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Australia's national flag has been projected onto the Swiss Alps in an illuminated message of hope and solidarity during the global coronavirus pandemic.

The blue, red, and white emblem was projected onto The Matterhorn early in the morning on Thursday, local time.

The 4,478-metre mountain overlooks Zermatt, a town in southern Switzerland.

Daniel Luggen, spa director of Zermatt-Matterhorn, said the projections were a message to the rest of the world.

Australia's national flag has been projected onto the Swiss Alps in an illuminated message of hope and solidarity during the global coronavirus pandemic

The projector can be seen illuminating the mountain with the Swiss flag, above

'Since almost a month, we're illuminating every night the Matterhorn with different symbols, to give the people hope and show our solidarity to the world,' Mr Luggen said in a video posted to Facebook on Wednesday evening, Australian time.

The projections are also 'to say thank you to all these people working hard during this crisis,' Mr Luggen said.

'It's empty and quiet in Zermatt and that makes us sad, but soon we look forward to (having) you back here,' Mr Luggen said. 

Renowned Swiss light artist Gerry Hofstetter, 58, has been lighting up the mountain with spectacular displays of country flags and messages of hope since March 24. 

The first image that illuminated the mountain on March 24 simply read '#Hope' in striking white letters against a red backdrop. 

Hofstetter has also projected the flags of Japan, Germany, Spain, France and Italy — as well as textual messages including '#StayAtHome' and #AllOfUs — onto the Matterhorn.

In a bid to stop members of the public flocking to the mountain under federal stay-at-home measures, webcams from around the Matterhorn livestream the illuminations for people to enjoy at home

On April 9 the Matterhorn was emblazoned with the French flag, designed to offer 'hope in these unprecedented times'

The many lights of Zermatt glow beneath a projection of the Portuguese flag on April 5 

Other slogans projected on the mountain include the phrase 'Dream now - travel later' because, as the website says although travel is banned, 'dreaming is not prohibited'.  

In a bid to stop members of the public flocking to the mountain under federal stay-at-home measures, webcams from around the Matterhorn livestream the illuminations for people to enjoy at home. 

Australians were grateful when they saw the stunning imagery.

'What a kind gesture. Thank you,' one person wrote.

'Huge thank you from Australia, keep safe my friends from the other side,' wrote another.

'Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. With so much selfish behaviour around the world it is so heart warming to know that others aren't selfish, in fact they are thinking of us in times of trouble. Thank you,' another wrote.

The Japanese flag illuminated the mountain on April 15, with the tourist website saying 'We greet our Japanese friends, partners and guests and send them a sign of hope and strength to overcome this unusual and difficult time'

The Spanish flag was shone as the country was wished 'much perseverance and good health' in light of the country's cancelled Easter processions