3100
KULMHOTEL GORNERGRAT
Switzerland Alps Highest Mountain Top Hotel
Imagine
waking up in the morning to look out your hotel window to the view of one
of the world’s most famous and majestic of mountains just
outside, in sharp relief against a pure blue sky with the orange rays of
the rising sun caressing the rocky crags above the white cascading flow
of a glacier. There are several mountaintop hotels in Switzerland called
Kulm. They are not a chain but Kulm is essentially a word for mountain
summit, and when rack railway trains were built to the alps peaks at the
end of the 19th Century, making tourist visits to mountaintop vistas convenient,
hotels began to be built where the eternal snows cling. The 3100 Kulm Hotel
at Gornergrat is not only one of these unique and rare accommodations,
but the highest altitude hotel in the Swiss Alps. The 3100 in the name
was added to distinguish the property from the other mountain top "Kulmhotels" (see Mt
Pilatus Lucerne), and denotes the height, three thousand-one
hundred meters, or about 10,000 feet.
The Kulmhotel Gornergrat was built between 1897 and 1907 as top of the
world luxury destination in the age of the grand tour. It has ever since
been a popular location for mountain climbers, skiers and lovers of sun
and magnificent mountains. The air at Gornergrat is so clear and clean
that in 1996 two observatory domes were added for infared and radio telescopes
to observe the galaxies, though only one of the domes is still in use by
the University of Cologne. In 2005, an extensive renovation and modernization
of the Kulmhotel Gornergrat was undertaken by Fabienne and Fernando Clemenz
who operate the hotel, which is actually owned by the community of Zermatt
(see Matterhorn
Zermatt).
The
3100 Kulm Hotel Gornergrat is reached by the Gornergrat Bahn rack rail
train from Zermatt (see Gornergrat
Bahn Scenic Rail), and surrounded by
29 peaks of the massive ridge separating Switzerland from Italy, most dramatically
the Matterhorn and the Monte Rosa. Amidst the magnificient Alpine arena,
the rooms, all furnished with natural materials in light wood, are each
named after one of the 13,000 feet high mountain peaks which ring the hotel.
The number of each corresponds to the height of the mountain after which
it’s named (in meters). The contour lines of the mountain and a quotation
its climbing history is found inside the room. The west facing rooms have
views of the Matterhorn in its many moods while the rooms to the south
present the spectacular Monte Rosa massif and the glaciers. The corner
circular tower suites, the “Matterhorn” and the “Monte
Rosa” offer views of both mountains.
Stay at Kulmhotel 3100 Gornergrat
Room rates at the Kulmhotel include halfboard, breakfast and a second meal.
The last train from Zermatt doesn’t allow for late prowling in the
village, so evening meals will be most likely at the hotel’s cozy “Vis
a Vis” restaurant with high quality home cooking of traditional Swiss
and specialty dishes. What could be more romantic when the weather is clear
and temperate, than to dine on the terrace under the stars in a cobalt
sky as the sun sets beyond the breathtaking peaks. The hotel has an extensive
gift shop and store. For activities, Gornergrat offers a broad variety
of snow sports including skiing, snow boarding,
and in summer, lots of hiking. The hotel will provide a packed lunch service
for all guests. Packages are offered for stays in Zermatt and Gornergrat
and special evening dining experiences. © Bargain
Travel Europe
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3100
Kulmhotel
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SEE
ALSO:
GLACIER
EXPRESS SCENIC RAIL
HOTEL
ALEX -ZERMATT
WALLISERHOF CHALET HOTEL - ZERMATT
MT PILATUS SUMMIT HOTEL PILATUS-KULM
