An October Weekend in Zermatt
At this point, my love for the golden larch is well-known (and well-documented.) I have a long list of larch forest locations throughout Switzerland, and every October, I try to find a new place to hike among my beloved trees. This year, Zermatt was simply begging to be checked off this list.
We’ve actually stayed in Zermatt twice before: once in the winter, where I memorably had my first nude spa experience, and once in the summer, where we hiked one of my favorite trails in Switzerland, the Edelweissweg. But this would be our first time in autumn.
The tricky thing about larches is that it's hard to guess when they'll hit peak color. Raunaq spotted a prediction on the MySwitzerland foliage tracker (yes, in Switzerland there is an official foliage tracker) that said the larches in the Zermatt region would hit "peak yellow" on October 13th. Peak yellow is the ideal.
To be honest, based on my seven years of Swiss larch experience, this felt way too early in the season. Usually, we would plan for the 3rd, or even the 4th weekend in October. But Raunaq, with full faith in this online tracker, was insistent. And so, we planned for the weekend of October 10-12.
We left Zürich on Friday afternoon. But I began to despair a bit on the train ride, when the landscape in Valais was looking far too green for my liking. And I may have chastised Raunaq for foolishly trusting an algorithm over me — ME, the (self-proclaimed) larch authority of the family, the one who meticulously checks webcams, Instagram tags, and mountain websites to choose the ideal date and location for the peak color experience. And not to brag, but I’ve cultivated a pretty solid reputation for myself over the years. If you’re looking for larches, everyone knows that I’m your gal.
He was insistent in defending himself in the beginning. But the closer we got to Zermatt, the more his confidence dwindled. The foliage was indeed still looking very green, and I started to feel a bit bad for being such a larch bully. There’s a lot of pressure in trying to time the larches just right! At least the forecast is sunny, I assured him. Maybe there won’t be fall colors, but we’ll have blue skies and snow-free trails and above all, clear views of the Matterhorn! I swore that I would not to be disappointed. The weekend won’t be a loss, I promised, as we pulled into the final station.
So, here’s the thing you need to know about Zermatt village: It’s touristy. Very touristy. The second you step out of the train station, you're hit with a chaotic mix of crowds, tour groups, and mountains of luggage being hauled to hotels. It may have all the trappings of a Swiss alpine town, with the wooden chalet-style buildings and cozy fondue stübli restaurants, but for the most part, do not go to Zermatt expecting an authentic experience. It’s mainly tourists. And while it is picturesque, I generally find the village itself to be overpriced and overcrowded. Sorry. I know I’m ruining the magic.
If it’s any consolation, I didn’t feel this way during my first visit in 2019. I remember being enthralled with its quaintness, like I stepped into a vintage snowglobe. So, either the vibe of the village changed (possibly - everywhere just seems more crowded these days), or I did (more likely - I’ve been in Switzerland seven years now, so naturally I’m going to notice the overtly touristic aspects and compare it to more “local” spots). It also seems like the village is constantly under construction. Although, now that I think about it, this may be the most authentically Swiss aspect of Zermatt. The joke here is that construction cranes are as much a part of the Swiss skyline as the Alps.
But all that said - I do think it’s worth going to Zermatt. And yes, it's because of the Matterhorn. It really is worth seeing. This mountain dominates the landscape so dramatically, in a way that makes everyone excited and a bit giddy when they see it. It’s the Matterhorn, they whisper. Even if it’s just a small glimpse, peeking through the clouds, it’s impossible to not be impressed. And if you are lucky enough to be in Zermatt on a clear day with perfect Matterhorn views…well, there is nothing else like it.
We stayed at the Hotel Bristol, where we'd stayed on our other two visits. Unfortunately, I think the standards here have slipped a bit, and I wouldn't recommend it as heartily anymore. For the price, I'm sure there are better places to stay in town. However, because most of the guests were international tourists, there was one big benefit to the place: no one in the hotel used the free spa but us. Both afternoons, when Raunaq and I were delirious with sweat in the Finnish sauna, a guest or two would wander in, take one look at us in the (ahem) textile-free environment, and scurry out, red-faced, as fast as they could. So, we essentially had a private sauna for the weekend. And I can’t complain too much about that, now can I.
Zermatt sits at the end of a long valley, with distinct hiking areas on either side. The east side is the more popular hiking (and skiing) area, with spectacular high-altitude views that are accessed by a network of mountain railways, funiculars, and gondolas. This side is where you'll get that iconic view of the Matterhorn's pyramid-shaped north face. The west side, by contrast, feels wilder and quieter. There is almost no infrastructure, fewer crowds, and a different angle on the Matterhorn that's less common but equally striking. I personally think that the best way to experience Zermatt is to spend a day on either side. So, that’s what we did.
Saturday was beautiful, not a cloud in the sky. I had planned a big hike for us today. There were a few different areas I wanted to hit on the east side — the Grünsee, Riffelsee, Gorner Glacier, and Gletschergarten — and the only way to link them all together was with one long 20-kilometer loop. We started directly from our hotel, quickly leaving the village and hiking up through the forest toward Findelalp.
And here, finally, Raunaq could redeem himself. Because when we emerged on the high plateau, I saw them, positively glowing in the sunlight: the golden larches.
Only the trees at the higher elevations had turned, which is why we couldn't see them from the village. But there they were, peak yellow, just like Raunaq (and the foliage tracker) had promised. I was so happy to see them, I didn't even mind being wrong, and was happy to let Raunaq gloat. My larches!
I recognize that I'm over the top about the larches. Maybe it's hard to understand if you haven't seen them in person. But I've had people tell me: What's the big deal? It's just a bunch of yellow trees. And well, you know how people say they wouldn't trust someone who doesn't like dogs? I don't trust people who don't get excited when they see a golden larch. Like, what - you can't appreciate something beautiful? You can look at a tree that is neon yellow, a color so impossibly vivid it shouldn’t occur in nature but it somehow does - and not be moved? What about an entire forest of these electric trees? You can see that and not be overwhelmed? No. I can’t accept that. You simply have to feel something.
But I digress. We found the larches, and all was right in the world.
The rest of the hike was spectacular. The more elevation we gained, the better the view of the surrounding mountains we got. Zermatt is encircled by 4,000-meter peaks and glaciers, but you really have to get high above the valley to appreciate them all. Beyond the forest, the terrain becomes quite rocky and barren. Not everyone likes this type of stark, high-alpine landscape, but I love it. The moon was visible above the mountains, suspended in the afternoon sky. There's something surreal about seeing the moon in daylight, don't you think? It always reminds me that we're on a rock in the middle of outer space.
We did a short detour hike along the magnificent Gorner Glacier, and then, after being nearly alone for the first half of the hike, joined the tourist hordes at Riffelsee (a small lake famous for perfectly reflecting the Matterhorn). I’ll be honest, the gondolas, pylons, and chairlifts cutting across the slopes here are a bit of an eyesore - especially outside of winter - but the views do more than make up for it.
From Riffelsee, we began our long descent, hiking through more larch forests that perfectly framed the Matterhorn’s north face. Finally, we arrived at the so-called glacier garden: a smooth, sculpted valley formed by ancient glaciers, dotted with larches and cut by a milky turquoise river. By this time in the day, the valley was already in the shade, the air chilled, the low light casting everything in cool blue. It was a spectacular finish. After over seven hours of hiking, I wasn’t sure what was hurting more: my feet, or my face. My cheeks ached from so much smiling.
We ended the day with a session in our (private!) sauna, followed by burgers at the Brown Cow Pub, and fell into bed early. There’s a specific type of full-body tiredness that only comes from hiking for hours: the satisfying exhaustion of a day well spent outside. It’s one of my favorite feelings in the world.
Sunday was another brilliantly sunny day. From yesterday's high vantage point, I'd been able to see an area across the valley, on the west side, also glowing with larches—so today we decided to hike there. We would head up through the Zmutt valley, and end at the namesake hamlet for lunch before looping back to the village.
This valley has a different feeling than the east side. It's marked by a handful of tiny villages—Zmutt being the most well-known, but also Furi, Zum See, and a few others. Each hamlet is a cluster of traditional wooden houses and barns built from dark larch timber. These structures date back centuries, and walking through them does feel like going back in time.
As we hiked deeper into the valley, the landscape shifted with us. The forests at the beginning were still green, but gradually the larch needles began to change, from chartreuse to yellow and orange, then finally to deep rust and amber. I love when there's a spectrum of colors like this; the gradient makes each shade pop even more. And then, we turned a corner. After staying hidden during the beginning of the hike, there she was: the Matterhorn in all her glory.
What I find most special about the Zmutt valley is it’s unique perspective of the Matterhorn. From the angle here, it appears less as the perfect pyramid you see in photos, and more as a massive, towering wall of rock rising directly above you. You're essentially at the base of the mountain itself—close enough that if you squint, it feels like you should be able to spot climbers making their ascent to the summit. Pictures will never do the sheer scale and proximity justice. And standing beneath the Matterhorn, as it emerges from a sea of golden larches, is truly a sight to behold.
The rest of the trail only got more exquisite from here. A small lake that was a bright turquoise, a standalone waterfall, a glacier in the distance. I could only shake my head at the beauty of it. Every few minutes, Raunaq and I would say to each other, “seriously, how is this real?!” Eventually, we looped around and started hiking back towards the town. Near the end, I turned around for a final look, and I swear, the entire valley looked bathed in gold. I think it’s one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen. That line from the Lion King kept playing over and over in my head. Everything the light touches is our kingdom.
I didn’t think the scenery could get better than yesterday, but today was equally incredible. Even now, as I’m writing this and clicking through photos, I can’t tell you which trail was better. Honestly, you just have to come for the whole weekend and do them both yourself.
We stopped in Zmutt for a late lunch, at a cute restaurant in the village aptly named “Restaurant Z'Mutt” (the term village being used loosely here, as Zmutt is a cluster of just 10 buildings). House-made lemonade, ginger carrot soup, and a delightfully decadent rösti topped with tomatoes, cheese, béchamel sauce, and edible flowers. I love Swiss mountain food on any occasion, but I love it most when it's somewhat gourmet mountain food served out of a 500-year-old wooden house. It's the contrast!
And then, it was time to head back to Zürich.
I spent most of the train ride going through pictures. I do this all the time here—scroll through photos on my phone from a hike I’d just been on, still in disbelief that I was actually there, that only hours ago I was looking at this beautiful place with my own eyes. It’s not lost on me that this was our third trip to Zermatt, our third time seeing the Matterhorn. A mountain most people never get to see in person, and if they do, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime thing. I felt really lucky on that ride home.
And we got peak yellow larches, just like Raunaq and his trusty foliage tracker predicted. I'll never hear the end of that one. But if being wrong means I get a weekend like this, then I’ll allow it. At least, just this once.
