lake.

However, since it's 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. 

Trail Info

To reach this trail, you ride the Sunnegga funicular train (Vispastrasse 34, 3920 Zermatt) up the mountain. Then transfer to a gondola up to Blauherd at 2570m. Follow signs labeled "5 Seenweg."

Trail: easy • 2.9km round trip • 1 hour • 60m up and down
See trail map

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.

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.

When you are done, just walk back the way you came and ride the gondola back down the mountain. 

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!

If you have lots of time, you can continue following the 5 Lake Trail 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, which costs about CHF 45/adult. You get a discount with the Swiss Travel Pass, SBB GA and Half-fare.

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.