A ride on the highest continuous Alpine Cable Car should only take four minutes. It is scheduled to start on July 1st.

For a long time it was just a vision, now it is set to become reality: on July 1st, the highest continuous Alpine Cable Car between Zermatt (Switzerland) and Cervinia (Italy) will open.

Zermatt and Cervinia

In the middle of the border region between Italy and Switzerland lies the “Zermatt/Breuil-Cervinia/Valtournenche – Matterhorn” ski area with 322 kilometers of slopes and 38 kilometers of ski routes. The winter sports area is at an altitude of 1,562 to 3,899 meters, making it the highest ski area in the Alps and also accessible in summer.

It offers a great view of the Matterhorn and connects Switzerland and Italy: From Switzerland, Zermatt is the starting point, from Italy, trains start in Breuil-Cervinia and in Valtournenche. These routes will be connected with the new cable car.

The start of the new section of the cable car is at around 3,800 meters at the “Matterhorn Glacier Paradise” station, while the valley station is at 3,458 meters in the border town of Testa Grigia.

The “Matterhorn Alpine Crossing” project enters its second phase

The first cable car of the “Matterhorn Alpine Crossing” project, the “Matterhorn Glacier Ride I”, was opened in autumn 2018. It is the world’s highest three-cable gondola and runs over 900 meters in 9 minutes from the “Trockener Steg” valley station to the “Matterhorn Glacier Paradise”.

With the new “Matterhorn Glacier Ride II”, the last section of the crossing of the Alps is now accessible, so that the highest continuous crossing of the Alps by cable car is created. First it goes from Zermatt to Furi, from there on to Schwarzsee or to the Trockener Steg, from both stations you come to the “Matterhorn Glacier Paradise”. With the new connection you can now also get to Testa Grigia on the Italian border and from there with Italian trains to Breuil Cervinia.

From July it should be possible for the first time to travel from Cervinia to Zermatt (or vice versa) with “dry feet”, the organizers announce on their website. The new cable car stretches 1.6 kilometers almost floating over the Theodul glacier, no masts are required for the 363 meter difference in altitude.

Until now, you could only travel from Switzerland to Italy or vice versa at this point on skis or snowboards. Markus Hasler, CEO of Zermatt Bergbahnen, explains: “The ‘Matterhorn Alpine Crossing’ brings us great tourism potential with the innovative development of Zermatt and Cervinia across the Alps.”

Thanks to the new cable car, there are new travel routes for international guests and thus new markets. Franz Julen, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Zermatt Bergbahnen, adds: “The ‘Matterhorn Alpine Crossing’ is much more than a cable car trip.” The “majestic Matterhorn” is always the focus of the connection between Italy and Switzerland.

Free rides for the opening on July 1st

When the new cable car opens on July 1, everyone is invited to take a free ride from the “Matterhorn Glacier Paradise” mountain station to Testa Grigia and back. The rides take place between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. The other sections are also reduced on this day.

After the opening ceremony, tickets cost from 160 euros for a single journey and 246 euros for a return journey. However, the prices vary depending on the day of travel and individual requirements, such as discounts.

Source:skiresort.de

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