Info point 3
Unique views – 29 four-thousand-metre peaks
In total, there are 48 mountains in Switzerland that are over 4,000 metres high – and you can see 29 of them from the Gornergrat. The highest peak among them is the Dufourspitze at a height of 4,634 metres. This also makes it the highest peak in Switzerland. The Lyskamm can also be seen from the Gornergrat. It consists of two peaks connected by a ridge over 1,000 metres in length. It is not only the steep rock faces that make the ridge dangerous. Many mountaineers have also lost their lives due to the sudden collapse of masses of snow. This is why the Lyskamm has been nicknamed the “people eater”. To the right of the Lyskamm are the twins Castor and Pollux. The two peaks have their names from Greek mythology, as a pass separates the two peaks. Another four-thousand-metre peak with an unusual nickname is the Dent Blanche. Its shape resembles a pyramid and the four ridges run exactly in the four cardinal directions, which is why it is also called a compass. The best-known and one of the most beautiful is, of course, the Matterhorn. At info point 9 you will learn lots more about the Matterhorn, as well as about the history of the first ascent.
