We are often asked if there are any dog friendly ski chalets or apartments in Zermatt, Switzerland:

A very dog-friendly ski resort

A dog friendly ski chalet in Zermatt

Borrow a dog!

Dog friendly apartments in Zermatt

Pet Passports in Switzerland

We are dog owners

Ed and Suzanne – owners of Matterhorn Chalets – are dog lovers themselves: Poppy is a 7-year-old English springer spaniel and loves Zermatt.

Zermatt is a very dog-friendly ski resort

Poppy loves the snow and the trails of Zermatt – which is a very dog-friendly ski resort. You see lots of dog owners around the village (where dogs must be on the lead the whole time) and then beyond the village limits (where they can run free) and taking your dog for a walk is great way to meet the locals.

It can be surprising for some dog owners to see that absolutely no one has a problem with dogs in restaurants, and almost without exception the staff will bring a bowl of water for the dog.

OMG so much fresh powdery snow this morning, what fun! Posted by Poppy Mannix on Sunday, 28 February 2016

Chalet Ulysse – A dog friendly ski chalet in Zermatt

Dogs are more than welcome in our Chalet Ulysse. They are allowed across the whole chalet, but it’s important to realise that you can’t just abandon your dog for the day while you go out.

Having a dog with you works best if you are travelling as a family – with a family members such as grandparents or a spouse who does not ski and can take the dog for a walk.

Ed from Matterhorn Chalets recalls a group of Americans from Texas: “They joined us at Chalet Ulysse for Christmas 2016 and brought their pug with them as their therapy dog – she was so sweet.”

Many guests walk their dog up to Findeln and the other restaurants nearby. You simply go out of the front of Chalet Ulysse, go past the children’s playground and follow the trail across Gornergrag railway line up to Chez Vroni, the Findelhof and the Adler Hutte. It takes about 1h15m to 1h30m in total, depending on how leisurely you stroll up there.

Borrow a dog!

According to Suzanne, you don’t even need to have your own dog with you:

“We had some guests at New Year who didn’t have a dog, but one of their party didn’t ski anymore and wanted to walk and meet up with the rest of the group at lunchtime. So we lent him Poppy! He loved the idea of having a dog for a week in a ski resort!”

Dog friendly ski apartments in Zermatt

Not all owners allow dogs, but our self-catering apartment Pasadena is fine. Owned by Ed and Suzanne, dogs are allowed for all stays there. Apartment Pasadena sleeps up to four in a double room with a sofa bed in the living room.

Another option for summer only is the Zem Waldhaus apartment, which can sleep six people in one double and two twin bedrooms.

Lots of fun in the new snow in Zermatt Posted by Poppy Mannix on Friday, 8 January 2016

Pet Passports in Switzerland

Even though Switzerland is not in the EU a ‘pet passport’ is required. In reality, this simply means your dog must be up to date with their innoculations and ‘must be under control’. The vaccinations cover rabies, working and ticks and is much simpler to organise than when it was first introduced and authority could only be obtained 24-48 hours prior to travel.

Typically our dog-owning guests join us by car, but if you are coming from further afield, such as the States, the UAE or Australia, you can of course fly if you are prepared to put your dog in the hold.

Join us in Zermatt

However you and your dog travel, we look forward to welcoming you to Zermatt to one of our dog friendly ski chalets and apartments.

Poppy looks forward to it too! If you’d like to follow her adventures in Zermatt, she has her own Facebook page…