
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
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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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.
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.