Zermatt is a mountain village in the German speaking part of the canton Wallis in Switzerland. The village owes it’s name to the Matterhorn and the alpine meadows, or matten, in the valley. Zermatt has about 4000 inhabitants, but this fluctuates per season because of the many tourists visiting the Mattertal.
Zermatt is car free and tourists are expected to leave their car in Täsch. A good railway connection makes Zermatt easily accessible. There is also a good railway connection from Visp. Most goods are transported with electro carts and the buses also use an electro engine.
In the surroundings of Zermatt there are several longer and shorter walks. One of the most beautiful walks we have taken is the one to the Hörnlihütte, at the base of the Matterhorn. The Matterhorn is one of the characteristic mountains surrounding Zermatt. The Matterhorn is also used for a brand of chocolate.
The walking routes in the surroundings of Zermatt are always clearly marked with yellow waymarks. It is also stated how long it will take to reach a viewpoint or cabin. In the area of Zermatt we have made several walks the past years, for example to the Hörnlihütte, Schönbielhütte and the Gandegghütte. During the summer several lifts are opened to gain some altitude without climbing.
During the winter Zermatt is a popular ski resort. In 2009 we left with our family for a ski holiday of one week in Zermatt. We left our car in Täsch and continued by train. Luckily the luggage carts at the train station can be taken onboard the train and left in Zermatt. We booked a holiday house with Interhome, located about 5 minutes walking from the train station. The house Breithorn was very well maintained and stocked with all modern comforts. Perfect for a week of skiing with 6 persons. From our house it was about 5 minutes walking to the Gornergratbahn where the train takes you to the skiing area. Besides that there is a ski bus in Zermatt which takes you from the Gornergratbahn to the Sunnegga bahn of the Schwarzsee and Klein Matterhornbahn.
The ski resort is very large and subdivided into 4 sections, Rothorn Paradise, Gornergrat, Matterhorn glacier Paradise and Schwarzsee Paradise, which are also connected by ski slopes and lifts. Besides these areas you can also use the Italian section of the resort, but we didn’t do that. The skiing area of Zermatt is large enough to enjoy a week of skiing without doing anything to often!
The skiing area of Zermatt is very certain of snow, because it is very high. The village Zermatt is at 1600 meters and the highest point at the Klein Matterhorn is at 3883 meters.
Zermatt is very suitable in the winter for walking, for anyone not into skiing. There are many walking trails, with are prepared and well maintained, just like the ski slopes.
We have enjoyed Zermatt in the summer, but certainly also during the winter!