Gornergrat
Encyclopedia
The Gornergrat is a ridge of the Pennine
Alps
, Switzerland
, overlooking the Gorner Glacier to the south. It can be reached by the Gornergratbahn
rack railway from Zermatt
. The towers of the Kulm hotel at 3,089 m hosts the Kölner Observatorium für SubMillimeter Astronomie KOSMA
and (until 2005)
the Gornergrat Infrared Telescope
.
It is located about three kilometers east of Zermatt
in the Swiss canton of Valais
. The Gornergrat is located between the Gornergletscher and Findelgletscher and offers a view of more than 20 four thousand metre peaks, whose highest are Monte Rosa
, Lyskamm
, Matterhorn
, Dom and Weisshorn
.
This is the last stop of the Gornergrat train, opened in 1898, which climbs almost 1500m through Riffelalp and Riffelberg. At the terminus (3,089 m above sea level) on the south-western tip of the ridge is a hotel. The station forms part of the Zermatt ski area. From 1958 to 2007 there was a cable car from Gornergrat over the Hohtälli
to the Stockhorn
which, until the construction of the Klein Matterhorn
railway, was the highest mountain station in Zermatt.
At the west side of the Gorner ridge, nearby the Rotenboden trainstation is the Riffelhorn peak.
Pennine Alps
The Pennine Alps are a mountain range in the western part of the Alps. They are located in Switzerland and Italy...
Alps
Swiss Alps
The Swiss Alps are the portion of the Alps mountain range that lies within Switzerland. Because of their central position within the entire Alpine range, they are also known as the Central Alps....
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, overlooking the Gorner Glacier to the south. It can be reached by the Gornergratbahn
Gornergratbahn
The Gornergratbahn is a nine-kilometre metre-gauge mountain rack railway, with Abt rack system. It leads from Zermatt, Switzerland , up to the Gornergrat...
rack railway from Zermatt
Zermatt
Zermatt is a municipality in the district of Visp in the German-speaking section of the canton of Valais in Switzerland. It has a population of about 5,800 inhabitants....
. The towers of the Kulm hotel at 3,089 m hosts the Kölner Observatorium für SubMillimeter Astronomie KOSMA
KOSMA
The Kölner Observatorium für SubMillimeter Astronomie ' was a 3-m radio telescope for submillimeter astronomy located at 3,135 m on Gornergrat near Zermatt . It was operated by the and the , University of Bonn...
and (until 2005)
the Gornergrat Infrared Telescope
Gornergrat Infrared Telescope
The Telescopio InfraRosso del Gornergrat is located on the northern tower of the Kulm Hotel at Gornergrat near Zermatt, Switzerland. It was a Cassegrain telescope with a tip-tilt correcting secondary and optimized for infrared observations, but was decommissioned in March 2005...
.
It is located about three kilometers east of Zermatt
Zermatt
Zermatt is a municipality in the district of Visp in the German-speaking section of the canton of Valais in Switzerland. It has a population of about 5,800 inhabitants....
in the Swiss canton of Valais
Valais
The Valais is one of the 26 cantons of Switzerland in the southwestern part of the country, around the valley of the Rhône from its headwaters to Lake Geneva, separating the Pennine Alps from the Bernese Alps. The canton is one of the drier parts of Switzerland in its central Rhône valley...
. The Gornergrat is located between the Gornergletscher and Findelgletscher and offers a view of more than 20 four thousand metre peaks, whose highest are Monte Rosa
Monte Rosa
The Monte Rosa Massif is a mountain massif located in the eastern part of the Pennine Alps. It is located between Switzerland and Italy...
, Lyskamm
Lyskamm
Lyskamm is a mountain in the Pennine Alps lying on the border between Switzerland and Italy. It consists of a five-kilometre-long ridge with two distinct peaks...
, Matterhorn
Matterhorn
The Matterhorn , Monte Cervino or Mont Cervin , is a mountain in the Pennine Alps on the border between Switzerland and Italy. Its summit is 4,478 metres high, making it one of the highest peaks in the Alps. The four steep faces, rising above the surrounding glaciers, face the four compass points...
, Dom and Weisshorn
Weisshorn
The Weisshorn is a mountain in the Pennine Alps, in Switzerland. With its summit, it is one of the major peaks in the Alps and overtops the nearby Matterhorn by some 30 metres. It was first climbed in 1861 from Randa by John Tyndall, accompanied by the guides J.J...
.
This is the last stop of the Gornergrat train, opened in 1898, which climbs almost 1500m through Riffelalp and Riffelberg. At the terminus (3,089 m above sea level) on the south-western tip of the ridge is a hotel. The station forms part of the Zermatt ski area. From 1958 to 2007 there was a cable car from Gornergrat over the Hohtälli
Hohtälli
The Hohtälli is a mountain in the Pennine Alps in Switzerland. Located to the Southeast of the town of Zermatt, the mountain features several ski runs leading down the mountain.-External links:*...
to the Stockhorn
Stockhorn (Zermatt)
The Stockhorn is a mountain in the Pennine Alps. It is located to the Southeast of the town of Zermatt, and features several ungroomed ski runs....
which, until the construction of the Klein Matterhorn
Klein Matterhorn
The Klein Matterhorn is the highest point in the Zermatt-Cervinia ski area in Switzerland, and the end point of the highest cable car in Europe...
railway, was the highest mountain station in Zermatt.
At the west side of the Gorner ridge, nearby the Rotenboden trainstation is the Riffelhorn peak.
Riffelhorn
The Riffelhorn is a mountain in the Pennine Alps in Switzerland.Riffelhorn peak forms part of the Gorner ridge.At the north side is a mountain lake.Riffelhorn provides excellent rock climbing facilities havingseveral routes of a different Climbing grades....