Plan a route here Copy route
Winter hiking recommended route

Zermatt Circular Trail (Nr. 117)

· 1 review · Winter hiking · Zermatt
Responsible for this content
Zermatt - Matterhorn Verified partner  Explorers Choice 
  • Winterwunderland
    Winterwunderland
    Photo: Zermatt Tourimus, Pascal Gertschen
m 1800 1750 1700 1650 1600 1550 6 5 4 3 2 1 km Kapelle Blatten … Rosenkranzkönigin" Weiler Blatten Blatten Bahnhof Zermatt Bahnhof Zermatt
A chapel, beautiful bridges and an enchanted winter forest like no other: the Zermatt Circular Trail offers this and more.
moderate
Distance 6.5 km
2:00 h
198 m
198 m
1,761 m
1,602 m

From the train station, one walks to the far part of the village and then up to the hamlet of Blatten, where there is a wonderful view of a chapel waiting. Between Blatten and Moos, one crosses a wooden bridge before arriving at the enchanted winter forest near Moos.

A highlight of the circular trail is the crossing of the Findelbach Bridge. This spectacular bridge is 93 metres long and about 50 metres above the Findelbach.

The last section of the hike also passes through the forest again. The level AHV trail goes to Zermatt and back to the Bahnhof through the village.

  • Suitable for children over 6 years old
  • Baroque Maria Rosenkranzkönigin Chapel at Blatten
  • Findelbach Bridge – one of the most popular photo opportunities around Zermatt

Author’s recommendation

Look down from the wooden bridge between the hamlets of Blatten and Moos and admire the impressive ice walls that often form during cold weather.
Profile picture of Zermatt Tourismus
Author
Zermatt Tourismus
Update: March 08, 2021
Difficulty
moderate
Technique
Stamina
Experience
Landscape
Highest point
1,761 m
Lowest point
Bahnhof Zermatt, 1,602 m
Best time of year
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Track types

Forested/wild trail 64.44%Road 35.55%
Forested/wild trail
4.2 km
Road
2.3 km
Show elevation profile

Rest stops

Blatten

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.

Tip: “Be searchable”. Equip yourself with an additional RECCO rescue reflector*. Whether summer or winter. Available in our Online-Shop or our information desk.
*The additional reflector does not replace an avalanche beacon.

Start

Zermatt (1,620 m) (1,605 m)
Coordinates:
SwissGrid
2'623'961E 1'096'943N
DD
46.023609, 7.748062
DMS
46°01'25.0"N 7°44'53.0"E
UTM
32T 403100 5097432
w3w 
///upwardly.headstone.sleeper

Destination

Zermatt (1,620 m)

Turn-by-turn directions

Zermatt (train station) – Blatten – Moos – Findelbachbrücke – AHV Weg - Zermatt (train station)

(Hiking time in reverse direction: approx. 2h)

This hike is marked on the signposts as “Rundweg Zermatt”.

Note


all notes on protected areas

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”.

Coordinates

SwissGrid
2'623'961E 1'096'943N
DD
46.023609, 7.748062
DMS
46°01'25.0"N 7°44'53.0"E
UTM
32T 403100 5097432
w3w 
///upwardly.headstone.sleeper
Arrival by train, car, foot or bike

Equipment

We recommend:

  • Good footwear
  • Hiking poles (optional)
  • Warm winter clothing appropriate for the weather

Questions and answers

Ask the first question

Would you like to the ask the author a question?


Rating

3.0
(1)
Niña Sayson
February 22, 2021 · Community
Initially easy but then gets really slippery in the middle. Path was not the best maintained as it had ice and sleet, which made some of the short yet steep ascent & descent really difficult than it is. Ruined the experience for me but the views were really pretty. I don’t recommend for those with children.
Show more
When did you do this route? February 21, 2021
Photo: Nina Bianca Sayson, Community
Photo: Nina Bianca Sayson, Community
Photo: Nina Bianca Sayson, Community

Photos from others


Reviews
Difficulty
moderate
Distance
6.5 km
Duration
2:00 h
Ascent
198 m
Descent
198 m
Highest point
1,761 m
Lowest point
1,602 m
Circular route Scenic Refreshment stops available Family-friendly Fauna Way cleared Groomed snow

Statistics

  • Content
  • Show images Hide images
Features
Maps and trails
  • 8 Waypoints
  • 8 Waypoints
Distance  km
Duration : h
Ascent  m
Descent  m
Highest point  m
Lowest point  m
Push the arrows to change the view