How do you decide whether to travel to Zermatt or St Anton? We look at 7 reasons why Zermatt is better than St Anton.
Both worldwide and within their respective countries of Switzerland and Austria these resorts are revered as legendary.
So what are the big differences between these two ski resort giants?
1. The Matterhorn
Do we really need to say anything? The Matterhorn is one of the world’s iconic mountains and you can’t see it anywhere else!
If you’re looking for an Instagram moment, Zermatt is the place to go:
Even the view from Cervinia is not as good. For the best photos of the Matterhorn you need to be in Zermatt:
2. Guaranteed Snow
If you want guaranteed snow, then the choice has to be Zermatt. It’s one of the very few ski resorts in Europe that can still offer skiing 365 days a year.
The extra height that Zermatt offers, by allowing access to the Matterhorn Ski Paradise from 3883m, means that you can be confident there will be snow.
Zermatt has a more extended season and better snow at the extremities of the season, December and Easter.
While St Anton sits slightly higher than Zermatt at 1770m, compared to 1620m in Zermatt, the highest point in St Anton is Valluga at 2811m, compared with over 3800m in Zermatt.
3. Car Free
While St Anton is a charming resort and does have a pedestrian high street, Zermatt is completely car free.
Electric taxis and buses swish you around the Swiss resort and the air is noticeably cleaner for it.
4. Non-Ski Activities
Zermatt also has a much wider and better choice of activities for for non-skiers.
The joy of open-air ice skating in the centre of Zermatt is hard to beat. The same can be said of curling – who wouldn’t want to curl on one of the world’s oldest rinks!
Tobogganing is an excellent non-ski activity, and Zermatt has genuinely embraced this with three options, including the 3.6km Tasch run.
Zermatt is also perfect for anyone looking to explore the mountain with pedestrian-friendly lifts that lead to wonderful restaurants for lunch.
You can find out more about non-ski activities in Zermatt in our blog post.
5. Better Investment
Another area that Zermatt wins over St Anton is in the investment that goes into the lift infrastructure.
Zermatt is well known for the huge investment it had made in recent years into new lifts.
The most recent is the 3S Matterhorn Paradise cable car, and that will be followed up shortly with the 3S link between Matterhorn and Cervinia.
6. Higher, Longer, Further…
Let’s look at the key stats for both resorts. Zermatt has a more kilometres of pistes, a higher top accessible point and a longer longest run.
And despite what you might imagine about prices, the lift passes cost about the same.
| St Anton | Zermatt | |
| Km of Pistes | 306km | 360km |
| Highest Point | 2811m | 3883m |
| Resort Height | 1770m | 1620m |
| Lifts | 88 | 52 |
| 6 Day Lift Pass Price | €300 | €335 |
| Longest Run | 9km | 25km |
| Ski Area | 448ha | 146ha |
7. Après Ski
Even though we are (slightly) biased to Zermatt, we have to admit that the après ski is quite good in St Anton.
What most people may not realise is that Zermatt also had its own piste-side bars that are great for a beer and a dance at the end of a day’s skiing. Try Hennu Stall by the piste on the way down from Furi.
Zermatt can hold its own in town as well with the Broken Bar, Harry’s Ski Bar and the Papperla Pub to keep you dancing until the early hours.
Accommodation in Zermatt
If you are looking for a place to stay in Zermatt, then call us on +41 79 247 15 88 or explore our website to find out more about our exclusive luxury catered chalets.
