One of the must-do activities when you are visiting Zermatt, Switzerland for the first time is to ride the Gornergrat Bahn, a 120 or so year-old cogwheel train railway that takes passengers up 3100 meters above sea level for the very best unforgettable views of the snowy Alps and the famous Matterhorn.

The ride begins at the base station in Zermatt, located just across the street from the main train station. There are 5 stations that you can choose to stop at: Findelbach, Riffelalp, Riffelberg, Rotenboden, and lastly, Gornergrat Summit. A 6th station, Legendär, is also available to stop at depending on the time of day.

Some of the intermediate stops each have their own entertainment value in hikes and slopes. Riffelalp and Riffelberg have plenty of unregulated ski slopes if the resorts are not tickling your sense of adventure enough. These stops also have restaurants specializing in regional Swiss cuisine in case you get hungry during all of the adventure. Rotenboden is a wide open area that is home to the famous Toblerone sign.

The very last station is Gornergrat, the second-highest train station in all of Europe. The views of the Matterhorn are unmatched from the Observatory doe to the lack of any no obstructions. There is a machine to help you take selfies with the Matterhorn in the background if there are no other people around to help you take the photo (or if you are just shy!)

The ride itself is fantastic as well. You can see a whole bunch of other people skiing down slopes and having a good time as the train continues to climb up. The panoramic mountain range fill you up with a sense of grand wonder and freedom. Feel free to stick your head out of the window as well for an awesome action shot.

Read about our first escapade in Switzerland, including taking the Gornergrat! → The Legendary Playground of Europe