HIGH ALTITUDE RESEARCH STATIONS - GORNERGRAT

Gornergrat is a rocky ridge in the Swiss Alps, located between the Gorner and Findel glaciers, which offers a splendid view of no less than 29 peaks at an altitude of 4,000 m and above, such as the Dufourspitze (Pointe Dufour), whose summit rises to 4,634 m ! Gornergrat is also about 3 km south-east of Zermatt, the starting point for most visits to this amazing site. To visit it, the easiest way is to go through the small Gornergrat rack railway line, which was created in 1898, and which climbs a beautiful vertical drop of nearly 1,500 m. Once there, the vision offered is really surprising, with this hotel that hosts two observatories, the North and South Gornergrat! These astronomical observatories were built in the late 1960s in the two towers of the Kulmhotel Gornergrat. The Gornergrat South houses the telescopes of the Stellarium Gornergrat project, under a 7.50 m diameter dome, as well as a computer room, a workshop, a bedroom, a kitchen and even a bathroom! Unfortunately, this observatory is only accessible for astronomer missions. The Gornergrat Nord is not used.

The history of this exceptional site is truly astonishing because it is the result of a strategic choice between high altitude (3,150 m), favourable atmospheric conditions, easy accessibility thanks to the Gornergrat Bahn train... and the desire to attract tourists! Indeed, in 1896, Joseph Perren and Joseph Biner built the Hotel Belvédère up there. On August 20, 1898, after two years of construction, the Gornergrat railway went into service. It is the first electric rack railway in Switzerland, and the royal way to open a real alpine tourism, the possibility for everyone to discover the world of high altitude without difficulty and in only a few tens of minutes. When the railway line was put into service, Hôtel Belvédère saw the influx of tourists. Realizing the financial interest of the site, the municipality of Zermatt decided to build the current hotel, which took about ten years to complete (1907!). Scientists became interested in the site many years later, around 1950, when they realized all the advantages of high altitude in terms of humidity (the air is dry, therefore less penalizing for observations) and the number of nights released per year. So much so that it is even planned for a time to build a national observatory there, before the project is abandoned because of Switzerland's accession to the European Southern Observatory (ESO) project in 1981. Today's visit to the complex may seem frustrating for those who hope to access the interior of the main dome! Nevertheless, the site itself, with its breathtaking view, is already worth the trip on its own. We therefore recommend that you include your visit as part of a stay in the region, with the intention of coming there especially to enjoy the magical setting.