Matterhorn: the most spectacular mountains in the Alps

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The Cervino-Matterhorn (4,478 meters), called monte Cervino in Italian, Mont Cervin in French and Matterhorn in German is one of the most famous and photographed mountains of Europe. The Matterhorn is located in the Central Alps, on the border between Italy (Valle d’Aosta) and Switzerland (Valais). This splendid mountain is located along the chain of the Pennine Alps, above the villages of Breuil-Cervinia in Italy and Zermatt in Switzerland.

The mountain is made up of metamorphic crystalline rocks (gneiss and shale), and stands in the shape of a pyramid, dominating the Zermatt basin to the north, and the Breuil-Cervinia basin to the south. There are numerous glaciers, all of modest proportions. On the Italian side, the glaciers of the Matterhorn, Forca and Leone. While on the Swiss side, those of Furgg, Matterhorn and Tiefenmatten. The Matterhorn was first climbed in 1865 by the Englishman E. Whymper.

The most scenic side of the Matterhorn is the one you can admire from Zermatt (Swiss side). From this side it is highly recommended to take the Gornergrat railway and then between the Rotenboden and Riffelberg stations. Then continue on foot along the Riffelseeweg path that leads to the Riffelsee lake whose waters reflect the Cervino-Matterhorn.

Another interesting excursion is the one that from Blauherd goes down the Seenweg path and the Gourmetweg to Zermatt. In this itinerary you can admire several alpine lakes among which the most beautiful is the Grindjisee. A lake surrounded by trees whose waters reflect the mountain.

 

GRINDJISEE

The Grindjisee is an alpine lake that lies along the path, called Seenweg, connecting the stations of Blauherd (2,571 m) and Sunnegga Paradise (2,288 meters above sea level) of the Rothorn Paradise cable car. The path has a length of about 8 km and it is open between June and September.

The path crosses the moraine debris of the Findelen glacier, and will soon reach the small lake of Grindjisee, surrounded by fir trees, on whose waters is reflected the majestic Cervino-Matterhorn (4,478 meters).

 

RIFFELSEE

The Riffelsee is an alpine lake that lies along the path, called Riffelseeweg, connecting the stations of Rotenboden (2,815 m) and Riffelberg (2,582 m) of the Gornergrat railway. The path has a length of about 3 km and it is open between July and October.

More than the beautiful landscape of peaks, including 29 peaks over 4,000 meters, and glaciers that can be seen along the way, the main attraction appears to be the small lake Riffelsee on whose waters is reflected the majestic Cervino-Matterhorn (4,478 meters).

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