Day 1 — Zermatt: Five Lakes Trail from Blauherd to Sunnegga
- 🥾 This is a classic hiking day in a high-mountain setting, but in a very tourist-friendly format: in the morning, you walk from Zermatt to the lower Sunnegga-Rothorn station, then take the funicular to Sunnegga and continue by gondola to Blauherd, where the famous Five Lakes Trail begins. The active part of the walk passes through alpine meadows, rocky mountain slopes, larch trees, scenic terraces, and five very different lakes: Stellisee, Grindjisee, Grünsee, Moosjisee, and Leisee. Officially, the route is considered moderate, with parameters of about 11.3 km, around 3 h 30 min of pure walking time, elevation gain of about 265 m, and descent of about 542 m. In practice, an average traveler should allow 5–6 hours for the full active day, including stops for photos, rest by the lakes, and a relaxed lunch or snack.
- 🌲 The route is suitable for an ordinary traveler without special gear because it is a popular, marked, and well-known trail, conveniently reached by lifts, and the walk itself is mostly downhill. You do not need crampons, a helmet, a rope, an ice axe, or mountaineering experience here. Regular hiking shoes or simply good sports shoes with a grippy sole, water, a windbreaker, and basic fitness are enough. The most photogenic spots are Stellisee, where the Matterhorn is especially beautifully reflected in calm weather, then the quieter dark-green Grindjisee, the rugged landscape around Grünsee, the bright turquoise Moosjisee, and the final Leisee near Sunnegga, where the atmosphere is more relaxed and family-friendly.
- ⛰️ A realistic plan for the day is this: leave the hotel early, reach the Sunnegga-Rothorn station by 08:00–08:30, go up, and start the trek in the morning while the light is softer and there are fewer people at the popular viewpoints. In summer, the lifts on the Zermatt – Sunnegga – Blauherd line operate seasonally; the 2026 summer timetable lists service from early May to late October, but operating hours vary by period, so on the day of the walk you should definitely check the current first and last descent times. From Zermatt station to the Sunnegga funicular it is about a 10-minute walk, the ride up to Sunnegga itself takes only 4.5 minutes, after which you continue ascending to Blauherd. After completing the whole trail, it makes sense to finish at Sunnegga, rest a bit by Leisee, and return down to Zermatt by funicular.
- ☀️ Seasonal details matter: the route is usually relevant in the summer-autumn season, while in the shoulder season individual sections or the trail itself may be closed due to snow, ice, or infrastructure works. After rain, some sections may have slippery stones and wet ground, and at the beginning of the season snow patches may remain in shaded places. Mountain weather changes quickly: even on a warm day there may be a cold wind higher up, so it is better to bring an extra layer. For beautiful reflections at Stellisee, it is best to come during a calmer windless part of the day, and for a safe return not to delay your start too much. No special permit is needed for the walk itself, but you do need a lift ticket; if you want to do the route without rushing and with breaks, it is best to plan an early start and check the trail status in the morning.
