Zermatt Magazin 2024

42 Gornergrat railway | Zermatt Magazin
VERY CHIC VINTAGE:
THE NEW NOSTALCHIC
CLASS ON THE
GORNERGRAT RAILWAY
You can now ride up the mountain on a beautifully restored vintage
train. A journey back in time in Zermatt, with one or two surprises.
More than half a million tourists visited the Gornergrat in
Zermatt last year. The rack railway brings visitors from Zermatt
up to 3,100 metres above sea level. With its uninterrupted
view of the Matterhorn, the train ride attracts people from
all over the world.
Visitors' needs evolve from one year to the next. The tourism
market is extremely competitive. In order to attract visitors,
vacation destinations need to meet tourists' wishes and expectations.
Zermatt is no different, where the latest attraction
is at the Gornergrat Railway.
Named NostalChic Class, guests can now experience the
Gornergrat ridge in a completely new way, with a ride on a
vintage train.
The trip begins in the morning, the passengers gradually arrive
at Hotel Tannenhof in Zermatt. There is a drink to welcome
the guests at the Golden Lok Ristorante Pizzeria. On
the ground floor there is even a golden locomotive, which is
fitting. It is in fact locomotive He 2/2 3001, one of the first
to transport passengers up the Gornergrat 125 years ago.
Photos and climbing equipment on the walls allude to earlier
times when it was mules that made the ascent.
Nibbles are also served with the drinks. The day-trippers
have an opportunity to chat while enjoying the refreshments.
Suddenly a man appears dressed in historical uniform. It is
our tour guide Franz, a former Zermatt hotelier who will accompany
us throughout the day. Alternating between German
and English, he explains the itinerary. Revitalised by the
refreshments, the guests get ready to start.
Franz, the tour guide, does another head count: there are
supposed to be 22 guests in total. After all, nobody should
miss out on the tour of old Zermatt, because Franz shows the
guests around the village en-route to the Gornergrat Railway
station. Whether he is talking about the style of a traditional
stable building or the design of a fountain, he has plenty of
information to keep the passengers interested.
At the station, the NostalChic Class train is waiting at the
platform. Franz ushers the guests on board. The colour of
the train is not immediately apparent. Depending on the light
and the perspective, it's either dark purple or burgundy red.
Everybody is guaranteed a window seat, which is why the
number of passengers is deliberately kept low on each trip.
People familiar with the Zermatt landscape immediately take
their seats on the right-hand side of the carriage. These are
the seats that are known to give the best view of the Matterhorn.
Inside, the carriage is decorated as it would have been 125
years ago. It has been beautifully restored using new furnishings
made in the style of that era. The compartments are divided
by white curtains. An old telephone and a small wooden
cabinet hark back to earlier days. Embroidered cushions are
on-hand to ensure the passengers' comfort during the journey.
The train starts to move. The journey is underway. Franz
welcomes the guests on board with a surprise announcement:
unlike the standard train service, this train is going to stop at
a special point on the line on the way up. At the Best View of
the Matterhorn everybody gets their phone out. The moment
has to be recorded for posterity. Selfies and panorama shots
abound. After a few minutes the train continues its ascent.
Franz explains a couple of facts about the Matterhorn and
the landscape.
Slowly but surely, the clock approaches noontime. Shortly
before arriving at Gornergrat, Franz points out another highlight
to the guests. On their left-hand side there is another
golden locomotive from 125 years ago, He 2/2 3003 – one
of the three first-generation locomotives on the Gornergrat
Railway – renovated, painted in gold, and placed prominently
on the summit. The train reaches the highest point on
schedule.
Lunch awaits the guests on the Gornergrat, nestled among
29 summits all above four thousand metres. A three-course