Matterhorn (Monte Cervino)

The iconic 4,478 m pyramid that defines the resort

Monte Cervino — the Matterhorn — rises directly above Cervinia, its south face a sheer triangular wall that fills the view from the village. At 4,478 metres it is the highest mountain in the local massif and one of the most recognisable peaks in the Alps.

You don't have to climb it to enjoy it. The lifts from Cervinia rise to the Plateau Rosa at 3,480 metres, from where the Italian face is at eye level and the Swiss side, including the famous Hörnli Ridge, is visible across the border. The classic mountaineering route on the Italian side, the Lion Ridge, was first climbed by local guide Jean-Antoine Carrel in 1865 — a story still very much alive in the valley.

things to do sight mountain
A story
The first ascent from the Italian side was made on 17 July 1865 by Jean-Antoine Carrel and Jean-Baptiste Bich — three days after Edward Whymper's notorious British party reached the summit from Zermatt, four of whom died on the descent. Carrel was a Valtournenche guide; the route he pioneered, the Lion Ridge, still bears his name and is the standard Italian way up.