Zermatt, Switzerland

Is there anything more magical than Christmas in the shadow of the Matterhorn? Read and find out...

I arrived in Zermatt to gray skies, no sign of the famous Matterhorn in sight. While not ideal, I had been told to expect this, that many people arrive at this alpine resort town and never even see the mountain. But despite the gathered clouds and the falling snow, Zermatt was alive and bright with holiday energy.

Zermatt is a walkable village, convenient seeing as how no cars are allowed. The only motorized vehicles are mini cabs that usher travelers from the train station to their hotels.

I had one such vehicle take us to the Hotel Butterfly, the same hotel my mother had stayed at over twenty years ago on her first trip to Switzerland. Now we were following the journey she started before I was born.

The day of Christmas Eve dawned just as cloudy as the day before, perfect for an afternoon of self-care and getting in the holiday spirit. Breakfast was found at a local waffle vendor run by a friendly woman who has lived in Zermatt her whole life. She informed me that she would be closing early for Christmas Eve and all of Christmas Day to spend time with her family, though when her parents worked in Zermatt, they never closed their store for fear of losing business. But now, thanks to their hard work, she can afford to close her shop and actually enjoy the holidays.

There is always a line outside her window, so be sure not to miss this sweet treat!

The time had finally come for some much-needed self-care. The wellness center at the Grand Hotel Zermaterhoff was nice, though it offered no real view of the surrounding mountains. There are several other spas in Zermatt that offer great views of the Matterhorn from the wellness area, for a price of course.

The masseuses were very nice and accommodating, though I have to admit that getting a sports massage was not my best move. I thought that as an athlete, an intensive massage might do my muscles some good, but I wish I would have chosen a classic, more relaxing massage during my vacation. Though my masseuse was also a chiropractor and he offered to do an adjustment at the end of my massage, which was an added bonus.

After a lovely dinner at the restaurant at Hotel Julen, we ended the night with Bailey’s hot chocolate in bed while watching It’s a Wonderful Life (a Christmas tradition in my family) and fell asleep with visions of sugar plums dancing in our heads.

Christmas day dawned bright and clear, and nearly everyone in Zermatt said it was going to be a great day to see the mountain. I woke up early to head to the Gornegrat station to purchase the cable car tickets. Unfortunately, at the time, the winds were too strong at Gornegrat, so the line was only running to Riffelberg.

Pro Tip: Get a ticket to Gornegrat right away

Even if Gornegrat is closed, chances are it will open later in the day, and then you will already have your ticket straight to the top. At each stop, you have to scan your ticket in order to get past the gates and it is more expensive to pay for the extra distance on the mountain than if I had purchased a round trip ticket to Gornegrat at the station in Zermatt.

While Gornegrat is popular destination because it is at the top, Riffelberg was less crowded and offered two apres-ski restaurants with incredible views of the mountain. At Riffelhaus, I took the opportunity to sit outside on the terrace with a glass of gluhwein in full view of the Matterhorn and it had to be one of the most magical moments I've had on my travels.

Seeing the Matterhorn in its full glory was the best gift I could have asked for, and I will never forget this magical Swissmas in the alps!