At the start of the lift between Cervinia and Zermatt, Italy and Switzerland meet at high altitude

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It is a project that has a history spanning more than eighty years. The connection between Italy and Switzerland at high altitudes began to be talked about in 1939, today it has become a reality thanks to the inauguration of the Matterhorn Alpine Crossing. The plant allows you to connect the two sides, Italian and Swiss, of the Piccolo Cervino and therefore the localities of Cervinia to Zermatt, without skis on your feet and for the whole year. After the construction of the first section on the Swiss side, in 2018, the second lift also became operational, which climbs from Testa Grigia (3,400 metres) to the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise station at 3,800 metres, the highest in Europe.

Financed by the Swiss Zermatt Bergbahnen, the last section of the plant – Matterhorn Glacier Paradise II – helps to create the largest alpine area at high altitude. It is a 3-wire cable car that connects the two stations, the one on the border with Italy (Testa Grigia) with the Piccolo Cervino (3,821 metres). The difference in altitude of 363 meters is covered in just four minutes with ten cabins designed by Pininfarina and a transport capacity of 1,300 people per hour.

The plant makes the entire 1.6 kilometer crossing above the Teodulus glacier in suspension, without any pylon, also thanks to the three-cable technology which allows for longer naves to be created without pillars. The investment of the Swiss company was 45 million Swiss francs, just over 46 million euros, while for the entire Matterhorn Alpine Crossing the financial commitment reached 140 million francs.

For Markus Hasler, CEO of Zermatt Bergbahnen, «the new connection between Switzerland and Italy across the Alps enhances the offer of Zermatt Bergbahnen and the Zermatt-Cervino destination. An interesting additional effect will be the new travel routes made possible for international guests, who already frequent us, and the opening of new markets, both for people traveling individually and for small groups”. The ticket for the entire route, between Cervinia and Zermatt and back, will cost over 200 euros. “A targeted pricing strategy will promote individual travel as an alternative to mass or transit tourism,” explains Hasler.

The plant was built by Leitner, a South Tyrolean company specializing in the construction of ropeway systems all over the world. «Initially the project was born as a classic “Go and go” cable car with two cabins in which people stand, then the Swiss company saw the new cabin developed with Pininfarina on the first section and they chose the same solution for the second section as well – underlines the vice president Martin Leitner – with a high travel comfort».