Discover Valais & Zermatt - Discover Switzerland: Experience the Best of Switzerland - page 386

Activities
An essential stop in activity planning is Zermatt Alpin Center Offline map Google map (
027 966 24 60; www.alpincenter-zermatt.ch ; Bahnhofstrasse 58; 9am-noon & 3-7pm mid-Nov-Apr
& Jul-Sep) , home to Zermatt's ski school and mountain guides. In winter you can buy lift
passes here (Sfr75/371 for a one-/six-day pass excluding Cervinia, Sfr86/423 including
Cervinia).
Skiing
Zermatt is cruising heaven, with mostly long, scenic red runs, plus a smattering of blues
for ski virgins and knuckle-whitening blacks for experts. The main skiing areas in winter
are Rothorn , Stockhorn and Klein Matterhorn - 350km of ski runs in all with a link
from Klein Matterhorn to the Italian resort of Cervinia and a freestyle park with half-pipe
for snowboarders.
Summer skiing (20km of runs) and boarding (gravity park at Plateau Rosa on the
Theodul glacier) is Europe's most extensive.
Hiking
Zermatt is a hiker's paradise in summer with 400km of trails through some of the most in-
credible scenery in the Alps - the tourist office has trail maps. For Matterhorn close-ups,
the ultimate day trek is Höhenweg Höhbalmen.