Hiking trail marking on Riffelberg above Zermatt
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Theresa May’s favourite route

Story 23

Theresa May, former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, is a regular in Zermatt. In an interview with the Walliser Bote (Valais Herald), she reveals her favourite hike. 

When Theresa May strolls through Zermatt, she feels at home. For more than 20 years, the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom has been spending her holidays in the village. Together with her husband, she is a regular guest at the Grand Hotel Zermatterhof.  

There’s so much to discover. You see the edelweiss growing, all the flowers, the fresh air. Up here, the worries of everyday life are far away. I can switch off. In England we say: "You get away from it all.”
Theresa May
in an Interview with the Walliser Boten

Destination: the Gornergrat 

Theresa May is passionate about hiking. She revealed this in an interview with the Walliser Bote (Valais Herald) on 23 August 2019.  The 67-year-old also has a certain favourite route in the Matterhorn village: “My favourite route is the one from the village up to the Gornergrat ridge.” 

Hike from Zermatt to Gornergrat 

The Gornergrat Railway runs every 24 minutes from Zermatt valley station to Riffelalp. From here, it is a two-hour hike to the Gornergrat. The mountain trail is not too steep and leads to the Gagenhaupt, where hikers can often admire ibexes. From there, you continue on towards Lake Riffelsee, where photographers wait until there is absolutely no wind. That is when the reflection of the Matterhorn can be captured best on the surface of the lake. Passing the Steinmännchen, you then reach the Gornergrat at 3,100 m.a.s.l. where you can enjoy the view over the mountain panorama.  

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