Pensioners' Trail / Lower High-Altitude Trail (Nr. 4a)
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/ Leisurely walk above the villagePhoto: Zermatt Tourismus, Pascal Gertschen -
/ Along the way benches for relaxingPhoto: Zermatt Tourismus, Fabienne Schaller
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/ With view of the Matterhorn, the village and the Gornergrat RailwayPhoto: Zermatt Tourismus, Pascal Gertschen
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/ Cosy walk in the shady larch woodPhoto: Zermatt Tourismus, Fabienne Schaller
This path offers glimpses of three parallel worlds: the village, mountain forest and the Gornergrat Bahn cog railway. The trail climbs gently to a level where the views alternate between lush woodland and the rooftops of Zermatt.
The Pensioner's Trail is by no means reserved for older walkers. It leads from the Winkelmatten chapel uphill to the tracks of the Gornergrat Bahn: a good chance to see the working mechanism of a rack-and-pinion railway close up. The trail then flattens out, passing a metallophone (like a xylophone of metal). Below, to the left, lie the hotels and houses of Zermatt, offering an occasional glimpse of an interior. Finally the path leads into the forest, and an atmosphere of tranquil seclusion. Here, young people of Zermatt have created a discovery trail, and walkers who keep their eyes open will be rewarded with some happy surprises.
- Appropriate for children from age 4
- Accessible for pushchairs with large wheels
- Discovery trail
- Beautiful larch woods
- Steps back down to the village
Author’s recommendation
Take time for a stop and rest at one of the benches along the path while enjoying the view of the Matterhorn and the village.
Safety information
- Plan every mountain tour carefully and adapt to participants’ fitness level as well as the weather and season.
- Weather conditions can change quickly in the mountains. Appropriate clothing is therefore essential, along with adequate supplies of food and water. In uncertain weather, turn back in good time.
- Inform others of planned route, and whenever possible avoid going alone.
- Do not leave the marked routes; do not venture onto glaciers without a mountain guide.
- It is forbidden to walk on the ski pistes.
- Please be considerate to other walkers and to plants and animals.
- Take note of the warning signs drawing attention to the constant danger in river beds and along watercourses below dams and reservoirs.
- Beware: railway crossing
Equipment
We recommend:
- Good footwear
- Hiking poles (optional)
- Clothing suitable for the weather (always carry a waterproof)
Start
Destination
Turn-by-turn directions
Winkelmatten (chapel) – along Pensioner's Trail / unterer Höhenweg - Schönegg
(Hiking time in reverse direction: approx. 1h)
This hike is marked on the signposts as “AHV-Weg / unterer Höhenweg”.
Note
Public transport
By train to the Matterhorn village: 3½ hours from Zürich airport or 4 hours from Geneva airport. Change at Visp onto the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn (Matterhorn Gotthard Railway). From Visp, the railway leads through the Mattertal valley past idyllic small villages to Zermatt.Zermatt is also the start and finish point for the world-famous Glacier Express panoramic train journey (Zermatt to St. Moritz or Davos).
Getting there
Zermatt is car-free. Private vehicles are permitted only as far as Täsch (5 km before Zermatt). The Täsch–Zermatt road is closed to the public.Onward travel to Zermatt is either by private taxi or shuttle train. Trains depart every 20 minutes; the journey takes about 12 minutes, and ends at the Bahnhofplatz in Zermatt.
Parking
Täsch has car parks with both covered and open-air parking – e.g. at the Matterhorn Terminal or privately operated facilities.Onward travel: see “Getting there”.
Statistics
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