With the lake behind me, I started to walking up toward Stellisee. The remainder of the walk to Stellisee was a really hard 40-minute hike. I kept on hiking along the long and slight slope.... Actually, there is gondola service(Sunnegga-Blauherd-Rothorn) and if you use it it's very easy to get around the 4 lakes. However, before the summer of 2014 it had not started running yet.

As I looked back the way I had come, Gruensee, which I visited first was barely visible in the distance. I thought I did quite well if I do say so myself!

I finally reached Stellisee, which is located on the highest place(2537m) among the 4 lakes and it is set back in a very secluded area. It took about 2 hours to walk from Riffelalp station. The long hike up the mountain exhausted me!

I was disappointed that I couldn't take a picture of the Matterhorn and its wonderful reflection on the lake because of the breeze!

The only time that the wind is not blowing here is early in the morning. If I could use the gondola service(Sunnegga-Blauherd-Rothorn), I could have come here before it got windy. What bad luck!

The wind didn't stop...so I threw in the towel and walked down towards Sunnegga.

There are several hiking trails leading to Sunnegga and I chose the Murmelweg(Marmot trail). As its name indicates, it is a marmot-themed hiking trail. Despite the name, you probably have no chance of seeing a marmot along the trail. It is always too busy!

--

Sunnegga cable car station finally came into sight. There is a lake just below the station called Leisee(2232m) and it's also famous for its reflection of the Matterhorn. However, there is lots of artificial material such as a jungle gym for kids, a raft and a fence and so on. I don't like this lake very much and I never recommend it to anyone.

This is the Sunnegga cable car station and a restaurant which offers a great view of the Matterhorn! Of course, it's only visible in fine weather conditions.

I passed by the station and continued to hike to the town.
By the way, what do you think this small cabin by the rail is? Surprisingly, it is a cable car trail that ascends only 60-70meters high connectiong Sunnegga station and Leisee!
I thought this was ridiculous since it's such a low slope, so tourists would be better off walking!

There are a few hiking trails between Sunnegga and Zermatt and the most popular trail is the "Gourmetweg(Gourmet trail)". It is another of the themed trails in Zermatt. There are several nice restaurants along the Gourmet trail and all the restaurants have a great view from the outdoor tables.

I dropped in for lunch at "Restaurant Chez Vrony". There was a potted edelweiss in front of the restaurant.

A Japanese man who had told me about wild edelweiss near Grindjisee had also mentioned the difference between wild edelweiss and edelweiss grown in a pot.
He said that pot-grown edelweiss was much whiter than wild edelweiss and it looked more beautiful. Wild edelweiss looked really bland compared to one grown in a pot, so most people would not recognize the wild edelweiss growing in the mountain and would easily pass by it without noticing.

His words were the truth! The pot-grown edelweiss was exactly what I'd imagined edelweiss to look like.