• CH & IT Roadtrip
    Welcome to Gornergrat, the top station on the Gornergratbahn — Switzerland.
    Of course we need a selfie with the Matterhornt from this vantage point — Gornergrat Station.This engine is one of the three that operated the first generation of the Gornerbahn.Two icons in one ... not bad for a 'self-selfie' 😊 — Gornergrat Station — Switzerland.View in the opposite direction with Gornersee in the foreground — Gornergrat Station, Switzerland.Rock Cairns — Gornergrat Station, Switzerland.Gornergrat Chapel ... dedicated to St Bernhard von Aosta — Gornergrat, Switzerland.Gornergrat Chapel — Gornergrat, Switzerland.L to R: Saints Maurice, Bernard, and Theodule — Gornergrat Chapel.One can find all things Matterhorn at the shops (photo of a poster) — Gornergrat, Switzerland.L to R: Gornergletscher; Monte Rosa Massif; Grenzgletscher — Gornergrat Station, Switzerland.L to R: Santa Rosa Massif, Gretzgletcher, and the Liskamm — Gornergrat, Switzerland.Panorama of the expansive view from the terrace — Gornergrat, Switzerland.The thinning Gornergletscher from the terrace — Gornergrat, Switzerland.The Monte Rosa Massif — Gornergrat, Switzerland.Taking a snack-with-a-view break on the terrace of the Sky Lounge — Gornergrat, Switzerland.Hot chocolate with a mound of whipped cream ... an appropriate drink for cold temps — Sky Lounge.

    Zermatt: Up to Gornergrat

    July 27 in Switzerland ⋅ ☁️ 46 °F

    “Nowhere is there such a display of grandeur and beauty
    as can be seen from the Gornergrat summit.”
    ~ Mark Twain, 1878 ~

    Ready to continue on to the top station, we scanned out of the Rotenboden Station and hopped on the next train for the very short ride to Gornergrat … going up another 900 feet or so to 10,132 feet (3,089m) above sea level.

    Once we de-trained and took a couple of selfies, Mui opted to rest a bit while I walked over to the Golden Spot Photopoint. The terrace is so named not just for being the perfect spot from which to take souvenir photos with the Matterhorn, but also because this is where “… the golden locomotive 3003 sparkles elegantly and grabs everyone’s attention as soon as they enter Gornergrat station.” This is one of the three locomotives of the first generation of the railway; the other two, also painted gold, are exhibited elsewhere. Along the paved path to the viewing terrace, a series of panels inform visitors about the history and development of the Gornergrat Railway … considered “a pioneering achievement in the construction of the cog railway …”.

    Rejoining Mui, we walked up the path and past the rock cairns built by visitors. At the Gornergrat chapel, which is dedicated to St Bernhard von Aosta, we stopped for a quick peek. The chapel was constructed in 1950 … at the request of the bishop who used to read Sunday mass in the dining room of the Kulmhotel Gornergrat when it opened at the end of the 19th century.

    From the chapel, we continued on up to the Summit Cuisine and Shopping Center where one can find all things Matterhorn … from clocks and chocolates shaped like the iconic peak; to mini-Matterhorn figures placed inside bottles of alcohol a la ‘ship-in-a-bottle’; to anything else you can think of, including posters, calendars, key fobs, magnets, clothing, and tea towels.

    As it was past 2:00p, we decided that are grumbling tummies needed to be sated. We perused the menus, but didn’t much care for the restaurant options. Instead, we went to the Sky Lounge … with an al fresco setting on the terrace. We found some comfy seats to sit down, sip hot beverages, and share a slice of chocolate cake to tide us over until dinner … all with a view of the massive peaks of the Pennine Alps.

    Shortly after 3:00p, we hopped on the train down to Zermatt. We were on the wrong side of the train this time. No matter, we had taken our fill of photos already. Half an hour later, we were releasing our luggage from the lockers at the Zermatt Bahnhof.    Read more