The Crystal Trail (Kristallweg) in Zermatt (+ How to Visit Stellisee Lake!)
Looking for a trail in Zermatt to escape the crowds? Then check out the Crystal Trail! This short and relatively easy Zermatt hike packs a punch, as it has views of the Matterhorn, stops at a mountain hut with glacier views, and even passes by the famous Stellisee Lake with its iconic Matterhorn reflections. In this guide, we’ll share everything you need to know to hike the Crystal Trail in Zermatt, including how to get there, when to go, how long it will take, and much more!
Zermatt is a hiker’s paradise, with trails filled with mountain landscapes, scenic alpine lakes, unique alpine restaurants, and of course, epic views of the famous Matterhorn.
With a series of cable cars spread across Zermatt Valley that allow hikers to skip the strenuous climbs and reap the rewards of epic views and downhill hiking trails, it’s no surprise that many of the best viewpoints and trails in Zermatt can be quite crowded. Places like Riffelsee, Matterhorn Glacier Paradise, and Gornergrat are popular (for good reason), and each of these should definitely have a place on your Zermatt itinerary.
Fortunately, though, there are still some places where you can avoid the crowds in Zermatt while still getting those epic views, and one of these places is along the Crystal Trail, or the Kristallweg, in Zermatt.
The Crystal Trail is a point-to-point trail that connects two cable car stations along the Rothorn cable car route, one of the three main mountain excursions in Zermatt (the other two being Matterhorn Glacier Paradise and Gornergrat).
Along the way, this scenic trail passes by a picturesque mountain hut where you can grab a bite to eat and enjoy views of the Findeln Glacier. And what’s really great about the Crystal Trail is that it also passes by the famously picturesque Stellisee, a small lake that is perfectly backdropped by the Matterhorn, and if you’re lucky and arrive to the lake with clear and calm conditions, you may get to catch a perfect reflection of the mountain on the lake’s surface.
Because it passes by Stellisee, the Crystal Trail is a great alternative to the more popular and crowded Five Lakes Trail, which is found along the same cable car route. The Five Lakes Trail is also a point-to-point hike connecting the two lower cable car stations on the mountain, and along the way passes by five lakes, the first of which is Stellisee. This hike is longer, and it’s also way more crowded. The trail looked quite busy when we were in the area midafternoon compared to the roughly five people we saw on our entire hike along the Crystal Trail. Plus, we still got to see the best and most scenic lake of the bunch!
The Crystal Trail in Zermatt is a perfect hike for those looking for a short, scenic, and relatively easy hike with views of the Matterhorn and a decent amount of solitude. In this guide, we’ll go over everything you need to know to hike the Crystal Trail in Zermatt, including how to get there, when to go, what passes you’ll need, what to expect along the trail, and more!
In this Crystal Trail (Kristallweg) Guide:
How to Get to the Crystal Trail in Zermatt
One of the cable cars on the way to the Crystal Trail in Zermatt
The Crystal Trail in Zermatt, or the Kristallweg, is on the Rothorn cable car route, one of the three main mountain excursions in Zermatt.
This cable car route has three mountain station as it heads up from Zermatt: Sunnegga is the first, then Blauherd, and Rothorn is at the top.
The Crystal Trail is a point-to-point hike that connects the top station of Rothorn to the Blauherd midstation. Along the way, it passes by the Fluhalp mountain hut and the famous Stellisee Lake.
Stellisee Lake- found along the Crystal Trail between the Rothorn and Blauherd mountain stations
Because it’s a point-to-point hike, the Crystal Trail can be hiked in either direction, but the best way is to start at Rothorn and hike down to Blauherd. This way, the hike is all downhill- in fact, you’ll loose nearly 580 meters (1,900 feet) of elevation on this hike, so it is quite steep and steady and hiking in the other direction would make this hike unnecessarily strenuous. Unless you’re trying to save some money by not taking the lifts (which is completely valid!), we definitely suggest doing this as a downhill hike.
So, to start the Crystal Trail, we recommend taking the series of lifts from Zermatt up to Rothorn, and then hiking down the Crystal Trail to the Blauhard Station. From Blauherd, you can choose to continue hiking down the mountain on other trails, like the Five Lakes Trail, or you can simply take the lifts back down to Zermatt.
So before we get into the Crystal Trail details, let’s quickly go over the need-to-know info about the Rothorn cable cars…
The Rothorn cable cars
Here’s a quick overview of how to get to the trailhead for the Crystal Trail in Zermatt. For tons more information about the Rothorn route and things to do along the way, be sure to check out our Complete Rothorn Guide.
The bottom station of this cable car route is on the northeastern end of town, called the Sunnegga, Blauherd, Rothorn Funicular and Cable Car Station on Google Maps and is easy to walk to from anywhere in town.
Starting in Zermatt, you’ll take a series of three different lifts to get to Rothorn, where the Crystal Trail starts:
A funicular from Zermatt to Sunnegga
A gondola from Sunnegga to Blauherd
A cable car from Blauherd to Rothorn
The whole journey can take up to a half hour depending on how long it takes you to transfer between the different sections of the cable car route.
The view of the Matterhorn from the Rothorn cable car!
Tickets and prices for the Rothorn cable cars
You can buy tickets for the Rothorn cable cars online in advance, or you can simply buy them at the bottom station in Zermatt, either at the service desk or the self-service kiosk. We arrived to the station mid-morning and had no issues buying tickets in person and hopping on the next funicular up to Sunnegga. There were no lines or wait times at all.
In fact, we do suggest having this kind of flexibility for Zermatt in general and not planning anything out too far in advance. The weather is unpredictable in Zermatt, and the forecasts often change. We recommend waiting a day (two at most) in advance to check the weather one last time and solidify plans. That way, you won’t waste your money on expensive cable car tickets if the weather ends up being bad or the mountains aren’t out (because let’s be real…you’re here to actually see the Matterhorn!).
You’ll want to make sure you get these stellar Matterhorn views as you hike the Crystal Trail!
For this cable car route, you can buy one-way or roundtrip tickets between any two stations along the route. For the Crystal Trail, we recommend buying a one-way ticket up to Rothorn to start. You don’t have the need for the full roundtrip ticket since you’ll be hiking part of the way down.
Once you hike the Crystal Trail from Rothorn to Blauherd, you can decide if you want to continue hiking down the mountain on other trails. If not, you can simply buy a one-way ticket to get back to Sunnegga or Zermatt right at the Blauherd station.
By starting off with just the one-way ticket, you’ll have flexibility and won’t be locked into any of the lifts back down until you’re ready.
Check out the most current Rothorn cable car prices and timetables on the official website. Note that prices and timetables do change based on the time of year, so check these carefully!
How to save money on the Rothorn cable cars
Cable cars in Zermatt (and all of Switzerland) ain’t cheap- we get it! But luckily there are some ways to save money, including a few money-saving Switzerland travel passes that you might find useful. These include:
The Swiss Travel Card: Gets you unlimited bus and train transport throughout Switzerland, and half off most cable cars, including those in Zermatt.
The Half Fare Card: Gets you half off bus and train travel in Switzerland, plus half off most cable cars, including those in Zermatt.
The Zermatt Peak Pass: Gets you unlimited rides on all cable cars in Zermatt.
Check out our complete Guide to Visiting Rothorn, Blauherd, and Sunnegga to learn more about each of these options and to see if they would be worth getting ahead of time (hint: getting at least one of these will likely be worth it!).
Map of the Crystal Trail in Zermatt
This Crystal Trail map is meant to provide an overview of the area so you can visualize where the different lifts and mountain stations are on the Rothorn cable car route, and where the Crystal Trail is in relation to those.
A map of the Crystal Trail and all of the mountain stations and cable cars to get there
How Long is the Crystal Trail in Zermatt?
Here are our hiking stats for the Crystal Trail (Kristellweg) in Zermatt.
Distance: 5.2 km (3.2 miles) one-way
Elevation gain: 73 meters (240 feet)
Elevation loss: 573 meters (1,880 feet)
Time: Hiking time will be about an hour and 15 minutes to an hour and a half or so depending on how fast you hike. It’s mostly downhill so your pace can be pretty quick. However, you’ll probably linger a bit to enjoy the scenery and also to enjoy views at Stellisee. We hung out at the lake for over an hour!
Crystal Trail elevation profile
Our elevation profile for the Crystal Trail in Zermatt
Crystal Trail map
A map of the Crystal Trail in Zermatt. We also label where you can connect to the 5 Lakes Trail, another popular Zermatt hike that we talk about briefly below.
How Hard is the Crystal Trail in Zermatt?
Overall, the Crystal Trail is pretty short, and it’s all downhill so it’s not overly strenuous or challenging. We will say that the downhill is pretty consistent and can get pretty steep, so it can be rough on the knees after a while, especially if you’ve already been doing lots of hikes around Zermatt already. The Crystal Trail was our last hike in Zermatt, so at this point, our legs were definitely feeling all the rocky downhill hiking we had been doing over the past few days!
The Crystal Trail is mostly a steep downhill gravel path
There’s nothing technical to the Crystal Trail in Zermatt and it’s pretty straightforward to follow and stay on track. The first half is basically along a wide gravel road that’s also shared by mountain bikers, so keep your ears alert for any bikers who may be flying up behind you. One part of the trail just before reaching the Fluhalp hut does get a little narrow and rugged, but it’s nothing crazy.
Overall, the Crystal Trail in Zermatt is a pretty easy hike with super rewarding views.
The Crystal Trail (Kristallweg) in Zermatt: Trail Guide and Our Experience
We headed up the cable cars to the Rothorn summit (called Unterrothorn) and took in the views of the Matterhorn and the Findeln Glacier before setting off on the Crystal Trail.
Stunning Matterhorn views from the Rothorn summit
Just off the cable car station, you’ll find a giant trail sign with lots of crisscrossing arrows. You’ll be following signs saying “Kristallweg”, which is trail number 7. This sign will point you back behind the summit restaurant.
Follow the arrow pointing to the Kristallweg!
Back here you’ll see an obvious wide gravel road heading down the back side of the summit. At first, we weren’t totally sure this was the right way to start the Crystal Trail because we didn’t see any other trail signs up here, and this seemed more like a road than a trail, but we took it anyway- which was a good thing, because this is the Kristallweg trailhead!
The trail starts off pretty steeply as it drops you off the summit block of Rothorn. After a few minutes of this steep downhill, you’ll come to more trail signs which will confirm that you are in fact on the Kristallweg, so just keep following those signs, which will be frequently placed along the trail to keep you on track.
The start of the Crystal Trail- a wide gravel path off the back of Unterrothorn, with great views of the Findeln Glacier
Looking back up the gravel road to the summit (just to give you an idea of how steep the trail is)
Keep following the arrows for Kristallweg
As the road starts curving to the right, you’ll pass by the trail junction for Oberrothorn (the peak hovering above you to the left), but keep to the road here.
From here, the road section of the trail lasts for a while as it gradually switchbacks down the mountain, with awesome mountain scenery and views out to the Findeln Glacier.
Heading down the Crystal Trail as it weaves its way down the mountain slope
Looking back up the gravel path of the Crystal Trail
Views of the snowy peaks from the Crystal Trail
The Matterhorn is hiding behind some cliff faces during this portion of the hike, but eventually the gravel road will ease up a bit, and the further you hike, the famous mountain will start to come into view.
We loved the views along this part of the trail, and we felt like we were in some totally remote place since there was no one around! Clouds kept moving in and out of the valley, making some really cool effects in front of the Matterhorn and the valley of interwoven trails below.
Matterhorn views from the Crystal Trail
Views from the Crystal Trail in Zermatt
But READ THIS PART- because this is the one place along the trail that got slightly confusing.
In our fascination with the Matterhorn view, we kept heading further and further down the gravel road, and apparently we weren’t paying too much attention to trail signs, although we’re still not convinced we actually missed any!
As the road started curving around the slope, we noticed the pole of yellow trail signs in the distance off the road in the grassy landscape. Had we missed a turn above?
In the distance, you can see the trail signs on the grassy slope that we saw from the gravel road- keep your eyes out for these!
We headed out to the sign and sure enough, the Kristallweg Trail was over here now. Somewhere above it had turned off the road and had become an actual dirt trail that descended through the grassy slope. We’re still not sure how we missed that turn, or if there even was a sign anywhere, but nonetheless, we got back on track!
Keep following the signs for the Kristallweg! This is looking back up to where we hiked from. We had followed the road to the left (and out of the frame of this picture), but you can see that there looks to me a faint herd path here that heads up- I guess we missed it!
From here, the trail actually becomes more of a gravel road again as it starts to head back towards the Findeln Glacier and away from the Matterhorn. Along this portion of the Crystal Trail, the views of the glacier are stunning, and below you can now see the Fluhalp mountain hut.
Continuing on the gravel path down to the Fluhalp Hut
This part of the Crystal Trail has great views of the Findeln Glacier and the Fluhalp Hut below
Looking back up the steep gravel road of the Crystal Trail while the Matterhorn peaks out in the distance
As the gravel road descends, keep a careful eye out here for a very small trail marker that directs hikers off the road and onto more of a trail-like foot path. It’s totally possible this is the type of trail sign we might have missed above on the trail (these views are too distracting!), so just keep a careful eye out for these.
Keep your eyes out for this small sign marking the footpath down to the Fluhalp hut (it later meets back up with the gravel road so you can stay on the road but we think this footpath is the better and more scenic route!)
Views from the Crystal Trail footpath
From here, the path gets narrow and a bit rugged as it winds down the grassy slopes. We got lucky here with a bit of blue sky (it was brief but we were so happy to have gotten it!), and early fall colors were starting to make an appearance.
The footpath narrows a bit as it winds down the grassy slope to the Fluhalp Hut
Beautiful Matterhorn views from the Crystal Trail
There are a few bits of steep rocky trail before coming to another signed junction where the path meets back up with the gravel road. Head right here towards the hut following signs for Kristallweg. The path is now wider, smoother and flatter as it heads towards the hut.
Looking down the small bit of rocky and rugged path just before the Fluhalp Hut
A look back up the most rugged part of the Crystal Trail
The last bit of trail before joining back up with the gravel road
To your right is the Matterhorn and eventually, Stellisee Lake will come into view. You’re almost there!
Back on the gravel path, just before the Fluhalp Hut
The first views of Stellisee from the Crystal Trail!
After a few minutes, you’ll arrive at yet another trail sign. Here, you can decide if you want to take the short detour up to the Fluhalp hut for some relaxation or a bite to eat. Otherwise, head right here to follow the Kristallweg and hike to Stellisee.
Take a right here to head to Stellisee, or you can follow the signs to Fluhalp for some rest and a bite to eat
From here, a narrow herd path traverses across a rocky meadow as it heads towards the lake.
Heading towards Stellisee on the Crystal Trail
Looking back at the Fluhalp Hut
After not too long, this path meets up with the main trail that connects the lake and the hut. This is a wide smooth gravel path. And it was around here that we started seeing the crowds. Up until this point, we could count on one hand the number of other hikers we saw on the relatively empty Crystal Trail, but now that we were in Stellisee territory, things were picking up, and it seemed that the Fluhalp hut was a popular destination for those visiting Stellisee.
On the main trail to Stellisee…almost there!
After a few minutes of hiking along this main path, look for this trail sign. Here, you can take the faint herd path down to the shore of Stellisee.
Take this herd path down to the shore of Stellisee
It took us about an hour and 15 minutes to get from Rothorn to Stellisee.
The views of the Matterhorn from Stellisee’s shore were great, and we took our time trying to see every possible angle we could. We even got super lucky, because although we were there mid-afternoon, there was a brief period of calmness where the surface of the lake got still and a beautiful reflection of the Matterhorn appeared. Score! It didn’t last too long, so if you do see it, appreciate it while it lasts!
A fleeting view of the Matterhorn’s reflection in Stellisee
Admiring the views from Stellisee along the Crystal Trail
We spent about an hour here, eating lunch and chatting with some fellow hikers who we had met up at the top of Rothorn. Surprisingly, we wouldn’t say there were a ton of people here. We expected it to be a lot more crowded given how well-known this Zermatt spot is. Don’t get us wrong, there were a lot of people coming through, but they didn’t really linger and they came and went pretty fast.
When we decided it was time to move on, we took the path around the right side of the lake. At the far end of the lake, there will be a trail sign with the option to go down one of two paths.
Walking around Stellisee
The view from the other side of Stellisee back to the Findeln Glacier and Fluhalp Hut
You can decide here if you want to continue your hike by hiking the 5 Lakes Trail, the popular Zermatt Trail that goes past four more lakes as it descends to Sunnegga. This will add about 7.2 km (4.5 miles) to your hike from here, but you’ll get to see a few more scenic alpine lakes and more Matterhorn views. If this is what you want to do, take the path to the left, following signs towards Grindjisee, Moosjisee, and Grunsee (three other lakes along the trail).
If you want to just head to Blauherd and skip the 5 Lakes Trail, then either one of the two paths will take you up to the Blauherd Station. The path on the right is more of a narrow trail-like path and has a bit more climbing to it. The path on the left is a smoother path with slightly less elevation gain as it stays lower along the slope- just be sure to stay on this path and not branch off onto the 5 Lakes Trail.
Either path goes to Blauherd, but if you want to continue hiking on the 5 Lakes Trail, take the left path here
Either way, it’s a steady and gradual uphill hike from Stellisee to Blauherd that takes about 20 minutes. You’ll have views to the Matterhorn and over the intersecting paths of the 5 Lakes Trail in the valley below. We even got lucky and saw some of the famous Zermatt goats grazing in the grass below!
Hiking the Crystal Trail from Stellisee to Blauherd
A view of the lower (and busier) path to Blauherd
Looking back down the trail to Stellisee and the Findeln Glacier
Once at the Blauherd Station, you can buy tickets for the cable car back down. Or, even better- rent a mountain cart and zip down the mountain roads to Sunnegga! Check out our Rothorn Guide to learn more!
Both paths coming into Blauherd at the end of the Crystal Trail
How to Visit Stellisee in Zermatt
If you aren’t interested in the entire Crystal Trail hike and just want to see Stellisee, it’s pretty straightforward.
Simply take the lifts up from Zermatt to Blauherd and from there it’s a 1 km (0.6 mile) walk to the lake. Be sure to walk around to the far end to get the famous Matterhorn shots and potential reflections off the lake’s surface.
On the way back to Blauhard, it will be a gentle uphill hike with views of the Matterhorn.
Stellisee is a must-see when in Zermatt, even if you don’t hike the Crystal Trail!
Best Time to Hike the Crystal Trail (Kristallweg) in Zermatt
In general, a good time to hike on higher elevation trails in Zermatt is between early July to late September for snow-free trails, though it depends on the year how late snow lingers or how early snow may start falling. Just be sure to check conditions before heading up. We like using AllTrails to see recent reviews from fellow hikers.
In terms of the best time of day to hike the Crystal Trail in Zermatt, it actually doesn’t matter too much, at least in terms of crowds. We hiked the Crystal Trail midday, which is usually when hiking trails are at their busiest, but between Rothorn and Fluhalp, we saw only 5 other people on the entire trail (and two of them were only hiking because we had met them up on Rothorn and had suggested the trail to them!). So it was a super quiet and peaceful trail. It wasn’t until Stellisee that we really saw the “crowds”, but I say that with quotation marks because in reality, as we described above, it wasn’t that bad- not what I was expecting for such a well-known Zermatt lake. And we never had to wait in lines for any of the lifts.
Overall, the Rothorn cable car route seemed to be a lot less popular than either Gornergrat or Matterhorn Glacier Paradise.
Hiking along the nearly empty Crystal Trail in Zermatt
So really, the best time to hike the Crystal Trail is any time you have clear weather and open views! Check the forecast one or two days in advance at most (or even better, the morning of).
And one of our best tips for hiking in Zermatt in general is to check the webcams! Zermatt has several webcams placed at a lot of the popular mountain stations, including at Rothorn, Blauherd, and Sunnegga. Checking these before heading up will give you a good idea of what you might see once you’re up there. Because remember- conditions down in the valley could be much different than up above.
The morning we were debating hiking the Kristallweg, Zermatt Valley was socked in and we couldn’t see anything from town. Had we not looked at the webcams, we wouldn’t have known that we were actually in an inversion, and the Matterhorn was visible from Rothorn! So we decided to still head up.
As we rode the lifts up, the views were out at both Sunnegga and Rothorn stations, but the Blauherd midstation was still in a cloud- it all just depends on where the clouds are lying in each of the mountain valleys. Use the webcams to help you plan your day and if the views are out, take advantage and head on up!
Our view from the Rothorn cable car as we left Blauherd and rose above the clouds on our way to the summit!
We will say that views tend to be clearer in the morning, with clouds rolling in later in the day. This happened to us a couple times, though it really just depends on the day. Weather is unpredictable in Zermatt, and the mountains make their own weather. The Matterhorn can be out one minute and then gone the next. It really comes down to luck. On the day we did the Crystal Trail, though it was a gloomy day out mostly, we were lucky enough that the Matterhorn stayed out long enough for us to finish the hike, and then it started clouding over by midafternoon.
Afternoon clouds starting to form around the top of the Matterhorn
Another good reason to hike the Crystal Trail in the morning is for getting reflections in Stellisee Lake. The morning (and evening) is the best time to see Matterhorn reflections in the lake, because usually the wind is calm and the surface of the lake is still enough. Due to the timetables of the lifts, you won’t be able to be up there for sunrise or sunset (unless you hike all the way from Zermatt- which would be a big undertaking!), but being on the first lifts of the day will still give you a good chance at calm morning conditions. Sometimes, though, you might just get lucky. We were at Stellisee early afternoon, and by some stroke of luck, we were able to catch a pretty good, but brief, Matterhorn reflection. It wasn’t perfect, but we’ll take it!
Typical afternoon views at Stellisee sans reflections- still beautiful!
If the Matterhorn reflection in Stellisee is your priority, we’d recommend getting an early lift up to Blauherd and hopping off there to make a roundtrip hike to the lake. Then take the lift up to Rothorn and hike the Crystal Trail back down.
What if the Matterhorn isn’t out?
So, if the Matterhorn isn’t out at all, but it’s an otherwise clear day out, is it still worth it to hike the Crystal Trail and visit Rothorn?
We’d say it’s still worth it honestly. The views of the Findeln Glacier are still really beautiful from Rothorn. Stellisee won’t be as picturesque without the mountain out, though.
We’d say these views are still worth it!
If you only have a day or two of really clear weather when the mountain is out, we’d save those days to visit Gornergrat and Matterhorn Glacier Paradise. If you have an extra day in Zermatt with good or okay weather where the Matterhorn is partially out, we’d say heading up to Rothorn and hiking the Crystral Trail is still worth it.
Tips for Hiking the Crystal Trail in Zermatt
Here are some of our final tips for hiking the Crystal Trail!
Have sun protection- All of the Crystal Trail is exposed and at high elevation, so be sure to have sunscreen and a hat/sunglasses.
Wear good hiking shoes- Hiking boots or shoes with good traction and ankle support is a must on the Crystal Trail, as the path is steep and gravel-filled. Trekking poles can also be helpful to alleviate some of the work on your knees on the steep descents.
Hang on to your cable car tickets- To get on and off each lift, you’ll have to scan your lift ticket to get through the turnstiles, so be sure to keep it in a safe place for the day.
Continue your adventure down the mountain- After the Crystal Trail, instead of taking the lifts back to Zermatt, you can continue hiking down the mountain on the popular 5 Lakes Trail and/or the Gourmet Trail. Or better yet (in our opinion), take a mountain kart down the mountain! At Blauherd, you can rent mountain karts and ride the gravel roads down to Sunnegga- it’s a super unique experience and definitely made us feel like we were in a Switzerland version of Mario Kart. Check out our Rothorn Guide for more info!
Mountain karting in Zermatt!
More Zermatt Guides
Ready to check out more Zermatt highlights after your hike on the Kristallweg? Head on over to our other Zermatt guides to help plan your time!
Best Things to Do in Zermatt (+ The Complete Summer Zermatt Guide!)
Complete Guide to Matterhorn Glacier Paradise: How to Get There and Things to Do
Complete Guide to Gornergrat: How to Get There and Things to Do
Complete Guide to the Rothorn Cable Car Route: How to Get There and Things to Do
The Perfect 1 to 4 Day Zermatt Itinerary
How to Hike the Matterhorn Glacier Trail
Hiking to the Hornlihutte in Zermatt: The Complete Trail Guide
How to Visit Riffelsee: Zermatt’s Famous Lake (Plus How to Hike the Nearby Trails!)
Do you plan on hiking the Crystal Trail in Zermatt? Let us know if you have any questions, and what you thought about the trail! As always, happy hiking!