Edelweissweg Trail in Zermatt

Edelweissweg Trail: General Details

The Edelweissweg Trail in Zermatt can be done in two ways: a full 20 km loop that has a lighter inclination throughout the entire hike, and a big variety of landscapes, or a shorter 9.5 km loop with a turning point at Höhbalmen with a steeper way down and with less variety of landscape. I did the first one.

• Distance: about 20 km.
• Duration: Around 7 hours of walking time. Counting with a lunch break or time to take some photos, 8/9 hours.
• Difficulty: Moderate-Hard. The hardest part is at the beginning, where you have to climb around 650m in 3kms (max. 41% inclination) through a forest until you reach the Trift Guesthouse. You will climb to an elevation of 2710m, so expect some height sickness or headaches if you’re not used to hiking at such high elevations. The path is a hiking path with some dirt and gravel, so good shoes with some grip are recommended, especially for the inclined parts.
• Incline: about 1100 meters

If you wish to do an easier hike around Zermatt, I advise you to try the Matterhorn Glacier Trail, which is very suitable for friends and family.

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How To Get to Zermatt?

Since Zermatt is a No-Car city, no cars are allowed here, and you will have to come by train.

However, if you come by car, you can park it in Täsch, outside Zermatt, and then take a train to Zermatt.

Where to Stay in Zermatt?

Looking for a place to stay in Zermatt? The hotels in my Zermatt guide are picked by location, what each property offers and guest ratings. I have only stayed at the youth hostel in Zermatt and once in an Airbnb, so the other listings are based on research.

What to Bring to the Edelweissweg Trail?

This is a mid-altitude mountain hike with some gravel sections, so bring the items below, especially if you are camping or hiking on a cold day. This is a general gear list with partner links. These are suggestions, not products I have tested.

Essentials:

• Breathable T-shirt (Tech or Merino)
• Waterproof Jacket (Gore-Tex or H2O Technology)
• Puffer Jacket
• Shorts or Pants
• Hiking Shoes or Trekking Boots
• Backpack: 25-35 liters
• Gloves: One Layer (preferably merino wool for breathability and comfort)
• Sunglasses: Category 4 UV protection.
• Cap: Or a beanie and buff if it’s cold.
• Hiking Merino Socks: One Layer (preferably merino wool for breathability and comfort)
• Sunscreen: Ensure you have a minimum of SPF 50.
• Trekking Poles: For the entire hike.
• Low Gaiters: For peace of mind if there’s gravel.
• Swimming Clothes: (if you’re staying overnight or going for a swim)
• Dry-fast Towel: (if you’re staying overnight or going for a swim)

Camping and Extras:

• Cooking, Camping Tent, Sleeping Mat, Sleeping Bag
• Headlamp
• Victorinox Swiss Multi-Tool or Victorinox Hiker Knife
• Change of Clothes

Other Things:

• First-Aid Kit
• Drinks and Snacks: Bring enough of them, especially if you’re doing it in two days.
• Thermos

My Experience on the Edelweissweg Trail

The objective of the Edelweissweg Trail in Zermatt was to see a wild Edelweiss flower. And why so?

The famous Edelweiss is, as the name in German suggests, the noble white flower that, according to folk tradition, was the perfect gift a man could give to his loved one to show his dedication to her.

Edelweiss is the national flower of Switzerland, Romania, Austria, Bulgaria, Mongolia, Slovenia, and Italy.

It has been used in traditional medicine as a remedy against abdominal and respiratory diseases.

You can only find it in altitudes between 1800 and 3000m on rocky limestone places.

It is such a rare and short-lived flower, mostly seen on remote mountain areas, that has been used as a symbol for alpinism, for rugged beauty and purity associated with the Alps and the Carpathians.

Because of all the mysticism and aura surrounding it, tourists and alpinists, at the end of the 19th century, almost made it go extinct. In 1878, the Obwalden Canton in Switzerland passed a law that banned people from digging up the flower’s roots.

Nowadays, it’s no longer at risk of extinction, but it’s protected. Both in Switzerland and in Austria.

“Edelweiss” by Christopher Plummer and Julie Andrews is the most famous song from the Sound of Music musical, which was filmed in Austria, and almost no Austrians have seen it. Even though there are tour buses around town all the time.

From Zermatt to the Trift Guesthouse

To reach the Trift Berggasthaus (mountain guesthouse), one has to climb a steep path full of trees and waterfalls.

It’s a very nice climb and already after 1km you will be able to see some Edelweiss on a pot at the Edelweiss Guesthouse /  Alterhaupt.

Of course, if that’s your goal, you can already go down, but if you are like me and you really want to see the rare flower in the wild, I advise you to go further.

It’s not a super touristy hike, so you can count on having the path almost to yourself pretty much the entire time.

Once you start reaching the Trift Berggasthaus, you will start seeing in the distance the Zinalrothorn mountain and the Trift Glacier.

From the Edelweiss Guesthouse to the Trift Guesthouse, you’ve to walk 2.4 km and climb 450 meters.

From the Trift Guesthouse to Höhbalmen

At the Trift Gueshouse, you can have lunch or even sleep over.

Here, it was again possible to see a single Edelweiss flower that the owners tried to protect.

There are many hikes you can start from here. I only did the Edelweissweg, but there were many others in the direction of the Triftgletscher.

Once you reach the Trift Guesthouse, you have to go left and climb 300m over 2.3 km.

When you reach the top, you will have an amazing view of the Matterhorn, and if you pay attention, you might find the precious Edelweiss on the cliff at your left.

From Höhbalmen to the Glacier Valley

Höhblamen is the turning point where you can go back to Zermatt or, if you want, you can continue to the Glacier valley and to the Zmutt village.

Right after the turning point, we were lucky enough to find the cutest pack of Valais Blacknose sheep.

Insider Tip: On the Gornergrat Website, you can check where the sheep are. They have a GPS signal and are accompanied by the shepherdess Deborah, who can answer all your questions about them.

At that point we had to stop for a while cause i start having some headaches due to the altitude. After recovering we went down the side of the mountain always looking at the valley where the Zmutt Glacier used to go through.

Nowadays, the valley has a set of lakes, and the glacier ends almost where it starts. A sad view of climate change.

On the way to the lakes, the Matterhorn is always a presence, and you even get a chance to see a Waterfall overlooking the mountain. Gorgeous.

From the Glacier Valley to the Zmutt Village and Back to Zermatt

From the Glacier Valley, specifically from the waterfall to the Zmutt village it’s around 4.7kms and it’s a very pleasant part of the hike to do cause it’s all in between trees and a river with Matterhorn always behind you.

You can spend the night at Zmutt or eat something at the cozy restaurants. When I was there unfortunately things were closed.

And that’s it after Zmutt you have around 5kms more to do to reach Zermatt’s center and finish the hike.

What about you, have you already done the Edelweissweg Trail in Zermatt?  Leave me a comment down here if you did and after you did it with your impression.

Thanks for reading through and have fun hiking!

I’ll drop a couple of my other favourite photos from this hike down below, enjoy!

Photo Gallery

From the Glacier Valley to the Zmutt Village, and Back to Zermatt