It's called the Matterhorn Alpine Crossing and it is the highest continuous Alpine crossing by cable car which will be active from 1 July: what to know
June 30th this year will be an epochal day for the border between Italy and Switzerland: the Matterhorn Alpine Crossing, the highest alpine crossing continues by cable car which will connect the Piccolo Cervino to the Plateau Rosa. Essentially it will be possible to go from Breuil-Cervinia, in Italy, to Zermatt, in Switzerland, but without needing skis.
A border to cross by cable car
Starting from July 1st, and therefore from the day after the inauguration, the Italian-Swiss border section in question will no longer be crossable exclusively on skis or snowboards as still happens today. In fact, it can be bypassed by boarding an innovative cable car (obviously weather permitting).
Creating a connection between Italy and Switzerland in front of the Matterhorn is certainly not a new idea. The first project to directly connect Zermatt and Cervinia dates back to 1939. Over the course of all these years, various attempts have been made, but nothing has ever come to fruition.
Despite this, both the Italian and Swiss localities have never stopped believing in it, so much so that 60 million euros were invested by Valais to build the new line on the section between Trockner Steg and Piccolo Cervino in 2018, plus another 60 million for the new connection, the Glacier Ride, 1,6 km suspended above the Teodulo glacier.
What to expect
From 1 July 2023, the Matterhorn Glacier Ride II will therefore enter into service, connecting the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise mountain station with the Testa Grigia valley station in Italy, thus allowing you to cross the highest cross-border crossing in the Alps, also called Matterhorn Alpine Crossing .
This means that for the first time ever guests will be able to travel from Italy to Switzerland (and vice versa) not only on skis and snowboards, but also comfortably seated. An innovative system that completes the last section still missing between Zermatt and Breuil-Cervinia and, starting from the following year and therefore 2024, a luggage transport service will even be available. The cost, as reported by La Repubblica, will be 240 euros.
All while respecting nature
Also in the national newspaper we can read that this connection brings the towns of the Aosta Valley and the Swiss Canton of Valais closer together, allowing everyone, and therefore not exclusively skiers, to come into real contact with the mountains, understand what it means to live in 3.500 meters above sea level.
But that's not all, because this cable car will also allow you to enjoy a longer season: the idea is to keep it open for 11 months in a year, making it practically usable in multiple periods. Among other things, as La Repubblica always reports, everything was conceived and organized with complete respect for nature.
The next few weeks, and therefore waiting for the opening to the public, will be the days in which the concrete casting for the valley station building will be completed and in which the installation of the electronics will be carried out.
Work on the ropes has also been underway since the beginning of February this year, one of the most spectacular phases of the construction, which lasts about three months. The first cabins will be delivered in May and then there will be assembly and commissioning work before the cableway is fully operational.
In short, from this summer it will be possible cross the border between Italy and Switzerland aboard an innovative cable car.
Source: Zermatt Bergbahnen
