The mountain hotel

Hotel Riffelhaus is living testimony to the golden age of mountaineering. Mountain climbing and hotel history were written here. In 1853, the hotel on the Riffelberg was the second hotel in Zermatt. It opened even before the Gornergrat railway was built. The beams and stones were hauled up the mountain by mules and using a lot of manpower. Over the course of the decades, the initial mountain climber accommodations developed into a comfortable mountain hotel, without losing the atmosphere of the pioneering days.

The impressive alpine world starts directly in front of the hotel. In winter, there are the slopes, in summer, a stunning sea of blooms of alpine flowers that grow only here, and you will be awed by their masses and beauty. Here, hundreds of kinds of flowers blossom better than anywhere else in the Alps. A lot of sunshine and little rain make for a dazzling display of colourful blooms.

This is the perfect place for anyone looking to experience nature and the mountains. Hotel Riffelhaus is an ideal point of departure for long hikes and first climbing experiences. But it is also the perfect place for mountain lovers who have less sporty ambitions. With the reconstruction, the hotel has created one of the most beautiful sun terraces in Zermatt, a spa centre from where there is an unrivalled view of the Matterhorn and newly renovated rooms offering a lot of stylish alpine touches.

The mountain hotel

Tour through the Riffelhaus 1853