AHV-Weg or Pension Path offers glimpses of three parallel worlds. The village, mountain forest and the Gornergrat Bahn cog railway. The trail climbs gently to a level where the views alternate between lush woodland and the rooftops of Zermatt. The AHV-Weg is by no means reserved for older walkers. It leads from the Winkelmatten chapel uphill to the tracks of the Gornergrat Bahn and on this trail there is a good chance to see the working mechanism of a rack-and-pinion railway up close. The trail then flattens out, passing a metallophone or a xylophone like of metal. Below, to the left, lies the hotels and houses of Zermatt, offering an occasional glimpse of an interior. Finally the path leads into the forest, and an atmosphere of tranquil seclusion. Here, young people of Zermatt have created a discovery trail, and walkers who keep their eyes open will be rewarded with some happy surprises. This beautiful easy trail starts from Winkelmatten and ends at Schonegg with total distance of 2.16 kilometers taking approximately an hour. The highest point on this walk is at 1741 meters with an ascent of 150 meters and descent of 174 meters. This beautiful and adventurous trail is accessible with families with baby carriage and it goes through beautiful larch woods. Children will have an exciting time trying to find the discovery trail and parents will have a very relaxing time smelling the fresh scent of larch woods taking a step away from the village.
The Bahnweg or Railway Trail makes an ideal family walk, offering up close views of trains of the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn. The area along the path is also home to marmots and many alpine flowers including some very rare species. This path leads through a variety of terrain, across forest, meadows and pastures. Here the star attractions are the trains of the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn and just before 9AM and just after 5PM, the Glacier Express passes with its panoramic carriages. As walkers approach the large marmot colony, the furry rodents whistle in alarm and might disappear into their burrows but don’t worry, you just have to sit still for a while for the charming creatures to appear again. Interestingly, the noise of the trains doesn’t disturb them. This wonderful easy trail starts at Tasch ending at Zermatt with total distance of 6.03 kilometers taking approximately an hour and 55 minutes. The highest point on this walk is at 1629 meters with an ascent of 379 meters and descent of 205 meters. Children who love trains and little animals will definitely have an amazing time on this trail. There are many alpine flowers blooming allowing the air to smell sweet and fresh. There is an excellent barbecue site with picnic area so you can buy some food before the walk to have an amazing picnic while enjoying the views of the alpine mountains.
