Zermatt holidays

Wander down the Bahnhofstrasse for a truly memorable shopping experience. You'll stumble across an amazing variety of traditional products like Swiss army knives and cuckoo clocks, amongst clothing and fragrances in the 316 shops. If you're a chocolate fan, make sure you pay a visit to the wonderful Lindt or Boite à Chocolat shops. The Båkerei Fuchs is a local favourite, with homemade confectionary, pastries and chocolates to tempt you.

Like most Swiss towns, you'll find one or two prestigious watch makers in Zermatt - Omega and Swatch are just a couple of brands present in the resort. Designer shops aren't rare either, with jewellers, high end fashion shops and sports shops all serving up a range of quality products.

Zermatt's Alpine setting makes laidback evenings easy - a glass of wine and mountain views are the perfect combination for end-of-the-day relaxation. The Beausite Piano Bar is the best place for this with its panoramic terrace, stylish lounge, wide selection of drinks and soothing piano music.

With 60 bars and clubs, Zermatt has all you need to let your hair down. Alex's Cocktail and Sunset Bar are a couple of pre-drink choices, while the Broken Bar Disco is your late-night venue. It's a legendary nightclub in the Alps, renowned for its famous barrel that partygoers must have a go at dancing on.

If you’re a real foodie, Zermatt is the place to be. From high-quality mountain restaurants to artisan food shops and cosmopolitan bars and restaurants, you’ll never run out of things to try. You won’t be limited to just Swiss food either – you’ll find restaurants serving Japanese, American, Indian and Turkish dishes too. There are restaurants dotted about all over the place, on both sides of the river.

On the mountain is Restaurant Chez Vrony, a gourmet restaurant with lots of character. It’s an ideal spot for lunch, with fantastic views and an extensive menu.

At the bottom of Oberdorfstrasse is Zermatt’s oldest restaurant, Restaurant du Pont. It has a great reputation for cheese, so you can definitely get your fill of fondue and raclette here.

Near the Sunnegga funicular, this traditional spot in the Hotel National serves simple yet sophisticated Swiss favourites, like crispy rösti and bubbling fondue.

Buses run approximately every 25 minutes and there are two different lines. The green link runs along the river to all of the lift stations, whilst the red line loops around the resort. Your Swiss Half Fare Card that you get as part of your holiday gives you up to 50% off buses, and electro-buses are free for everyone.

A Peak Pass is certainly worth the money, as it means you can explore all over the Rothorn, Gornergrat and Matterhorn Glacier Paradise with unlimited cable car travel. Plus, you’ll get a 25% discount with your Swiss Half Fare Card. For a two-country adventure, the Matterhorn Alpine Crossing whisks you into Cervinia in Italy. It’s the highest Alpine crossing by cableway between two countries and you can get a 50% discount on the Swiss section with your Swiss Half Fare Card.

Shuttle trains run between Zermatt and Täsch every 12 minutes, keeping the town car-free. If you’re feeling energetic, try out waterskiing or wakeboarding on Schalisee, a 20 minute walk from Täsch railway station. Take advantage of your Swiss Half Fare Card that you get as part of your holiday for up to 50% off Swiss train journeys during your stay. You can get to Visp and Brig further along the valley, or even head further afield with trains to Bern and Interlaken (2 hours 15 minutes).

The car-free town of Zermatt is ideal for exploring on foot. Browse the shops and restaurants at leisure and don’t miss walking down the Hinterdorfstrasse – the oldest surviving street in Zermatt.

There’s plenty on offer for walkers in Zermatt, with over 400km of signposted trails. The trails will take you through pine-scented forests, over mountain streams, around high-altitude lakes and across Alpine meadows. You can step out of town in pretty much any direction to explore, or you can use the mountain railways and cable cars to access more of the fantastic walks – and with the majestic Matterhorn as a backdrop, you’re sure to have fantastic views. Back in town, you can wander down the Hinterdorfstrasse – the oldest surviving street in Zermatt, which dates back to the 16^th century.

An educational walk, where you’ll learn about marmots along the way. Take the Sunegga lift up to Blauherd and then follow signs for route 8 to Murmelweg. Along the way, information boards will tell you all about marmots, and you’ll finish at Sunegga, which has its own marmot viewing platform. You’ll also pass Leisee, a lakeside spot where you can stop for a swim. The Sunegga funicular will take you back down to Zermatt.

Named after Mark Twain, who took this route back in 1878, the trail starts at the historic Hotel Riffelhaus, opposite the Riffelberg Station. There are views of the Matterhorn all the way and the tinkle of cow bells may well accompany you down to Riffelalp. Be sure to read Twain's guide "Climbing the Riffelberg" for some inspiration and humour before you set off.