Zermatt
About Zermatt
Doing a season in Zermatt is really something special. If this is your first season, you will be totally spoilt as it is the best of the best (we are biased, but we feel we can back this up). If you are a seasoned professional and this is your first time in Zermatt, you will wonder what on earth took you so long to visit.
Zermatt is a lively, vibrant, welcoming and friendly town. Zermatt doesn’t attract just one type of person, so you will easily find your crowd here. Freeriders, “slopestyle park people”, piste/technical buffs, Live Music enthusiasts, general party animals, yogis, gym-goers…whatever your passion, you will find it in Zermatt.
On the hill
Zermatt is more than just the Matterhorn. The Zermatt ski area lies at around 3883m above sea level, making it the highest ski resort in Switzerland’s. This means skiing 365 days a year and guaranteed snow coverage for both early and late season training. The Matterhorn ski paradise stretches from the Rothorn (3,103 m) via Gornergrat (3,089 m) to the Matterhorn ski paradise (3,883 m) and Schwarzsee (2,583 m). There is a connection from Matterhorn glacier paradise to Breuil-Cervinia – Valtournenche and Val d’Aosta. Zermatt has an incredibly modern lift system, with few queues and long runs for the most athletic skiers - the ski run from Klein Matterhorn to Zermatt stretches on for 25km.
The Gravity Snowpark Zermatt is serviced by the Furggsattel chairlift on the Theodul Glacier and is the ultimate snow park for snowboarders and freestyle skiers. Jibs, rails, boxes, tables, kickers - lots of features for every level from rookies to pros. In the winter the park hosts 3 rails, 3 jumps (intermediate and professional), a beginner line with 12 further jumps and 12 boxes, and a rail garden with 8 rails (intermediate and professional).
Nightlife
After a hard day training, Zermatt has the perfect combination of après-ski bars to suit all tastes. Stop in at Hennu Stall on the way down from Furi and immerse yourself in a classic après-ski experience with DJ’s, live music, shot-skis and the always-thrilling post-après-ski ski back into the village.
Once in town, follow this with a drink on the terrace at the Papperla Pub and spin the wheel to see if you’re treated to a round of Jäger Meister, Tequila, Hot Shots or a jug of beer. Inside Papperla you can continue on early into the morning in their “Irish Pub” style bar, and dance to Zermatt’s own band, Good Noise Inc. Or, visit our good friends in Cable Car for a round of pool, table football or darts, and the weekly Open Mic night.
If you are still going, you could finish the night in another fine establishment in Zermatt, the Broken nightclub, open until 4am. Need we go on?
For the more refined/seasoned trainee, visit Papa Caesars for an innovative cocktail, Snowboat for a lively evening with friendly Dutch bar staff, Grizzly’s bar for football, beer and good times, or Z’alt Hischi’s for a truly local experience and the strongest gin and tonic you’ll ever taste (for the brave only).
Other Activities
When you’re not skiing there are a host of other attractions Zermatt has to offer, and depending on the course you are opting for, many of these will be included in your package and we will arrange these as weekly social events. Escape Rooms, torch-lit sledging, ice skating, Fondue evenings and Ice-curling are amongst the activities we organise.
As well as this, Zermatt boasts a cinema so you can keep up to date with new releases, a couple of well-stocked gyms, a number of yoga/pilates studios, many swimming pools and spas, and a CrossFit studio. Keeping fit won't be a problem (in theory!).
Budget
Zermatt can be done on many different budgets. Zermatt has a reputation for being expensive, upmarket and exclusive, all of which it can be if you want it to be. The easiest trap to fall into to spend your money quickly is by eating out every lunch time and evening - you would be spoiled for choice with a long list of Michelin star restaurants, but your wallet would feel the pinch. Zermatt can still be experienced on a tighter budget.
If you are on a catered course you will have breakfasts and most evening meals provided for you, which means that for lunches you can shop smart and make yourself packed lunches from one of the large supermarkets. If you stay in self-catered apartment you can chip in with your housemates and share the costs of food at home, enjoy a drink at one of the seasonaire-friendly bars such as Snowboat or Cable Car, and even enjoy a meal out at one of the more economical food establishments such as Brown Cow Burger Bar, The North Wall Bar for delicious pizzas, the kebab shop (amazing kebabs) or even a cheeky McDonald’s.
