Opened in 1898, the Gornergrat Bahn was the first fully electrified cogwheel railway in Switzerland. It climbs from Zermatt to 3,089m in around 33 minutes, with the Matterhorn on the right-hand side of the ascent and the Gorner Glacier at the summit.
What you actually see
This is the most reliable Matterhorn view in Switzerland, and the reason to make the trip. The mountain is in sight for most of the climb, and from the top you are looking at the second-largest glacier system in the Alps with something like twenty-nine 4,000m peaks arranged around it.
Sit on the right going up. That is the Matterhorn side, and it is the difference between a good trip and a frustrating one. Coming back down, sit on the left.
Practical detail
Nine kilometres, about 33 minutes, running year round from the station opposite Zermatt’s main railway station. No reservation is needed — turn up and go — which makes it easy to build around the weather rather than committing in advance.
The Swiss Travel Pass does not cover this line outright; it gives a discount, so budget for a supplement. There is a hotel at the summit, the Kulmhotel Gornergrat, which is the highest in the Swiss Alps and the way to have the place to yourself after the last train down.
Go on a clear morning. In cloud there is nothing to see, and unlike the long panoramic routes there is no journey to enjoy as consolation.
More pictures
At a glance
- Route
- Zermatt → Gornergrat
- Journey time
- About 33 minutes
- Operator
- Gornergrat Bahn
- Highest point
- 3,089 m
- Swiss Travel Pass
- Swiss Travel Pass: discount only
- Canton
- Valais
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