MATTERHORN GLACIER PARADISE | Things To Do In Zermatt, Switzerland | Europe’s Highest Cable Car!

MATTERHORN GLACIER PARADISE | Things To Do In Zermatt, Switzerland | Europe’s Highest Cable Car!

Welcome to Glacier Paradise, Europe’s  highest cable car station! We’ve never   been this high before so the first thing we need   to do is catch our breath… But then  we’re going to go check out the view. This is the highest viewing platform in Europe.  And from here, you can see 38 different peaks  

Over 4000 meters, and 14 glaciers across 3  countries: France, Switzerland, and Italy. By the way, if we haven’t met, we’re  Jana and Brett and we recently moved   to Interlaken. And I can supposedly  spy our hometown mountains from here,  

The Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau. You can also  see the Breithorn and Mont Blanc from here. And I’ve heard the Breithorn might just  be the easiest 4000 meter peak to climb in   the entire Alps. So it’s on my list to conquer  one day — with an experienced guide of course!

You’ll notice that we don’t have the  actual classic Matterhorn view up here,   but that’s because we’re looking at the  south face instead of the north face. But that’s one of the neat things about  visiting Zermatt. You have a totally   different perspective on the Matterhorn from  every cable car, train ride, and hiking trail.

Like many places in the world, there is  a railing of locks here. And supposedly,   if you confess your undying love to each other  up here and secure a lock and place the key in   the box by the elevator, they’ll put the key  in the ice to symbolize your eternal love.

And I’m not really sure how to transition after  that, so let’s go talk about skiing, shall we? Did you know that you can ski 365 days a year here  at Glacier Paradise? This is both the highest and  

The largest summer ski resort in Europe with 21  kilometers of ski runs and a freestyle arena. In case you can’t tell, it’s  a little bit cold up here. It’s cold up here. So we definitely recommend — no,  we actually just, we’re telling  

You to wear a nice warm jacket, and a hat  and sunglasses are not a bad idea either. Okay, now it’s cold. I think we should go  inside and see what else they have at Glacier Paradise. Thank you, Wolli, for welcoming me to  Glacier Palace. I’m so happy to be here.

Well, we might be out of the wind, but  it’s not necessarily any warmer in here   because now we are 15 meters below  the surface of the glacier. So we’ve   been inside of the manmade ice tunnels at  Jungfraujoch before. But this is unreal.  

We are literally inside of a crevasse of  a glacier right now. This is just amazing. There’s this really cool ice slide. You grab one of  these cushions and take it to the top. But the  

First time I went super slow because I was trying  to record it on my phone. Make sure you yank hard   on the ropes because you will go so fast. I zoomed  down that slide like I was a reckless maniac.

Okay. I’d really like to warm up now, so let’s  go see if the cinema is a few degrees warmer. In case you haven’t caught on yet,   Glacier Paradise went all out to earn the  title of “Highest” in various categories,  

Including the highest cinema in Europe. You  can plop down for a few minutes in one of   these cozy egg chairs and watch short videos about  mountaineering, snow, glacier plants, and more. And there’s another award for the highest  at Glacier Paradise, and that’s the highest  

Mountain restaurant in Europe. It’s futuristic  and panoramic, of course. You can even watch   the cooks cook your meal right before you, which  is pretty cool. But we’re not going to eat here   today because we have packed a picnic to do a  hike from the next cable car station below.

Okay, this might make me sound like a diva,  but having to pay 2 CHF to go to the bathroom   after spending up to 120 CHF just to get up  here is kind of ridiculous, in my opinion. Toilet update. They make you pay  2 CHF because there’s some kind of  

Special water purification treatment system. And I   guess it’s kind of impressive to even  have a bathroom at almost 13,000 feet. But the good news is you can  pay by cash or credit card,   and you actually get a little voucher where  you can get 2 CHF off of a purchase at the  

Restaurant or the shop. So it’s still pretty  lame, but maybe a little bit less lame. So let’s ride down to Trockener Steg,   but get ready because we have a  surprise in store for our ride.

This is already one of the highest cable car rides  in the world. But for an extra 10 CHF per adult,   you can upgrade to a glass bottomed gondola  called the Crystal Ride. The gondola’s exterior   is decorated with sparkly crystals and you can  see through the glass floor to the glacier below,  

Soaring over miles upon miles of glaciers  is not an everyday experience for us. And having a cable car all to  ourselves with heated seats   made the majestic views during this  nine minute ride even more enjoyable.

Now that it’s a bit warmer here, let me tell  you what you need to know about getting up to   Glacier Paradise. The standard round trip ticket  for adults costs anywhere from 95 to 120 CHF,   depending on the season. Unfortunately, if  you’re traveling with the Eurail or Interrail  

Pass, there is no discount, so  you’ll have to pay full price. You get 50% off with the Half Fare  Card or the Swiss Travel Pass,   and the ride is fully covered by both  the Peak Pass and the Peak2Peak ticket,  

When it’s available. Kids travel for free  all the way up to age 9, which is pretty   special because that’s usually only the  case in Switzerland until they turn 6. But, and this is very important,  children under age three can not   travel past Trockener Steg because  of the risk of altitude sickness.

Kids 9 to 15 travel for half price, or for free  if you have the Swiss Family Card. And you can   even bring your dog with you up to the highest  cable car station in Europe for completely free. But enough about tickets.  Let’s show you everything  

Else there is to do here at Trockener Steg. Well, really, there are only 4  things you can do here. First,   this is where you can buy tickets for this special  Crystal Ride, although you can also buy them at  

The Zermatt station as well. Second, there’s a  restaurant with a rooftop terrace and a shop. Third, there’s the Info Cube. It’s  a free mini museum, all about the   highest 3S cableway in the world, also  called the Matterhorn Alpine Crossing.  

So what so special about this ride? Well, it  is literally the highest crossing in the Alps,   stretching from Switzerland to Italy. And it  just opened for the first time in July 2023. Fourth, this is where you start  the Matterhorn Glacier Trail,  

At least if you’d rather hike it downhill.  But if you’re not up for hiking at all,   you can just ride the cable  car down to the next station,   Schwarzsee. But we’re going to take the six and  a half kilometer trek to show you what it’s like.

The Matterhorn Glacier Trail leads across a  lunar-like landscape that was once a glacier.   Since 1850, when the little ice age ended,  the Furgg and Theodul glaciers have receded   more than three kilometers, exposing the  trail you can now walk on. Along the way,

You can see the Matterhorn reflected on a lake’s  surface and read 23 different info panels with   details about the glaciers that once existed  before ending your hike at this next spot. Welcome to Schwarzsee! This is a  little mountain lake with a cute   chapel that is unfortunately under  construction at the moment. There’s  

Also plenty of biking trails and hiking  paths here, a restaurant, and, of course,   the famous Zermatt sign. If you’re curious  about other things to do near Zermatt,   check out our Zermatt Travel Guides or watch  this next. And we’ll see you in Switzerland!

Come and see Matterhorn Glacier Paradise — Europe’s highest cable car station that soars above Zermatt, Switzerland and beside the Matterhorn mountain. Ride an ice slide. Walk in a crevasse. Go skiing. And see peaks in 3 countries!

Want to add Matterhorn Glacier Paradise to your Zermatt itinerary?
SHOP OUR 3-DAY GUIDE TO ZERMATT
➡️ https://aplinsinthealps.com/guides/3-day-guide-to-zermatt

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// ABOUT THIS VIDEO //

Get ready for epic views, chilly adventures, and a unique experience at one of the highest places in Europe!

WHAT IS MATTERHORN GLACIER PARADISE
-The highest cable car station in Europe (officially called “Klein Matterhorn”)
-Where you can ski 365 days a year
-Right beside the mighty Matterhorn mountain!
-The highest cinema in Europe
-You can walk under a glacier
-And so much more!

WHERE IS MATTERHORN GLACIER PARADISE
Just above the village of Zermatt, Switzerland. And right beside the Matterhorn mountain!

WHY VISIT MATTERHORN GLACIER PARADISE
Matterhorn Glacier Paradise is one of the most popular things to do in Zermatt (and one of the top things to see in Switzerland). It invites you to enjoy the fresh (and thin) air at 3883 meters/12740 feet — the highest cable car station in Europe!

At the top you can see Mont Blanc in France, Gran Paradiso in Italy, and even all the way to the Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau mountains. (Apparently you can also see the Mediterranean on a super clear day!)

Inside the Klein Matterhorn mountain you can walk below the surface of a glacier and even enjoy a ride down an ice slide. Or enjoy a film in Europe’s highest cinema.

Outside, you can also watch skiers in the highest ski area in Europe — or go skiing yourself!

WHAT ELSE CAN YOU DO NEAR MATTERHORN GLACIER PARADISE?
Watch till the end of this video for a peek at Trockener Steg, the Matterhorn Glacier Trail, and Schwarzsee!

HOW CAN I ADD MATTERHORN GLACIER PARADISE TO MY ZERMATT ITINERARY?
Easy, it’s included in our 3-Day Guide to Zermatt!
➡️ https://aplinsinthealps.com/guides/3-day-guide-to-zermatt

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// WATCH NEXT //

If you only have 1 day in Zermatt, Switzerland — go HERE!
▶️ https://youtu.be/KUAsOYB5Qgo?si=9vMBMOUYCNUYNT7f

What 1 Week in Zermatt REALLY Costs
▶️ https://youtu.be/-bA2pbv2cl8?si=6w0QGy5DpujkMDQW

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Interlaken, Grindelwald, Lauterbrunnen, Jungfraujoch, Lucerne, and more!

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