150 years of tradition

Both a mountain and industrial village in the heart of the Mattertal valley, St Niklaus is also gaining popularity as a beautiful tourist destination. Just a stone’s throw from the famous resorts of Zermatt, Grächen and Saas-Fee, it’s nestled into the stunning mountain panorama of four-thousand-meter peaks. St Niklaus lies in the deepest valley in Switzerland and with around 2400 inhabitants, it is one of the sixth largest municipalities in the Upper Valais.

St. Niklaus & Grächen

The sight of 14 magnificent four-thousanders can be enjoyed from Grächen and St Niklaus, including the impressive Weisshorn, Brunegghorn and Birhorn peaks.

St. Niklaus has a great tradition of producing mountain guides and was the foundation of alpinism in the inner Mattertal Valley. The town continues to celebrate this heritage and is home to a mountain guiding museum.

Anyone gliding in by gondola to Hannigalp, Grächen lands in seventh heaven – a sea of mountains, including the iconic Matterhorn, awaits. Majestic peaks bow toward the hikers on the high trail to Saas-Fee or the Europaweg from Zermatt leading back to St Niklaus or Grächen. It’s a real picture postcard paradise. Through the woods, hikers can follow the water conduits from the Ried glacier. Those on bikes can enjoy marked downhill routes and amazing upward climbs. St. Niklaus is also the starting point for the famous Monte-Rosa Tour, the Zermatt Marathon and incredible mountain trails.

With 250 kilometers of hiking trails to follow, there’s something for every hiker to discover. Make a stop at a “Bergbeizli” – mountain inns which offer food, drink & hospitality typical of the Valais. Take a box seat with an unobstructed view onto the spectacular mountain world around you.

Jungen

The Alpine hamlet of Jungen is 1960m above sea level on the left flank of the valley above St. Niklaus. It can be reached on foot or by cable car. Take in the breathtaking panorama and relax by the mountain lake or enjoy a meal at the restaurant. Jungen is the starting point for the Jungen-Moosalpe and Gruben/Turtmanntal high-altitude trails. The SAC hut Topali is also accessible from Jungen.

Zermatt

The world famous resort of Zermatt is easily accessible from St Niklaus by car/taxi or train (Matterhorn Gotthard Railway). Zermatt lies at the foot of the Matterhorn and in the winter, skiers from all over the world make the most of 300km of pistes of Zermatt and extend over to Cervinia, Italy. Just like St Niklaus, Zermatt also has a long history of mountaineering. Hike around Zermatt or climb one of the numerous 4000m peaks.