Gornergrat to riffelsee and riffelberg day hike in zermatt
If you are visiting Zermatt, stopping to see the Matterhorn on the famous Gornergrat railway is a must. A fantastic option is to hike from Gornergrat to Riffelsee or Riffelberg to enjoy more jaw dropping views with the Matterhorn in the background or reflected on a calm lake.
If you’d like to skip to the FAQ summary, click here.
You can also download the gpx file if you would like the follow the route that we did here.
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Gornergrat to Riffelsee and Riffelberg hike quick summary
Distance:
~2km (~1.2miles) if you start from Gornergrat summit to Riffelsee lake or ~3.6km (~2.2miles) if you continue to Riffelberg station.
Total Elevation Gain:
335m from Gornergrat to Riffelsee lake or 539m from Gornergrat to Riffelberg station.
Duration:
~40 minutes including breaks from Gornergrat to Riffelsee. ~60-70 minutes including breaks from Gornergrat to Riffelberg.
Difficulty:
Easy.
Where to start the Riffelsee or Riffelberg hike
Getting to Gornergrat mountain from Zermatt involves a short and easy walk from the main town of Zermatt. If you are completing a day trip, the Gornergrat railway is opposite the Zermatt railway station.
Gornergrat Railway
The Gornergrat railway is a train that takes approximately 35minutes to reach the summit of the Gornergrat mountain. There are 6 different stops along the way if you wish to hop on or off, with the 6th being the final stop. The journey up the mountain provides you with picturesque views of the Matterhorn and it’s surrounding landscapes.
Hint: if you are able to get a seat on the right hand side of the carriage, you will be rewarded with better views of the famous Matterhorn.
You can purchase tickets for the Gornergrat here. Alternatively, you can also purchase tickets in person with a staff member or at a self service counter.
Once you reach Gornergrat station, you will have panoramic views of the Matterhorn, Gorner glacier and the surrounding peaks. You can climb up to the terrace above the station to the viewing platform for more 360degree views! Whilst you are up there, you can take in your surroundings, buy a souvenir from the gift shop or grab a bite at the restaurants. There is also the option to stay the night at the 3100 Kulmhotel Gornergrat. Toilets are also available at Gornergrat station.
You’ll then begin to descend a gravel path past the restaurant/cafe towards the signs pointing towards Riffelsee or Riffelberg. There is a short alternate path to another viewpoint and mini peak on the left (pictured), otherwise continue to the right hand side and follow the path down.
The experience hiking Gornergrat to Riffelsee Lake hike
There is a well defined path for most of the hike down towards Riffelsee lake. During the descent, you will walk past Rotenboden station on your right hand side. One short section has multiple dirt paths surrounded by rocks where the lakes are just out of view, but if you keep moving in the direction towards them you will soon join up with the main path again. Whilst there are some slight variations, the Matterhorn acts like a needle to your compass as you make your way down the mountain with this hike.
From there, you will have clear views of Riffelsee lake and a smaller lake below it. While there are some sections of larger depth rocks that make up the path, the overall descent is not too unforgiving on the knees and mostly dirt and gravel. As you admire the stunning landscapes, don’t forget to keep an eye out as you might be able to spot some cute marmots as you walk along the trail!
Riffelsee to Riffelberg
The walk from Riffelsee lake to Riffelberg follows a well beaten dirt path that is approximately 1.6km (~1miles). This should take about 30-45minutes including stops for photos.
A highlight when walking from Riffelsee is a smaller lake just below it which also offers reflections of the Matterhorn. It is directly in front of you when continuing along the path for about 5minutes (~400m walk). On the day that we hiked, we were lucky to have calmer waters at the smaller lake than at Riffelsee to capture the famous reflection.
After passing the smaller lake, we detoured from the Riffelseeweg that continues towards the left. In order to catch the last train and the final moments of daylight, we followed the the path on the right hand side of the lake towards Riffelberg and the “Swiss Topwalk trail” as signed. It is a wide path along open fields where you can see the valley and Riffelberg station. This trail is the shortest and fastest way to get to Riffelberg station.
Note that the Swiss Topwalk (Trail 23) is a 6.1km (3.8miles) trail that takes about 2-3 hours from Riffelalp to Gornergrat that includes the Riffelseeweg trail. The Riffelseeweg trail typically covers the trail from Rotenboden station, Riffelsee Lake, and Riffelberg station.
Path to Riffelsee
Riffelsee Lake and the Matterhorn
Riffelsee Lake and the Matterhorn
Path from Riffelsee to Riffelberg
Smaller lake below Riffelsee with the Matterhorn reflection
Valley views
Optional hike to Gornergrat from Zermatt
There is an option to hike from Zermatt to Gornergrat which is approximately 9-10km on way with a 1500m elevation gain. The time taken is approximately 4 hours and is considered a moderate to difficult hike. This trail takes you through alpine meadows to reach Riffelalp. Mountain views are welcomed as you climb switchbacks up to Riffelberg, followed by the alpine views as you climb up to Gornergrat.
If you are short on time and do not want to miss out on hiking, you can also get off an earlier stop and either hike up to the Gornergrat or down to Zermatt.
We were about to start a multiday hike the following day therefore we compromised and enjoyed the iconic Gornergrat ride up before hiking down to Riffelsee and Riffelberg for golden hour.
Tips for doing the Gornergrat to Riffelsee or Riffelberg hike
As with all day hikes, make sure that you pack appropriately and are prepared for any weather changes. When you get to the top of the Gornergrat, the weather can be quite windy, so having a jacket or windbreaker will be useful.
Any pair of regular runners/trainers or trail runners would be appropriate footwear for this hike. The trail down is not technical and mostly gravel path that does not necessarily require a hiking boot. We didn’t use hiking poles this time and would not say that they are necessary, but if you have a bit more difficulty with your knees, they would be beneficial for some of the deeper steps or if you decide to hike up to Gornergrat from Zermatt or any of the other stations.
If you are trying to capture the Matterhorn at golden hour, be sure to leave yourself enough time and daylight to walk to Riffelberg station (approximately 20minutes from Riffelberg lake) and check what time the last train back to Zermatt is. If not, it would be handy to bring a head torch or torch to walk back down to Zermatt.
FAQ Summary: Gornergrat to Riffelsee/Riffelberg hike
Gornergrat to Riffelsee/Riffelberg hike Final Thoughts
We had a great time riding the Gornergrat railway and walking down to see the iconic Matterhorn reflected over the Riffelsee lake.
If you have any questions about the hike, feel free to leave a comment below and we’ll get back to you ASAP.
Read more posts of our hikes here.
