Things to do in Zermatt & Valais

From Zermatt, the Gornergrat Railway climbs to about 3,100 m, where more than two dozen four-thousand-metre peaks, including the Matterhorn and Dufourspitze, surround the Gorner Glacier, and lifts rise to the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise at 3,883 m, with views of 38 peaks across Switzerland, France and Italy and the Crystal Ride cabins, whose glass floor clears above the glacier. From Fiesch, a gondola and a cable car lead to the Eggishorn viewpoint over 20 km of the Great Aletsch Glacier in the Jungfrau-Aletsch UNESCO World Heritage Site, and from car-free Saas-Fee the Alpin-Express and the underground Metro-Alpin funicular reach the Allalin, with the world's highest revolving restaurant and the Ice Pavilion inside the Fee Glacier. Leukerbad, the largest thermal spa resort in the Alps, lets you soak in mineral-rich water with mountain views at Leukerbad Therme. In Sion, stroll the traffic-free Grand-Pont, climb to the hilltop ruins of Tourbillon Castle and the fortified Valère church, then look for Valais specialities such as raclette, apricots, saffron and wine.

Good to knowThe lifts from Zermatt take about 45 minutes to reach the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise and operate year-round, while on the Gornergrat you can walk to the Riffelsee in summer to see the Matterhorn reflected or ride the toboggan run from Rotenboden to Riffelberg in winter. At the Eggishorn, the extra 20-minute climb to the main summit for a 360° panorama is for confident walkers, and at Leukerbad it is worth walking the Thermal Spring Footbridge in the Dala Gorge before bathing.