Matterhorn Valley Trail Bike Tour (Nr. 20)
Zermatt
0/10°
Accompanied by fascinating views such as the wild waters of the Vispa river or the snow-covered mountain peaks, this varied bike route leads from Zermatt to Visp. The route is also very different in terms of its composition, alternating between narrow trails and wide paths.
Difficulty
IntermediateLength
38.19 kmDuration
3:30 h
Description
On the first section, you ride along the well-maintained path from Zermatt to Täsch and catch the last glimpse of the Matterhorn. At Täsch, the beautiful Schalisee Lake invites you to take a break. From Randa, the tour leads past the scree from the 1991 landslide with a view of the Bis glacier and beyond the country lanes to St. Niklaus. From Kalpetran, bikers take to the historic track, past the still visible dry stone walls, which are listed in the Inventory of Historic Transport Routes in Switzerland (IVS), to Stalden. The route then continues to Visp.
The entire route is 38 kilometres long. There’s also the option to board the Matterhorn Gotthard Railway at any time and shorten the route. The tour can also be completed in the other direction (Visp - Zermatt), but with significantly more metres of climb.
Our favorites
Our favorite itineraries are part of a selection of the best routes in the region and are proposed by Valais/Wallis Promotion to best meet the expectations of our guests.
Turn-by-turn directions
Zermatt – Täsch – Randa – Herbriggen - Mattsand – St. Niklaus – Kalpetran –Stalden – Neubrück – Visp train station
The Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn is a constant companion along the route and can be used to shorten the tour at any of the different stations.
The tour can also be done in the opposite direction from Visp to Zermatt which is more demanding in terms of physical condition and somewhat shorter. (Duration: about 4½ hours)
Start
Zermatt (1,620 m) (1605m)
Destination
Visp (647 m) (648m)
Author's recommendation
Schalisee Lake is a great place to spend some time: features include a Bike Zone, water skiing facilities, a café and a picnic/barbecue area
Technical information
Altitude
1620m
647m
Ascent
+142m
Descent
-1094m
Stamina
Experience
Landscape
Best time of the year
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Tags
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).
Approach
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”.
Source
This activity is brought to you by Zermatt - Matterhorn. Valais/Wallis Promotion is not responsible for the content provided.
