A 128-year-old open-air train still climbing to 3,089 metres

What makes it historically significant

The Gornergratbahn opened on 20 August 1898 as Switzerland's first electric cogwheel railway — at a time when most mountain railways still ran on steam. It has run the same 9.339 km route on a metre-gauge Abt rack system ever since, making it one of the oldest continuously operating electric railways anywhere. It's also the second-highest railway in Europe (after the Jungfrau line) and the highest fully open-air one on the continent.

The ride itself

The line climbs roughly 1,485 m from Zermatt (1,604 m) to the Gornergrat summit station (3,089 m), stopping at Findelbach, Riffelalp, Riffelberg, and Rotenboden along the way. Trains run about every 24 minutes and the full ascent takes roughly 33 minutes, gaining elevation the entire way with almost no tunnel sections — the views start within minutes of leaving Zermatt station and never really stop.

Why this is the panoramic viewpoint, not the close-up one

Gornergrat sits directly across the valley from the Matterhorn rather than beside it, which is exactly what makes it valuable: from the summit platform you get the Matterhorn in full profile alongside 28 other named 4,000 m peaks and the Gorner Glacier — Switzerland's second-largest — spread out below. It's a wide-context view, not a close one; for that, pair it with a trip up Matterhorn Glacier Paradise on a different day.

Getting the most out of the ride

Sit on the right-hand side going up for the best Matterhorn sightlines. Riffelalp and Riffelberg both make worthwhile stopping points on the way down if you want a shorter hike back rather than riding the full line both directions — Riffelalp in particular connects to the short Riffelalp tram and several lower-elevation trail options for a less demanding return.