The Matterhorn is one of the most iconic mountains in the world. Experience all its wild personalities with our guide to the best Matterhorn viewpoints.
By - Paul Healy | Published - 19 Oct 2023 | Go to - Comments & Questions
The pyramidal shape of the Matterhorn has four faces pointing almost directly towards the four faces of the compass.
Narrow ridges connect each face rising precipitously to the summit.
Getting to the summit takes a high level of fitness and climbing experience, but there are many (much easier ways) to get great views of the Matterhorn.
Some are easy and involve little more than a cable car or a train ride. Others are trickier requiring all-day hikes or clambering up metal ladders and along walkways.
Here are the best views of the Matterhorn and how to get to them.
WHERE IS THE MATTERHORN
The Matterhorn is in the European Alps, situated on the Swiss–Italian border.
The nearest town on the Swiss side is Zermatt in the canton of Valais. The nearest town on the Italian side is the ski town of Breuil Cervinia.
While only a few miles apart it used to take 4 hours to complete the circuitous drive between Breuil Cervinia and Zermatt. In 2023 the Matterhorn Alpine Crossing opened.
The crossing now connects the two towns on a glorious 90-minute cable car ride.
MATTERHORN SUMMIT
The Matterhorn is 4,478m high and one of the most iconic mountains anywhere in the world.
Called Monte Cervino in Italian, the Matterhorn has four faces pointing almost directly towards the four faces of the compass.
They are so steep that very little snow and ice cling to them. These imposing rocky faces are connected by four narrow ridges which are the main walking routes to the summit.
Out of the four faces of the Matterhorn, the most dramatic are on the northern and eastern sides. This is the area where you will get the best views and is most easily accessed from Zermatt in Switzerland.
BEST VIEWS OF THE MATTERHORN
The best views of the Matterhorn are dotted around the mountains and valleys above the town of Zermatt. Some require hiking but most can easily be accessed by the cable cars, trains, and funiculars that whisk visitors above the valley walls.
Here are our favourite viewpoints of the Matterhorn and how to get to each one.
1 – RIFFELSEE
Our favourite view of the Matterhorn is from Riffelsee Lake. Surrounded by alpine flowers, it provides the most perfect reflection shot of the pyramidal mountain. It mainly faces onto the eastern side, but some of the northern face is also visible.
HOW TO GET TO RIFFELSEE
The easiest way to get to Riffelsee is to take the Gornergrat Train from Zermatt to Rotenboden Train Station. From Rotenboden it is a five-minute walk to the lake.
Another great option is to take the Gornergrat Train from Zermatt to the Gornergrat Train Station.
From here follow the 1-hour 30-minute hike to Riffelberg Train Station. Along the way, you’ll pass Riffelsee Lake as well as countless other amazing views. It’s quite simply one of the best hikes in Switzerland.
2 – KLEIN MATTERHORN
Klein Matterhorn is a 3,883-meter peak sitting on the ridge between the Matterhorn and Breithorn mountains.
At the peak is the Mountain Glacier Paradise Viewing Platform. From here the eastern and southern faces of the Matterhorn can be seen above a field of snow and ice.
However, the views in the other direction are just as staggering. Hikers can be seen ascending 4,164m high Breithorn and the peaks of Castor and Lyskamm poke the snowfield.
In total, on a clear day, you can see thirty-eight 4,000-metre peaks and 14 glaciers. It’s not just a great view of the Matterhorn but one of the best things to do in Zermatt.
HOW TO GET TO KLEIN MATTERHORN
Take the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise Cable Car from Zermatt to Klein Matterhorn. Along the way, it stops at Furi and Trockener Steg.
3 – TROCKENER STEG
Trockener Steg is a cable car station between Zermatt and Klein Matterhorn.
Many visitors whizz passed without stopping, but that is a mistake. Not only does it cost nothing extra to stop, but the views of the Matterhorn are also quite different and quite spectacular.
From here the eastern flank of the Matterhorn faces directly towards you. The result is an almost perfectly triangular mountain. Rising over a series of rocky ridges, the Matterhorn towers over the remnants of a glacier.
The views from the cable car station are great, but to get and even better feel for the area follow the Matterhorn Glacier Trail down to Schwarzsee. It’s an easy but magnificent 2-hour and 30-minute walk.
The details can be found on our best hikes in Zermatt guide.
HOW TO GET TO TROCKENER STEG
Take the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise Cable Car from Zermatt to Trockener Steg. It can easily be combined with a visit to the Mountain Glacier Paradise viewing platform on top of Klein Matterhorn.
4 – HÖBALMEN MEADOWS
The best views of the north face of the Matterhorn are from Höhbalmen Meadows. This alpine meadow sits high above the Zmuttbach Valley. It looks across at the Zmutt and Matterhorn glaciers as they tumble down the Matterhorn’s imposing rocky face.
HOW TO GET TO HÖBALMEN MEADOWS
Unfortunately, there is no easy way to get here. No cable cars or trains run up this side of the valley. To reach the meadows, you must hike the challenging Edelweiss Trail.
Fortunately, the Edelweiss trail is one of the best hikes in Switzerland.
The circular walk is over 20 kilometers long, ascends 1,200m, and takes just over 7 hours. The highlight is the 4-kilometre section from Höhbalmen Meadows to the Arbenbach Falls, where the Matterhorn towers in front of you all the way.
You’ll need a good level of fitness, but it is an incredibly rewarding experience. As an added bonus, when you get to the viewpoint, you’ll likely have it all to yourself.
Find all the details on our best hikes in Zermatt guide.
5 – STELLISEE & SUNNEGGA
Five Lakes sit on a grassy rocky ridge to the east of Zermatt. Three of them have reflections of the Matterhorn, but the most picture-perfect of them is Stellisee.
Less protected than Riffelsee the wind often wrinkles the surface of the lake. But, on a clear day peer at the lake and you’ll find the Matterhorn staring back.
The views are across to the northern and eastern faces of the Matterhorn and the Hörnli Ridge that runs between them.
HOW TO GET TO STELLISEE
From the town of Zermatt, a funicular ascends to Sunnegga (2,288m). From here, a cable car rises to Blauherd (2,571m), then another cable car climbs to Rothorn (3,104m).
Stellisee is most easily reached from the Blauherd cable car station from where it is a 20-minute walk. You can return the way you came or continue on the popular 10-kilometre Five Lakes walk back down to Sunnegga.
In our opinion, a better option is to start at Rothorn and follow the 5.5-kilometre Crystal Trail via charming Fluhalp Hut and Stellisee Lake down to Blauherd. There are fewer crowds, and the views are better.
6 – HÖRNLIHÜTTE
Hörnli Hut is base camp for those wanting to climb to the summit of the Matterhorn. Sitting on the Hörnli Ridge between the eastern and northern faces it offers the closest view of the mountain without risking life and limb.
Sitting right under the slopes it’s difficult to appreciate the Matterhorn’s pyramidal shape.
Instead, what you get is an impression of its sheer size, vertical faces, and narrow ridges.
If you are lucky, you will get views of climbers trying to negotiate the Hörnli Ridge or preparing for the ascent the next day.
The hut is also a great place to chill out for an hour or so. On a sunny day the terrace provides great views over the remote and barren alpine wilderness.
HOW TO GET TO HÖRNLI HUT
Hörnli Hut is a 2-hour each way (4-hour total) hike from Schwarzsee Cable Car Station. It is mildly challenging with 700 metres of ascent. A couple of metal ladders and metal walkways help in the trickiest section and there’s one (very short) narrow section where a head for heights is useful.
It’s a truly exceptional walk winding up and down the lower sections of the ridge. It provides a real sense of alpine adventure and is one of the best things to do in Zermatt.
CLIMBING THE MATTERHORN SUMMIT
Climbing to the Matterhorn summit is a monumental achievement. The easiest route is up the Hörnli Ridge from Hörnli Hut. It requires a high level of fitness, upper and lower body strength, and significant experience in rock climbing.
The summit day begins at about 4.30 am when the doors of the hut open. It takes about 4-5 hours to ascend and 5-6 hours to descend.
Fixed ropes assist in the trickier sections. The lower section can be completed without crampons but the section above the Schulter Plateau is often covered in snow and ice.
Here’s a video of the climb.
7 – MÜRINI HILL
The town of Zermatt is tucked into a valley. Many of the mighty mountains that surround it are tucked behind the walls of the valley. Only the very top of the Matterhorn can be seen as you wander between the buildings in the town.
The best views are from Mürini Hill which is in Le Petit Village area on the north-eastern edge of town. From here the wooden chalets of Zermatt sit between the slope of the valley with the Matterhorn backdrop.
HOW TO TO GET TO MÜRINI HILL
Mürini Hill is a 20-minute walk from Zermatt’s Bahnhof – main train station.
MAP | BEST MATTERHORN VIEWPOINTS
You can find all the best Matterhorn Viewpoints marked by a camera symbol on the map below. The different coloured lines are the best hikes in Zermatt and show the best routes to each one.
How to use our maps // Click on the top right corner to open in the Google Maps app. Click on the star to save to your Google account.
WHERE TO STAY NEAR THE MATTERHORN
The best views of the Matterhorn are most easily accessed from Zermatt. Zermatt is a car-free village reached via a 15-minute train ride from Täsch.
There are four main areas you’ll want to consider when deciding where to stay.
- Zermatt Village
- Zermatt Matterhorn Express
- Zermatt Mountain Hotels
- Zermatt Mountain Huts
All the details, along with hotel recommendations, are in our guide to the best places to stay in Zermatt.
MORE SWITZERLAND GUIDES
- Get all the details on our favourite hikes in Switzerland.
- Put together a great vacation with our guide to the best things to do in Zermatt.
- After many trips over the years, these are our favourite places to visit in Switzerland.
- Hike superb trails in the Bernese Oberland region.
- Get to know Appenzell, one of our favourite regions in Switzerland.
- Read our guide on the best things to do in Bern.
- Explore the picturesque Lucerne, Switzerland.
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