Zermatt, Switzerland
February 2-5
February 2-5
As someone who has literally been skiing since I could walk, I knew I needed to make it to the Swiss alps at some point in my life. Luckily, my roommate abroad was equally as enthusiastic about the trip. We had so many ski towns to choose from, but we figured we couldn't go wrong with a weekend getaway to Zermatt to ski by views of The Matterhorn. It's a car-free city, but let me assure you, the Polar Express-esque three hour train ride from Zurich was worth the journey.
Flight to Zurich, 3 hour train to Zermatt
Hotel: Airbnb in Hotel Adonis
Skiing: 10% off gear rental from the hotel- access to skis, boots, poles, helmets, snow pants and a jacket if you don't have one)
On the mountain:
Restaurant Chez Vrony- amazing view of The Matterhorn, live house music for aprés ski
Rothorn- at the top of the main gondola, must visit for a drink, best panoramic view, get Irish Coffee and Amaretto Coffee
Iglu Dorf- should be number one on your bucket list, an indoor/outdoor igloo bar with beanbags and bonfires, amazing red and white mulled wine to warm you up
Veuve Clicquot Champagne Bar- another must-visit, you can also hike or snowshoe, outdoor, chill and vibey
Hennu Stall- last but certainly not least, by far the most insane aprés ski scene on the mountain, from 4-7pm everyone stops on their last run down the mountain and goes clubbing in their ski gear- boots, helmets and all, they give you neon leis to wear on your way out so you don't hit other skiiers on the way down
Village:
Harry's Ski bar- best off-mountain aprés
Schwyzer Stübli- most authentic Swiss fondue, accordion band and all
Papperla Club & Pub- live music, edm in the basement
Broken Bar- most popular clubs, 4 clubs in one, fun to explore
Läderach- swiss chocolatier, endless samples
Hotel La Ginabelle- indoor/outdoor pool and spa, you don't have to be a guest, pay 38 CHF for the all access spa
Hotel: Airbnb in Hotel Adonis
Skiing: 10% off gear rental from the hotel- access to skis, boots, poles, helmets, snow pants and a jacket if you don't have one)
On the mountain:
Restaurant Chez Vrony- amazing view of The Matterhorn, live house music for aprés ski
Rothorn- at the top of the main gondola, must visit for a drink, best panoramic view, get Irish Coffee and Amaretto Coffee
Iglu Dorf- should be number one on your bucket list, an indoor/outdoor igloo bar with beanbags and bonfires, amazing red and white mulled wine to warm you up
Veuve Clicquot Champagne Bar- another must-visit, you can also hike or snowshoe, outdoor, chill and vibey
Hennu Stall- last but certainly not least, by far the most insane aprés ski scene on the mountain, from 4-7pm everyone stops on their last run down the mountain and goes clubbing in their ski gear- boots, helmets and all, they give you neon leis to wear on your way out so you don't hit other skiiers on the way down
Village:
Harry's Ski bar- best off-mountain aprés
Schwyzer Stübli- most authentic Swiss fondue, accordion band and all
Papperla Club & Pub- live music, edm in the basement
Broken Bar- most popular clubs, 4 clubs in one, fun to explore
Läderach- swiss chocolatier, endless samples
Hotel La Ginabelle- indoor/outdoor pool and spa, you don't have to be a guest, pay 38 CHF for the all access spa
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The journey to Zermatt took a little planning. The iconic ski town is 100% pedestrian and it's hours away from the nearest airport. We flew into the Zurich airport which is conveniently above the underground Zurich train station, relaxed in a wine bar until our train and eventually embarked on our three hour journey to Zermatt.
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Because there are no cars, there really aren't streets either. Every narrow walkway between wooden buildings drew our eyes upward to the towering alps above us.
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We found a great deal on a room in Hotel Adonis through Airbnb and they gave us coupons to rent our ski gear. Luckily, we didn't have to lug our skis around for too long- even though there aren't cars, there is a great tram system that took us directly to the lift office.
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We walked from the lift ticket office to a tram-like elevator through a long tunnel- we found out later it was taking us through the base of the outermost mountain to get to the summit of the ski area. At the top of the tram, the view was unreal...
Zermatt was totally different than the mountains I grew up skiing. There were never trail signs and there was no base destination. Every long trail was more like a chute leading to another lift, another bar or another cat trail. This setup made skiing the mountain for the first time quite an adventure. Every view we happened upon was more breathtaking than the next. We were sure to stop at every swanky bar to enjoy warm drinks between runs.
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After aprés ski on the mountain, it's time to head to the village for...you guessed it: more mulled wine! Harry's Ski Bar is the place to be with a poppin heated patio with drink specials ans rustic meets modern chic decor on the inside.
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The next day, we hiked up the side of the mountain to this little champagne bar where we were treated to snow-chilled glasses of Veuve, hillside views of skiers to our right and a sweeping overview of the whole town to our left.
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And of course, remember to stop in for some Swiss chocolate. It's definitely worth the hype and makes a great gift for friends and family who didn't make the trip.
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Pro tip: If your hotel doesn't have a spa, head over to Hotel La Ginabelle to pay 38 CHF for unlimited access to their heated indoor/outdoor pool, several hot tubs, steam rooms, saunas ans spa services.
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