125 years of fascination
On 20 August 1898, the Gornergrat Railway – the first electric rack railway in Switzerland – travelled up the Gornergrat on its inaugural journey. From then on, this pioneering feat of railway technology allowed guests from near and far to discover the mystical world of mountains and glaciers above Zermatt and had a lasting impact on the development of tourism in the Matterhorn village. The Gornergrat Railway celebrates its 125th birthday in 2023.
125 stories
The construction of the spectacular excursion railway from Zermatt to the Gornergrat took just two years. But the topography and the altitude presented the builders with many challenges. Work began in May 1896 and the construction window was extremely short between the melting of the snow and the onset of winter. More than 1000 workers were employed at the same time. The opening finally took place on 20 August 1898. The route from Zermatt (1604 m a. s. l.) to Gornergrat (3089 m a. s. l.) is 9.3 kilometres long and climbs 1485 metres in altitude.
Jubilee Zermatt-Gornergrat package from 2 nights onwards
The Gornergrat Railway is celebrating its 125th birthday! With our anniversary package, guests receive a discount on their hotel accommodation + return Zermatt-Gornergrat ticket with the Gornergrat Railway (from 2 nights). Includes priority boarding and admission to "ZOOOM the Matterhorn - See. Feel. Marvel.” To ensure that guests remember their stay for a long time to come, the Gornergrat Railway is gifting a Gornergrat Railway souvenir mug to take home.
Photo competition #125YearsGornergratRailway
We are looking for the most beautiful souvenir photos from the last 125 years. Anyone who finds treasure on their mobile phone or in an old photo album can post their pictures on Instagram. The post must be tagged with the hashtag #125YearsGornergratRailway and the Gornergrat Railway must be tagged with @gornergrat. This will automatically enter you into the competition. The competition runs between 1 April and 31 October and you can submit multiple entries. On your marks, get set, post!
Meet the Sheep
Blacknose sheep – the typical Valais sheep on the Gornergrat. Their spiral horns, their black spots and especially their fur are unique. From the end of June to mid-September 2023, around 125 Valais Blacknose sheep will once again graze on the Gornergrat. Guests in the area have the opportunity to visit them in the wild. Using GPS localisation, it is possible to track the woolly sheep wherever they are on the mountain.
ZOOOM the Matterhorn – See. Feel. Marvel.
In this multimedia experience, visitors can enjoy the Matterhorn and the breathtaking mountain world around the Gornergrat using all their senses. A periscope allows guests to discover the Matterhorn up close from a distance. In the captivating 3D cinema, visitors are immersed in the icy snowy landscape, the hurricane-like autumn storms, the flowering spring meadows and the balmy summer evenings of the surrounding mountain world. Finally, a virtual paragliding flight with a spectacular panorama rounds off the adventure. The visit to ZOOOM is included in all Zermatt-Gornergrat return tickets.