Funivia Plateau Rosà

The Plateau Rosa cable car is one of the most remarkable lift systems in the Alps: a high-altitude crossing that physically connects Italy and Switzerland at nearly 3,500 metres, enabling skiers to pass between Cervinia and Zermatt on a single ski pass and experience two of the most iconic ski resorts in Europe in a single day.

Departing from the intermediate station at 2,500 metres and arriving at Plateau Rosa at 3,480 metres, the cable car covers a vertical drop of 980 metres across 3,200 metres of cable strung over permanently glaciated terrain. The views from the cabins are breathtaking: the Matterhorn looms overhead, the Klein Matterhorn faces directly ahead, and the glaciers of the Cervino and Theodul spread below in a landscape of extraordinary glacial majesty.

At this altitude, snow is virtually guaranteed from October through May, making the Cervinia-Zermatt cross-border domain one of the few in the Alps where serious skiing conditions can be found well outside the traditional winter season. The Plateau Rosa is the gateway to summer skiing on the Theodul glacier, where national teams from across the world conduct their early-season training camps.

The Matterhorn visible from every point of the journey needs no introduction: at 4,478 metres it is one of the most photographed and most climbed mountains on earth. Seeing it from the cable car at close range, its north face rising above the glaciers, is an experience that stays with visitors long after the descent. The crossing is weather-dependent and closes in strong winds, so checking conditions before planning a Cervinia-Zermatt day is always recommended.