VRetreats Cervino: the light side of the Mount Matterhorn

In the Valtournanche, Northern Italy, the Mount Matterhorn shows his hidden sunny side. VRetreats Cervino captures its essence as Paramount Pictures did it in its logo

VRetreats Cervino in Aosta Vallery, Italy

The Italian side of Mount Matterhorn – in Italian called Cervino – has a lesser-known profile than the Swiss side, on the other part of the mountain. That does not make it any less fascinating, however. On the contrary, the southern side gives continuous light and ensures constant illumination of the massif. At 2,500 meters above sea level, the mountain seems to climb much further. Here the peaks get high, the highest in Europe. The Aosta Valley in Northern Italy gives an incredibly dense panorama of rocks, forests, glaciers, lakes and grasslands as far as the eye can see.

A vast panorama, that of Valtournenche, the same one that opens from the crystal-clear windows of VRetreats, a hôtellerie brand of VOIhotels, a hotel chain of Alpitour World. The facility aims to provide all the tools for an active and sporty vacation, connecting to the main local activities, both winter and summer. 

Breuil-Cervinia Valtournenche Zermatt ski area

The Breuil-Cervinia Valtournenche Zermatt ski area is one of the largest in the Alps. It covers three valleys and two countries, Italy and Switzerland, with more than 360 kilometers of slopes, which are so varied and numerous that they allow you to ski alternating between easy and more challenging routes. Also famous for cross-country skiing, with a 3-kilometer loop suitable for both beginners and experts. The Italian-Swiss ski area, which connects the resorts of Valtournenche, Breuil-Cervinia and Zermatt, are in fact located on the Plateau Rosà glacier, which is always well covered with snow, and has many lifts. 

Among the top attractions is the Matterhorn Alpine Crossing, which on July 1 inaugurated the new Matterhorn Glacier Ride II lift, making the final piece of the high-altitude connection between Italy and Switzerland. The highest and most innovative transalpine link that will allow everyone, not just skiers, to experience the mountains, understand what it’s like to live at 3,500 meters (10,000 feet) and see the walls of the Matterhorn from the comfort of their seats, with a stop at the Little Matterhorn from where 38 peaks over 4,000 meters (13,000 feet) can be seen. 

Summer in the Matterhorn

In summer, in addition to hiking, which makes the Matterhorn an internationally sought-after destination, there is hiking, mountain biking, and for extreme sports enthusiasts, paragliding, an exciting via ferrata and climbing walls are available

Our stay is for three days. Passing a stream and a forest of dense trees, one is greeted by the green lawns of the golf courses and finally to the facility. The golf course next to the hotel offers a 5,300-meter PAR69 course nestled in a natural setting at 2,050 meters above sea level, among the highest in Europe. A structure as massive as rock, but decidedly mimetic and respectful of its surroundings. The architectural structure returns a reminder of the landscape, of colors, materials and shapes.  

VRetreats Cervino in Aosta Valley Alps

The inclusion of this structure on the Matterhorn goes to expand the offerings of the VRetreats collection, which has among its goals the continuous presidium of new Italian locations. The hotel is characterized by a discreet luxury, where wood and glass blend and embellish the line and furnishings: the project used natural elements to promote integration with the context, make the structure strongly environmentally friendly, thanks also to innovative installations and high performance.

After a major renovation completed in the fall of 2021, VRetreats Cervino now presents itself as a mountain lodge, with a design in harmony with the panorama and territory of the Aosta Valley Alps. In keeping with what is the VRetreats philosophy, the hotel is connected to the environment by large windows and terraces that create continuity with the outdoors and the majestic Matterhorn ridge. 

Paramount Pictures and the the Mount Matterhorn – VRetreats Cervino

The hotel then has a 615-square-meter wellness area, Adara SPA, perfect for relaxing after a day spent skiing or among nature hikes, a swimming pool, a hot tub, a gym, a multi-purpose room with the Aosta Valley Alps as a backdrop, and a store where sports equipment can be rented. The Matterhorn Valley, with its renowned resorts-from Breuil-Cervinia, down to Valtournenche and back up to exclusive Chamois or Torgnon-is a striking ski area, with modern slopes and lifts, as well as being a perfect summer destination.

After a hike with a guide who showed us the late spring-we are in July and the flowers are beginning to bloom now-we discover a desolate and mystical landscape, full of silences and distant sounds. Among marmots and ibexes, the holes lay a carpet of color on the rugged mantle of the high mountain, where the wind always blows with determined insistence. 

The Matterhorn is so well known that even Paramount Pictures included it in its logo and made it world famous. Likewise, the windows of the rooms seek continuous contact with a majestic and ever-constant profile, which like a spindle tries to catch the swift clouds that now gather and now disperse in the high skies of the Aosta Valley. At VRetreats, the constant, unreal panorama permeates continuously, giving a feeling of continuous awe. And we enjoy the spectacle, like in a movie. Maybe just one of Paramount’s. 

Editorial Team