Five Lakes Walk Guide

Why this is the walk people remember

Of all the trails that fan out from Zermatt, the Five Lakes Walk — the Fünf Seenweg — is the one that most first-time visitors fall for. It traces the Sunnegga side of the valley, linking five mountain lakes across a gentle, well-marked route, and the first of them, Stellisee, holds the most beautiful reflection of the Matterhorn in the whole valley. On a still, cold morning the entire pyramid falls upside down into the water, pink at the tip if you have timed it for first light. It is the picture that draws people to this side of the mountain, and it lives at the top of the loop, so you earn it early.

It is also one of the easier signature hikes here, because the lifts do the climbing. You ride up to Blauherd, walk down to Stellisee, and trace the loop mostly downhill with the Matterhorn ahead of you the whole way — which is why couples, families and first-time alpine walkers all manage it happily. This guide walks you through reaching the start, choosing your direction, the order of the lakes and the timing that turns a nice walk into a memorable one.

Blauherd & StelliseeThe lift station and the reflection lake where the loop begins.

At a glance

The essentials for a Five Lakes morning. Heights and the lake order are evergreen; the day's funicular and gondola timetable, the snow line and trail conditions change with the season, so confirm before you set out.

• The five lakes: Stellisee, Grindjisee, Grünsee, Moosjisee and Leisee.
• Start: ride the Sunnegga Express funicular, then the gondola up to Blauherd (around 2,571 m).
• Finish: Leisee, just below Sunnegga (around 2,232 m), with the funicular back to the village.
• Direction: walk anticlockwise from Blauherd — reflection lake first, mostly downhill.
• Time: roughly a half-day at an easy pace; longer with photo stops and a flask.
• Difficulty: easy to moderate, well-marked, but high, exposed alpine ground.
• Reflection: Stellisee, early on a still, clear, cold morning.
• Footwear: walking shoes or light boots; snow can linger into early summer.

Best hikes in ZermattHow the Five Lakes Walk compares with the valley's other signature trails.

How to do it, step by step

The walk is simple to organise once you know the sequence. Treat the timing as the part that matters most: an early start buys you the calm water at Stellisee and a head start on the crowds.

• 1. Take the Sunnegga Express funicular from near the village up to Sunnegga (around 2,288 m).
• 2. Change onto the gondola and ride on to Blauherd (around 2,571 m).
• 3. Walk down from Blauherd to Stellisee — the reflection lake — and give it time; wait out the wind for glassy water.
• 4. Follow the marked loop on to Grindjisee, then Grünsee.
• 5. Continue to Moosjisee and finish at Leisee, the bathing lake above Sunnegga.
• 6. Ride the funicular back down to the village from Sunnegga.

SunneggaThe funicular base of the eastern sector and the finish of the loop at Leisee.

The lakes, in order

Walking anticlockwise from Blauherd, the lakes come in a deliberate order that puts the best first. Stellisee opens the loop: the reflection lake, ringed by alpine grass, where the Matterhorn doubles in still water and where you should linger longest. From there the trail drops to Grindjisee, a smaller, sheltered pool often framed by larch, and on to Grünsee — the green lake, set in starker, stonier ground with its own quiet drama.

Lower still comes Moosjisee, the turquoise reservoir whose milky glacier colour surprises people after the clear upper pools, and finally Leisee, the shallow, sun-warmed bathing lake just above Sunnegga where families swim and paddle in high summer and a playground waits for tired children. Five lakes, five characters, descending from cold mountain mirror to warm family shore — which is part of why the walk suits so many kinds of visitor at once.

LeiseeThe bathing lake that ends the loop — shallow, sun-warmed and family-friendly.

Timing, season and why dawn wins

The reflection at Stellisee lives and dies on still air, and the air is stillest early. Through the night the mountain air settles; soon after sunrise the valley begins to breathe and a breeze ruffles the surface. So the prize morning is a cold, clear, calm one, and the prize hour is as soon after sunrise as you can manage — which means catching an early funicular and, ideally, watching the forecast for a day or two beforehand. The reward is a glassy lake and a pink-tipped summit doubled in it, with almost no one else about.

Season matters too. The high lakes are at their most photogenic from roughly July, once the surfaces have thawed and the surrounding ground has cleared of snow, through autumn. Late September and October bring the gold and rust of larch and alpine grass and the warmest low light — many regulars' favourite time, the crowds thinned and the colour at its peak. Whenever you come, it is real high country: carry layers, sun protection, water and food, watch for the afternoon thunderstorms that build over the peaks in summer, and confirm the Sunnegga–Blauherd lifts are running before you plan a morning around them.

Common questions

The questions walkers ask most often before setting out on the Five Lakes Walk.

• How long does it take? Roughly a half-day at an easy pace — longer if you stop to photograph and swim. It is a loop served by the funicular at both ends, so you can shorten it by skipping the lower lakes.
• How hard is it? Easy to moderate and well-marked, but high, exposed alpine ground with some uneven sections. Walking shoes or light boots are fine on a dry day; snow can linger into early summer.
• Which way should I walk it? Anticlockwise from Blauherd — it puts the reflection lake first and keeps the route mostly downhill with the Matterhorn ahead of you.
• Can children do it? Yes, especially the lower section down to Leisee, where there is a bathing lake and a playground. For small legs, ride to Blauherd and walk only as far as feels comfortable.
• Do all five lakes reflect the Matterhorn? No — Stellisee gives the clean reflection. The others have their own character, from larch-framed Grindjisee to turquoise Moosjisee.
• Can I swim? Leisee is the bathing lake, shallow and sun-warmed in high summer. The higher lakes are cold mountain pools, best admired rather than swum.

Zermatt summer hiking itineraryHow the Five Lakes Walk fits into a multi-day plan with the Gornergrat and Glacier trails.Zermatt photography spotsHow Stellisee fits among the village's best vantages for the Horu, by time of day.