Zermatt Inside 2023 - 3c - English Translation and Summary

Summary of significant articles

The new Matterhorn Glacier Ride II cable car opens on July 1, 2023, creating the first continuous year-round connection between Zermatt, Switzerland, and Cervinia, Italy.
An open-house event with music and food will be held on opening day to celebrate the new connection, with the ride from Matterhorn Glacier Paradise to Testa Grigia being free of charge for the event.
A new "Xtended 365" annual pass add-on for an additional CHF 400 will grant holders unlimited summer travel to Cervinia.
A new digital travel guide has been launched, and comprehensive luggage and bicycle transport services between the two destinations are planned to start in 2024.

A new cable car from Zermatt (Schluhmatte) to Furi is set to begin operations in autumn 2023, featuring modern 100-person cabins.
The ride will offer unique features including a "Rooftop Ride" open-air balcony and a journey through a massive, magnifying-glass-shaped support pylon designed for photo opportunities.
The new valley station, built to the Minergie-P sustainability standard, will include modern ticketing facilities and a dedicated luggage check-in for the Matterhorn Alpine Crossing starting in early 2024.

Zermatt's wastewater treatment plant (ARA Zermatt), operating since 1982, is built largely inside a mountain cavern due to limited space.
The facility was upgraded between 2011-2017 with space-saving membrane bioreactor technology to handle the tourist destination's high capacity needs, now capable of serving up to 60,000 population equivalents.
Its membrane filters have a total surface area of 32,500 m²—equivalent to five football fields—with pores 250 times finer than a coffee filter to ensure no solids are released.
Future challenges include a potential national mandate to install systems for removing micropollutants, such as pharmaceutical residues, from the water.

To ensure the destination's future water supply amid dry conditions, construction of the new Blatten reservoir has begun.
Development of new bike trails continues, with work focusing on completing the Riffelberg Trail and starting the new Blauherd-Sunnegga flow trail.
The municipality is managing a difficult housing situation for seasonal workers and significant personnel changes due to several long-serving employees and leaders retiring.
Renovations to the "d'niww Walka" schoolhouse are progressing but face delays and a 2.26% cost increase due to supply chain issues.

Zermatt schools held their second "Energy Day" event on May 4, 2023, to teach students about both energy production and personal well-being.
Workshops for all ages covered diverse topics, from building solar-powered devices and learning about the local power grid to practicing yoga and mindfulness.
A key focus was on practical energy conservation and understanding one's ecological footprint.
The day's projects and learnings were showcased to parents and the community in a public "Energy Museum" exhibition held in the school buildings.

The Matterhorn Group heats its Grand Hotel Zermatterhof with carbon-neutral wood pellets sourced from the sustainable management of 900 hectares of local forests.
It actively supports local value chains by sourcing cheese and meat from Zermatt's alpine cooperatives for its hotels and restaurants, reducing transport emissions.
Organic waste from its operations is converted into green electricity and district heating at the Zermatt biogas plant, diverting 114.6 tons of waste in 2022.
The company's businesses are ISO-certified for environmental management and hold the Swisstainable tourism label.

A new family attraction, "Wolli Wonderland," opens on June 17, 2023, along the stroller-friendly trail between Winkelmatten and Furi.
The experience combines a playground with a mystery game where children solve puzzles at 17 stations to help the mascot Wolli find his lost friend, Mitza the cat.
The trail features unique play elements, interactive miniature dioramas, and audio stations that narrate the story.
The story is based on a real event from 1950, when a young cat from Geneva successfully summited the Matterhorn with a group of climbers.

Starting in September 2023, the Gornergrat Bahn will launch the "NostalChic Class," a new premium offering for a maximum of 22 guests per trip.
Guests travel in a restored vintage carriage with a plush interior, enjoying guaranteed window seats for the best views of the Matterhorn.
The exclusive journey is led by a local guide who shares stories about the region's nature, culture, and history.
The CHF 320 ticket includes a complete culinary tour, featuring an apéro in Zermatt, a multi-course menu at the 3100 Kulmhotel Gornergrat, and dessert at the Riffelalp Resort.

The article profiles Otto Furrer (1903-1951), a renowned Zermatt mountain guide and one of the world's most successful ski racers of his time.
In 1932, he became the World Champion in the Alpine Combined in Cortina d'Ampezzo and won the prestigious Arlberg-Kandahar combined event three years in a row.
He was a key figure in developing ski instruction in Switzerland, co-founding the Crans-Montana ski school and later serving as head of the Zermatt ski school.
Admired for his strength and calm demeanor, he was nicknamed "the Matterhorn" by friends but tragically died in a climbing accident on his home mountain in 1951.

As part of its 125th anniversary, the Gornergrat Bahn is highlighting its history of record-setting achievements.
The Gornergrat station, at 3,089 meters, is the highest open-air railway station in Europe.
The 3100 Kulmhotel Gornergrat is the highest hotel in the Swiss Alps and has been welcoming guests for over a century.
In 2013, the Gornergrat was the site of a Guinness World Record for the largest alphorn ensemble, with 508 musicians performing together against the backdrop of the Matterhorn.