Zermatt ~ The Matterhorn Ski Paradise...

OTP Holidays ~ Preferred Tour Operator of Zermatt Tourism

This ski region boasts some of the most varied and dramatic skiing in the world, with slopes up to 3900m - you can ski here every day of the year!

There are 313kms of pistes and a number of excellent ski schools to try. Runs to the resort are also covered by snow-cannon and there are a number of snow parks and half pipes for snowboarders.

There are also special ski passes which allow you to ski, for example, for 5 days out of 7, so that you can have a day off to sample the tremendous range of shops and boutiques. For non-skiers, there is the Peak Pass, covering a non-skier for all the lifts at a special reduced rate

The piste map can be viewed by clicking HERE

Dominated by the stunning scenery of the Matterhorn, Zermatt's pluses can be summarised as follows - awesome scenery; amazing mountain restaurants; fantastic and varied skiing (also linked to Cervinia in Italy); a charming and predominantly traffic-free town, bar the electric taxis; great snow high up; all sorts of nightlife for everybody; great shopping; masses of non-skiing activities to enjoy; a glacier for year-round skiing; good accommodation; a cosmopolitan crowd; excellent boarding provision. Apart from all that, it's quite a good resort…

Skiing:

Novice skiers:

Zermatt has good novice slopes and the ski schools have an exellent reputation. 19 blue runs are dedicated to help you find your ski legs. All the lifts from the village are either cable car or trains - no drag lifts in the mornings!

Intermediate skiers:

There are superb tree-line runs with great off-piste potential. You can really explore the jumps and fun areas of the region. 35 red runs, this is intermediate paradise - and you can ski Cervinia as well! Day long ski tours are organised and allow you to explore the area and improve your techniques dramatically.

Advanced skiers:

Zermatt has a great range of 15 black runs and 8 Ski Tour runs to challenge the very best of skiers and boarders - and don't forget the slopes in Cervinia as well! Heli-skiing is popular here (the resort even has its own helipad!)

Night Life:

Aprés-ski is excellent here, ranging from informal and very good value with a traffic free village square boasting unpretentious and friendly restaurants to the top and 5 star hotels and restaurants.

Aprés-ski ranges from quiet informal cafes to lively bars with music and rock bands. There are bars for every taste, and night clubs with dancing until dawn, if you have the energy! Night clubs are generally free entry and they and the main bars offer a number of theme nights as well.

Drinks prices are very good value for a top ski resort (from only CHF5 - approx £3 - for a pint) and Zermatt's famous mountain restaurants are reasonably priced and with excellent food. Restaurants vary from traditional pizzas from about £6, to American, Mexican, Chinese - in fact cuisine from every country in the world - and of course the Swiss specialities. All food is of a very high quality.