Gornergrat at 3089m: practical guide to the Zermatt train
The first red train of the morning leaves Zermatt station and rounds the first steep bend three minutes later. No engine draws from the valley: the Gornergrat Bahn has run on electricity since its inauguration on 20 August 1898. Thirty-three minutes later, it deposits its passengers at 3089 metres, on a bare ridge, facing one of the most photographed panoramas in the Alps: twenty-nine peaks above 4000 metres and the Matterhorn positioned precisely at the centre of the frame.
Gornergrat is not a ski resort. It is a mountain railway viewpoint, accessible year-round, whose singularity rests on three things: Europe’s highest open-air railway, a 360-degree view across the Mont-Rose massif, and a hotel established at the summit since 1907. One ascends for the beauty, not for sport. But it is also a departure point for winter skiers and a hiking vantage in summer.
An electric train before the motorcar
The project dates to the 1890s, when alpine tourism entered its golden age and Zermatt already hosted the Seiler hotels from 1854. The technical challenge was considerable: 9.4 kilometres of rack-and-pinion track, 1469 metres of elevation gain, gradients reaching 20 per cent. Steam traction, then dominant, was deemed unsuitable. The engineers opted for a rare innovation in Europe: three-phase alternating current, an experimental technology at the time. Construction lasted two years, with tunnels, galleries and bridges, concluding on 20 August 1898.
The line thus became Switzerland’s first fully electric rack-and-pinion railway. The original three-phase system still functions. For fourteen years, Gornergrat remained Europe’s highest railway until the Jungfraujoch line opened in 1912.
The summit: a hotel, two observatories
At the train’s arrival, the Kulmhotel 3100 Gornergrat dominates the ridge. Built in 1907 in stone and timber architecture, topped from the late 1960s with two observatory towers, one of which now houses the Stellarium Gornergrat, it is one of the highest hotels in the Swiss Alps, at 3100 metres. One sleeps in simple but panoramic rooms, and takes breakfast on a terrace overlooking the Gorner Glacier.
The summit offers an immersive exhibition, “ZOOOM the Matterhorn”. For visitors who ascend for just an hour, it is the supplement that justifies the journey’s duration.
What one sees from the ridge
The panorama merits a map on site. To the south-west, the Matterhorn, its east face in full height, is the central element of the view. Further west, the Dent Blanche (4357m) and the Obergabelhorn (4063m) close the horizon line. To the south-east, the Mont-Rose massif unfolds its Gorner Glacier, the second-largest glacial system in the Alps by area, after Aletsch. Above it, the Dufourspitze rises to 4634 metres, Switzerland’s highest peak.
Twenty-nine peaks exceed 4000 metres within the field of view. A graphic orientation installed on the terrace names each one. In the morning, raking light sculpts the ridges; at midday, the Matterhorn loses some relief under the zenith sun. Photographers favour the first train of the morning.
Zermatt
Travel Book AEC CollectionPracticalities: the journey
The Gornergrat Bahn station is located directly opposite Zermatt station, on the station square. Trains depart every 24 minutes in high season, less frequently in shoulder season. The journey takes 33 minutes, with intermediate stops, including Riffelalp (2211m), Riffelberg (2582m) and Rotenboden (2815m). Each station opens onto distinct viewpoints, and it is common to descend on foot between two stops (the Riffelberg to Riffelalp path takes an hour).
In winter, the Peak Pass combines train plus lifts and provides access to pistes descending from Rotenboden or Riffelberg towards Zermatt. In summer, a single return ticket suffices for the day. Arrival on the first train ensures light and a free terrace; the last train descends earlier in winter than in summer, verify the exact timetable according to season.
When to visit
Gornergrat is open year-round. January to March for fresh snow and skiing. June to July for alpine flowers and hiking to Riffelsee, the glacial lake that reflects the Matterhorn on calm days. September to October for first snow without crowds, and the orange tones of the larches on the Riffelalp side. Avoid: summer thunderstorm days, when the ridge may close at the summit for safety reasons.
Planning a stay in Zermatt
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By the AEC Collection team
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