Meet the Sheep
Up close and personal with the black-nosed sheep in Zermatt
Do you know the famous, blacknose sheep from the Valais? Their spiralled horns, black faces and ears and the white woolly coat - which is special in itself. The Wallis blacknose sheep will be grazing on the Gornergrat in Summer 2024.
Once the sheep have moved up to the Gornergrat area visitors have the chance to visit them in their natural habitat. Using GPS localisation, you can find the woolly sheep no matter where they are on the mountain.
The most flexible way to see them on the Gornergrat is to buy a return ticket from Zermatt to the Gornergrat. Leave the train and hike to the sheep. Afterwards you can continue the trip by train.
To ensure that the sheep also enjoy your visit, please note the following:
Please don't feed us. It can make us seriously ill.
Please don't lift us up, we don't like that at all!
Please don't sit on us, it hurts!
Find the black-nose sheep with a GPS signal
To make sure you get to see the sheep when they're on the Gornergrat this summer, we've made it easy for you. The sheep will wear collars equipped with GPS. This gives every visitor the opportunity to locate the blacknose sheep. Once you have found their signal, all you have to do is follow the map to see the blacknose sheep up close. The best time to visit is between 10.00 am and 4.00 pm. They are pleased about every visit. The sheep will return to Gornergrat in summer 2024.
Accompanied and protected
From June to September, our shepherdess accompanies and cares for the flock of blacknose sheep on the Gornergrat and never leaves their side. She protects, guides and accompanies the flock through the wild mountain landscape with her whole heart and soul.
Mountain life is my true passion. Being surrounded by nature’s beauty and the power of the mountains gives me daily strength and energy to spend the day with my blacknose sheep.
On six days a week she likes to tell hikers and visitors about everyday life on the alp and answers guests' questions in different languages. Also the shepherdess can be found through GPS.
The ‘Meet the sheep’ themed Trail
Discover fascinating information about the blacknose sheep on the Meet the Sheep themed trail between the Gornergrat and the Riffelberg railway stations at 11 sites. Why exactly do the people of Valais/Wallis keep the blacknose sheep? What happens to their soft, woolly fleeces? You can find out all about these things when you walk from cairn to cairn. When you use the QR codes on side you’ll find videos, facts and figures all about these typical, local sheep. What’s more, you’ll find interesting information about grazing on the alps, and also the flowers and animals that thrive on the Gornergrat as well as on the Gorner glacier.
Further offers around the sheep