About Gornergrat Bahn
The Gornergrat Bahn is the highest open-air cog railway in Europe, climbing from Zermatt village at 1,604 metres to the Gornergrat summit station at 3,089 metres in approximately 33 minutes. Inaugurated in 1898, it was the first fully electric cog railway in Switzerland and remains one of the most scenic train journeys in the world. The route passes through larch forests, crosses the Findelbach viaduct, and emerges above the treeline to reveal an ever-expanding panorama of the Matterhorn, Monte Rosa, and 29 other four-thousand-metre peaks.
At the summit, the Gornergrat observation platform offers a 360-degree view that encompasses the Gorner Glacier — the second-largest glacier in the Alps — and an unbroken ring of high peaks stretching from the Matterhorn to the Breithorn, Castor, Pollux, and beyond into Italy. The summit complex includes the 3100 Kulmhotel Gornergrat (the highest hotel in the Swiss Alps), a restaurant, and the Stellarium planetarium. In winter, the railway serves as a ski lift, with intermediate stations providing access to the Gornergrat ski area and connections to the broader Zermatt ski domain. In summer, it is the starting point for dozens of hiking trails including the famous Five Lakes Walk.
What makes the Gornergrat Bahn special is the effortless access it provides to genuine high-alpine terrain. Unlike cable cars that whisk you up in an enclosed cabin, the open-air carriages let you watch the landscape transform as you climb — from valley meadows to glacial moraine to bare rock and ice. The journey itself is the experience, not just the destination. Trains depart every 24 minutes throughout the day from the station directly opposite Zermatt's main railway station, making it easy to integrate into any visit. Combined tickets with the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise and Rothorn cable cars are available for visitors exploring the full Zermatt mountain network.
