Zermatt

My best ski day ever!

Imagine yourself at the summit of the Gornergrat. As you soak up the 360-degree panoramic view, the Matterhorn takes center stage, surrounded by an astounding 28 other summits at 4,000 metres in altitude. I was only two hours into my trip and already completely blown away!

Eager to enjoy every single second of my two days in Zermatt, I quickly walked the 30 seconds from my hotel to the rack rail train station where I prepared to embark on the scenic climb up the Gornergrat. At the summit, I was in full tourist mode, enjoying a short stroll and snapping pictures before sitting down to a cappuccino at Kulmhotel, which includes an international astronomical observatory.

Remembering that I was there for work, I headed over to the charming pedestrian village to visit several accommodation options. Zermatt has something for every budget—from tiny apartments to 5-star hotels that will pick you up at the train station in a horse-drawn carriage. And, despite Zermatt’s reputation for being expensive, I was pleasantly surprised to find affordable family restaurants sitting alongside the exorbitant fine-dining establishments you’ll find here.

The 45 minutes it took to climb to Glacier Paradise proved to be time wisely spent. Like a true Canadian, I didn’t want to waste any of my valuable ski time—so I made sure to lay down some nice, fresh tracks first thing in the morning. The place is just so incredibly enormous, but making your way over to the Italian side in Cervinia is easy as can be… just make sure your lift ticket provides access to it, since there are many different options to choose from!

It is often said that a picture is worth a thousand words… Have a look at the photos I’ve included with this article and you’ll understand why Zermatt is where I experienced my BEST SKI DAY EVER!

(Monyse Bélisle)