Gornergrat Kulm Hotel

Perched at 3,120 metres on the Gornergrat ridge above Zermatt, Switzerland, the Gornergrat Kulm Hotel combines an alpine hotel with a working astronomical observatory.

About Gornergrat Kulm Hotel

The Gornergrat Kulm Hotel is both a hotel and an observatory, reached from Zermatt via the Gornergrat cogwheel railway, whose terminus sits just 100 metres from the building. Alongside its rooms, the hotel includes two restaurants and a small shopping mall, all at one of the highest publicly accessible points in the Swiss Alps.

History

A first, smaller hotel was built on the Gornergrat in 1896, two years before the Gornergrat rack railway itself was completed. As tourist traffic grew, a larger hotel was constructed between 1897 and 1907. Thanks to the site's clean air and excellent light conditions, two observatory domes were added to the hotel's towers in 1996.

Telescopes & research

The southern tower houses the KOSMA telescope, while the Gornergrat Infrared Telescope occupies the northern tower, taking advantage of the high-altitude site's thin, dry air.

Location & getting there

At 3,120 metres above sea level, Gornergrat Kulm Hotel is one of the highest hotels in the Alps, accessible by rail directly from Zermatt without the need for a car.

Visiting Gornergrat Kulm Hotel

Visitors can reach the site year-round via the Gornergrat railway; check the hotel's official website for current room availability, restaurant hours, and any observatory viewing opportunities before travelling.

See your named star from here

Few places offer skies as clear as this Alpine summit, where a telescope could be aimed at the exact coordinates of a star named through Star Register. Name a star or browse the catalogue to find one already named.