All routes in Zermatt

Hiking route

Riffelsee trail: Rotenboden – Riffelberg

Zermatt · Valais · Switzerland

Moderate

Rated by Gornergrat Bahn AG

Getting there

Gornergrat Bahn Rotenboden or by car: Matterhorn Terminal Täsch

Distance
3.1km
Duration
1:00h
Ascent
42m
Descent
276m
Riffelsee with the Matterhorn

Photo: H. Zell, CC BY 3.0 / Wikimedia Commons

Status today

  • Riffelseeweg (No. 21) closed
  • Season: May – November · in season

Map and elevation profile

Loading map…
↑ 42 m · ↓ 276 m
123
Profile approx., calculated from swissALTI3D (2 m); the figures above are the official ones.

Along the route

  1. 1

    Rotenboden station

    Cable Car / Lift / Funicular · at the start · 2819 m    Rotenboden station

    Photo: My another account (talk), CC0 / Wikimedia Commons

  2. 2

    Riffelsee

    Lake
  3. 3

    Riffelberg station

    Cable Car / Lift / Funicular · 2582 m    Riffelberg station (in winter)

    Photo: Kabelleger / David Gubler (http://www.bahnbilder.ch), CC BY-SA 3.0 / Wikimedia Commons

About the route

From Rotenboden station past the Riffelsee and a second, smaller lake, then on the westernmost path via Gagenhaupt to Riffelberg.

There are several ways down to Riffelberg, and the path via Gagenhaupt is the least used of them. Depending on the season, you may see ibex in the Gagenhaupt area. Shortly before the end of the walk you reach the Bruder Klaus chapel at Riffelberg, whose shape is modeled on the silhouette of the Weisshorn behind it.

More routes in Zermatt

Nearby

Sources (12) · last checked October 2026

Route data checked: October 2026