Zermatt wins on skiing, snow and scenery. St Moritz wins on glamour, sun and non ski life. Pick Zermatt if you came to ski, St Moritz if you came for the whole show.
These are two of the most famous resorts in the Alps, but they are aimed at different travelers. Zermatt is a car free mountaineering town strung beneath the most photographed peak on earth, built around serious, high altitude skiing. St Moritz is a lakeside resort in the sunny Engadin that more or less invented the winter holiday and still trades on grand hotels, polo on the frozen lake and a glittering crowd. Both are expensive and both are special, so the question is what you actually want from the week.
The numbers side by side
| Zermatt | St Moritz | |
|---|---|---|
| Resort altitude | around 1,620 m | around 1,820 m |
| Top lift | around 3,880 m | around 3,300 m |
| Pistes | around 360 km | around 160 km |
| Snow reliability | Excellent, glacier and summer skiing | Very good, sunny and high |
| Village | Car free, alpine, mountaineering soul | Glamorous lakeside town |
| Best for | Keen skiers, scenery, snow | Non skiers, glamour, sun |
| Day pass | around $95 to $105 | around $90 to $100 |
| Nearest airport | Geneva, roughly 3.5 hours | Zurich, roughly 3 to 3.5 hours |
The skiing
Zermatt wins this comfortably. With around 360 km of pistes against roughly 160 km, the highest lift served skiing in Europe and a glacier that holds snow into summer, it simply offers more terrain and more reliable snow. You can also ski over the ridge into Cervinia in Italy. St Moritz has lovely, sunny, civilised skiing across Corviglia and Corvatsch, but it is a smaller and gentler proposition. Winner: Zermatt.
The village
This is a clash of two very different ideals. Zermatt is a car free village of timber chalets and electric taxis with a genuine mountain soul, while St Moritz is a polished resort town of grand hotels and designer shops beside a frozen lake. For mountain atmosphere, Zermatt wins. For town glamour, St Moritz wins. Winner: a tie that turns on what you find beautiful.
Cost
Both are among the most expensive resorts in the world, so neither is a budget choice. Zermatt charges a premium for its skiing and its setting, while St Moritz charges for its hotels, its dining and its scene. In practice a luxury week costs broadly the same in either, though St Moritz can run higher once the grand hotels and nightlife are added. Winner: tie, both very expensive.
Scenery
Zermatt has the single most iconic view in the Alps. The Matterhorn dominates almost every terrace and chairlift, a sight no other resort can match. St Moritz offers gorgeous, softer Engadin scenery of frozen lakes and broad sunny valleys, but it does not have one defining peak. Winner: Zermatt.
Non skiers and the scene
St Moritz wins this one clearly. It is built for people who may never click into a binding, with grand spas, lakeside walks, horse racing and polo on the ice, designer shopping and a famously glamorous social calendar. Zermatt has good non ski options and superb mountain restaurants, but St Moritz is in a different league for the off slope show. Winner: St Moritz.
Access
Access is broadly even, and both take a little effort. Zermatt is reached from Geneva in roughly three and a half hours and is car free, so you finish the trip by train from Tasch. St Moritz is reached from Zurich in roughly three to three and a half hours by road or the scenic rail network. Winner: tie.
The verdict
Book Zermatt if skiing is the point of the trip, if you want the most terrain and the most reliable snow, or if standing beneath the Matterhorn matters to you. Book St Moritz if the holiday is about glamour, sun and life off the slopes as much as on them. Read our full reviews of Zermatt and St Moritz before you decide, and if Italy tempts you, see Zermatt vs Cervinia.
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Common questions
Is Zermatt or St Moritz better for skiing?
Zermatt is the better ski resort. It has around 360 km of pistes against roughly 160 km at St Moritz, the highest lift served skiing in Europe, glacier and summer skiing, and a link into Cervinia in Italy. St Moritz skiing is good but smaller and gentler.
Which is better for non skiers?
St Moritz is clearly better for non skiers. The town is built around grand hotels, spas, lakeside walks, shopping and a glamorous social calendar including horse racing and polo on the frozen lake. Zermatt has good options but is more focused on the mountains.
Which is more expensive?
Both rank among the most expensive resorts in the world. A luxury week costs broadly the same in either, though St Moritz can run higher once the grand hotels and nightlife are added.
Does Zermatt have better scenery?
Zermatt has the more iconic scenery thanks to the Matterhorn, which dominates the village and slopes. St Moritz offers beautiful softer Engadin scenery of frozen lakes and sunny valleys but lacks one defining peak.
Is Zermatt car free?
Yes. Zermatt is car free, so visitors park in Tasch down the valley and finish the journey by a short train ride. Electric taxis and small electric vehicles move people and luggage within the village.
How do I get to Zermatt and St Moritz?
Zermatt is reached from Geneva in roughly three and a half hours, ending with a train from Tasch. St Moritz is reached from Zurich in roughly three to three and a half hours by road or the scenic Swiss railways.
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