Zermatt-Cervinia snow forecast

Skiing in Zermatt-Cervinia

Zermatt and Breuil-Cervinia share the Matterhorn ski area, linked across the Theodul glacier between Switzerland and Italy. The combined area has around 360 km of marked pistes between roughly 1,520 m and 3,883 m at the Klein Matterhorn, the highest lift-served point in Europe. The glacier is skied all year, and the main winter season usually runs from late November to early May.

Zermatt is a car-free village at about 1,620 m, reached by train, with three main sectors: Sunnegga and Rothorn, Gornergrat and the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise. The upper slopes are high and above the tree line, with long red runs and plenty of off-piste for those with a guide. Cervinia, at about 2,050 m on the sunnier Italian side, has wide, cruising pistes that suit intermediates, and long descents down towards Valtournenche.

The altitude makes this one of the most snow-sure areas in the Alps, but the highest lifts and the link across the border are exposed: in strong wind or poor visibility the crossing can close, and skiers on the wrong side face a long journey back by road. Check lift status and the forecast before crossing late in the day. The Matterhorn Alpine Crossing gondola, opened in 2023, now gives a lift-only route between the two villages.

Zermatt is reached by rail from Visp or Täsch; Cervinia by road from Aosta, with Turin and Milan the nearest Italian airports and Geneva and Zurich on the Swiss side.