Mega-Project: New Matterhorn Cable Car Floats over the Alps

With a continuous cable car, you can now cross the Alps from Switzerland to Italy and back. The Matterhorn Glacier Ride II completes an 80-year project. Here's what awaits you there.

Without skis, you can even cross the Alps with dry feet from Switzerland to Italy and back in the other direction this summer-with the new modern S3 cable car, the Matterhorn Glacier Ride II.

This was officially opened on Friday afternoon, June 30. The cable car connects the peak of Piccolo Cervino (Klein Matterhorn) with the Plateau Rosa. Markus Hasler, CEO of Zermatt Bergbahnen, says: 'The new access from Switzerland and Italy across the Alps enhances the offering of the Zermatt Bergbahnen and the destination Zermatt Matterhorn.'

In panoramic gondolas, you can move between Cervinia and Zermatt, the Aosta Valley and the canton of Valais, and vice versa. Previously, this was only an option for skiers.

With the opening of the cable car, the Alpine Crossing project is completed, aiming for a seamless connection of the two destinations in Italy and Switzerland for over 80 years, informs Valle d'Aosta Tourism.

According to Valle d'Aosta Tourism, the cable car section Matterhorn Glacier Ride II has a station in the Italian Testa Grigia at an altitude of 3,458 meters. Visitors can cross the Matterhorn Alpine Crossing, the highest transalpine pass.

With the new cable car, you can cover the distance between the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise station and Testa Griga in just four minutes. Each cabin can accommodate 28 people, according to the Factsheet. There are a total of ten cabins, two of which are luxurious Crystal-Ride cabins with more elaborate furnishings than the regular cabins.

With the cable car, both skiers and visitors who simply want to enjoy the high mountains, the clear sky, the mountain sun, and the fresh breeze can be transported directly to Plateau Rosa.

There, you are presented with a breathtaking panorama of the 4000-meter peaks of the Alps: particularly striking is the Matterhorn. You can also clearly see the profiles of Mont Blanc, Gran Paradiso, the Monte Rosa massif, and the Swiss Alpine peaks in Valais. Heading towards Italy, you can spot the distinctive silhouette of Monviso in Piedmont.

In the work museum located on Plateau Rosa, those interested can learn about the directions, names, and heights of all the 4000-meter peaks in the area as well as the most famous summits. The exhibition of work tools and photographs also tells of the efforts during the construction of the ski lifts and cable cars at Plateau Rosa and Furggen.

Thanks to the new cable car section, from July 2023, the ice cave of Piccolo Cervino (Klein Matterhorn), with its depth of 15 meters and a 50-meter-long tunnel carved into the ice, will be more accessible from Breuil-Cervinia. The lighting and soft music inside the ice cave are meant to create a very special atmosphere.

In summer, hikers are expected to take about one and a half hours for the ascent with a mountain guide from Plateau Rosa. Previously, tourists with skis had to cross the glacier using the lifts open for summer skiing.

From Zermatt, you can reach the peak after 40 minutes, including transfer time, and then take the summit lift to the observation deck. The Matterhorn-Glacier-Paradise-Ticket, which includes round-trip travel and entrance to the Glacier Palace, currently costs 95 Swiss Francs for an adult. Rides for the Matterhorn, Gornergrat- and Rothorn-Bahn, as well as the Matterhorn Glacier Express, can be booked online.

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