Station 6 Meet the Sheep Trail

Flora and fauna:

Here, just above the enchanting Lake Riffelsee, the conditions are perfect for numerous plants and herbs. The Alpine Garden stretches from here to the idyllic Lake Riffelsee and offers a unique opportunity to ex­plore the flora and fauna of the Gornergrat ridge.

Facts and figures about the Alpine Garden on the Gornergrat:

The Alpine Garden Gornergrat is the highest of its type in Europe and is located at around 2,800 metres above sea level at Rotenboden station. Visitors can explore the local flora and vegetation of the Gornergrat on an area of more than 5,000 square metres with a unique view of the Matterhorn, the Riffelhorn and Lake Riffelsee.

The flora on the Gornergrat makes it one of the most spe­cies-rich areas in the Swiss Alps. Due to the special lo­cation, many plant species grow here that are not to be found in comparable areas. In the Alpine Garden, guests can explore the unique flora of the Gornergrat on a num­ber of different paths. Numerous signs with QR codes al­low you to immerse yourself in the fascinating world of Alpine plants.

Many species in the Alpine Garden are rare and endan­gered in Switzerland. Even those who are not normally mountain walkers can enjoy the unique flora here and learn a lot about the floral world of the Valais Alps.

Larch and other upstarts – altitude records in the Al­pine Garden

The Saussurea can be found in the Alpine Garden – this is a plant which holds the record for being found at the highest altitude: in the Himalayas at 6,400 metres above sea level. In Europe, the altitude record is 4,450 metres on the Dom, where a specimen of the purple saxifrage can be found. However, plants in the Alps generally do not grow above 3,000 metres, as the summers at this altitude are too short, the climatic conditions too harsh and the solar radiation too high. However, the Gorner­grat region is an exception, as many species grow much higher here than in other regions of the Alps. For ex­ample, at the height of the Alpine Garden, there are no other enclosed lawns in comparable locations, such as the Bernese Alps. In the Alpine Garden, there is even a larch growing at an altitude of 2,800 metres – a re­cord-breaking occurrence for a tree in the Alps. More than 150 plant species occur naturally in the Al­pine Garden, which is also a record-breaking number at this altitude.

125 years of Gornergrat Railway – and even more plants!

To mark the 125th anniversary of Gornergrat Railway, many of the exciting plants will be portrayed from 2023 onwards. At this altitude, numerous Alpine plants blos­som just briefly and can only be admired for a short time. This is why they bloom all year round on the Al­pine Garden website and tell exciting stories about well-known species, such as the edelweiss, or less well-known species, such as the Alpine lady’s mantel.