A new cable car at an altitude of almost 4,000 meters completes the connection between Switzerland and Italy. The tour was previously only possible on skis. The operator promises luxury – critics fear “overtourism”.
Cheering in the mountains above Zermatt at the official opening of the new gondola: “Matterhorn Glacier Ride II” is what the Zermatt mountain railway company called the spectacular connection. From the Klein Matterhorn mountain station at an altitude of more than 3800 meters, you descend to the Testa Grigia in Italy. The operator speaks of the “highest continuous crossing of the Alps by cable car”.
The Zermatt mountain railways advertise in “premium gondolas with design standards” decorated with “thousands of luminous crystals” and with “comfortable seats inspired by automotive design”. A spectacular close-up view of the Matterhorn is included.
The price is also spectacular: 240 francs – the equivalent of around 246 euros – costs the complete round trip from Zermatt in Switzerland to Cervinia in Italy. The target group are wealthy Swiss and international tourists, explained Markus Hasler, CEO of Bergbahnen Zermatt on the Swiss broadcaster SRF.
Tour previously reserved for skiers
You could go to Cervinia for a day, bike, shop, play golf and see the beautiful mountains, says Hasler. “We are convinced that we will have many excursion guests from Italy. Metropolises such as Milan and Torino are very close. And the third segment are Asian and American guests as well as guests from the Middle East.”
In the new luxury cable car, guests from all over the world can now soar 1.6 kilometers over the Theodul Glacier in just four minutes – a high alpine tour that was previously only possible on skis.
Criticism of cable car
Not everyone in the canton of Valais thinks that’s great. There is talk of a “Disneylandization” of the Alps. Green politician Christophe Clivaz, for example, criticizes that if tourists could now drive past the Matterhorn “in sandals”, it would have little to do with real mountain tourism.
He also fears that even more guests in Zermatt, which is already well frequented, could lead to “overtourism”: too much tourism, similar to Venice, for example.
Company speaks of luxury tourism
The responsible managers in Zermatt disagree: they want luxury tourism, not mass tourism. “Zermatt has stood for quality, service and a corresponding price for many years. We will continue to refrain from mass tourism. We owe that to the Zermatt brand,” says Bergbahnen boss Hasler.
Incidentally, a 20-minute helicopter flight around the Matterhorn in Zermatt is a bit cheaper than a ride on the new luxury cable car. It’s already available for 220 francs – the equivalent of around 225 euros.