Description: This is a
beautiful and gentle ramble of great variety. It features pastures of wildflowers, pleasant forests, ancient mountain villages, as well as
a visit to the interesting Gornergorge. Further more, the walk passes
two superb mountain restaurants, encouraging extended breaks.
N.b. Being deep in the valley, this walk does not feature the most striking mountain views,
at least relative to the other Zermatt walks.
Time required: About 1 hour of walking
(30 mins uphill at start / 30 mins downhill), but makes a
relaxing morning or afternoon
Difficulty: *
Gentle
Popularity:
****
Popular
Begins at: Zermatt (1614m altitude)
Ends at: Zermatt
(1614m)
Goes via: Zum See (1770m),
Blatten (1733m)
Track Notes: The forests and narrow valleys of this trail
offer some shelter from bad weather. There is a charge for entry to the
Gornergorge: Adults: sFr.4 Children: sFr.2 Trail
open all year (Gorge section – summer only)
N.b. Zum See is pronounced 'ts-um Zay'. The 'u' in 'tsum' is spoken like
the 'oo' in 'cook'.
Variants: This walk can be combined with walk
to Zmutt - the Zmutt section being best completed first..
The walk begins at the “Gemeinde Zollhaus” (Customs
office) at the southern end of Zermatt, just by the river and not far
from the Matterhorn lifts (“Matterhornbahnen”). To get to the
Zollhaus; find the main river flowing north through the center of
Zermatt, and take the road upstream and alongside so that the river is
on your left. Ie. You want
to be on the west bank.
The Zollhaus is about a fifteen-minute walk from the main train station
of Zermatt, next to the river and the electric bus depot. Nearby a
wooden footbridge crosses to the other side of the river and the
Matterhorn lifts, and by the bridge is a big signpost indicating trails
in all directions. We continue on the road upstream in the direction of
Zum See and Blatten.
Walk further along the road to some park benches and a public
telescope with a view of the Matterhorn. Just beyond this, pass to the
right side of a quarry/gravel pits onto a broad footpath. A fenced path
ascends gradually through pleasant pasture (photo left) in the direction
of the Matterhorn. After five minutes take a right at an intersection
(1645m altitude) in the direction of Zum See. The path ascends to the right
through stands of trees and past barns to another intersection (1705m).
At this one take a left onto the lower path in the direction of Zum See
again. Soon enter a beautiful forest (photo left) and down to a
delightful bridge over the “Zmuttbach” (Zmutt brook). The path then
climbs uphill two minutes to another intersection and a cross (1711m).
Take a right here past a barn to Zum See, which is very close now. In a
final rise to Zum See, the Matterhorn and the Breithorn come into view
and after about 10 minutes Zum See (1770m) is reached. Zum See is a
truly beautiful old farming hamlet. As you walk through the cluster of
barns and farmhouses, you can’t help but notice the fine restaurant
“Zum See” (also known as Max and Greti’s). This particular
restaurant is quite often cited as the single best mountain restaurant
in the Alps, and we can certainly recommend trying the menu here.
Perhaps fortunately after Max and Greti’s, the path is all
downhill. Continue through the hamlet of Zum See in the direction of a
sign on a barn wall which points to “Furi and Schwarzsee”. After a
hundred yards the path reaches another intersection. Take the descending
path left
towards the obvious nearby hamlet of Blatten. Stroll down a gentle slope to
Blatten in the direction of Zermatt. Blatten (1733m) itself is another
beautiful old gaggle of barns and classic Swiss farmhouses and a
delightful
little chapel. Blatten features its own very charming restaurant
tempting one to enjoy another leisurely break. There is also the Riccola
herb garden, which may interest some.
At Blatten one must decide where to head next. It is
recommended to visit the Gornergorge, unless you have a strong fear of
heights or you feel you cannot negotiate a short series of very steep
wooden stairs. Just by the Blatten chapel, a signpost offers the
alternatives: directly north back to Zermatt in order to skip the
Gornergorge, or south past the restaurant in the direction of the “Gornerschlucht”
(German for Gornergorge). If you decide to skip the Gornergorge, take
the path by the chapel directly out of Blatten north and downhill for a
few minutes past the Aroleidwald restaurant. From there down a couple
more minutes to a wide bridge (piste in winter) where the trail
joins the one exiting the gorge - see the last paragraph below.
From the chapel to the gorge, one passes by the restaurant
Blatten and walks downhill under the gondola lift. The roar of water is
soon to be heard and after a couple more minutes cross a bridge over the
upper gorge (photo left). After another few meters one comes to an
intersection. Take the lower left in the direction of the “Gornerschlucht”.
Ramble north through nice forest another five minutes to approach another
intersection. Take the path left down to the gorge. Walk down rocky
steps to ladders and the beginning of the gorge. A signpost indicates
(in German) the prices and the requirement to pay at the other end of
the gorge. There will be someone to collect the fee at the far end
of the gorge during
“office hours”. It takes five to ten minutes to wander through the
gorge and care must be taken on the first very steep steps. While far
from being the most spectacular gorge in Switzerland, the gorge merits a
look if you are walking nearby. There is often a huge torrent of water
gushing through its narrow walls. One would not want to fall in
accidentally - although there are handrails of course.
From the exit of the gorge, a path descends three minutes back
to join with the direct path from Blatten at a broad wooden bridge
(piste in winter). Take this wide bridge over a stream downhill and
after a few minutes pass a sports field. Following the river north, soon
cross over a bridge to join up with the start of our walk by the park
benches and just further on, the Zollhaus or Customs House.
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