Every botanist is enraptured when he or she comes to Zermatt. Very different plants, flowers, trees and bushes live at different altitudes. The special thing about Zermatt is that rare flora is usually easily accessible by mountain lift or hiking trail.
Endemic Plants
Naturally, gentian, alpine rose, edelweiss and other alpine flora are found here. In the listed of protected plants, which are endemic, Zermatt is listed frequently. Thus one finds in Zermatt and the surrounding area some rare, partially endemic plants:
- alpine mountain gold
- hairy cushion eyebright
- thlaspi lerescheanum
- glacier génépy
- tufted sedge
- Haller’s ragwort
- Haller’s pasque flower
- lower lamb’s lettuce
- snow génépy
- melilot
Animals to Observe
Since the transportation system in the mountains in Zermatt is well developed, guests can observe animals in the wild without having to walk too far: chamois, ibex, eagles and many more. For instance, it is possible to see chamois and ibex in the steep slopes when taking the Rothorn aerial tramway or the Matterhorn Express gondolas. And marmots are easily found everywhere because they whistle.
Added Experiences on the Theme Trails
Those who want to see chamois can hike on a theme trail called the “Gamsweg”. To see ibex, look carefully at the cliffs below the train station at the end of the Gornergrat line. And those who want to get close to marmots should take the “Murmelweg”. The same applies for plants: There are the Blumenweg (flower trail), Lärchenweg (larch), Edelweissweg, and the Botanische Lehrpfad (botanical learning trail).
