Switzerland – Zermatt
If skiing is your passion, Zermatt in Switzerland is the best place that complements your desire. Located in the south of Switzerland 280 kilometres from Zurich, Zermatt features the best suitable destinations for skiing. Zermatt has a permanent population of around 5,500 people, although the actual population varies considerably through the seasons as tourists come and go. In fact it is not uncommon for Zermatt to have some 20,000 guests during the winter high-season.
Due to its wind-protected southern location, Zermatt enjoys good weather conditions and a typical alpine climate. Temperatures are on an average of 5°C in winter and 20°C in summer. In Zermatt you find yourself in the midst of pure alpine nature. A vast number of possible hikes and marked walking paths in summer, peaks with stunning views, breathtaking mountains and wild animals such as marmots, in their natural habitat.
Nestled in a deep valley enclosed between steeply scarped mountains, Zermatt is dominated by the huge and gracefully curved pyramid of the Matterhorn. The Matterhorn, which is probably the most famous peak in the Alps, stands 4,478 meters high. Mountaineers flock to this town to conquer this technically difficult peak, and Zermatt also offers skiing and beautiful views. There are also non-skiing activities, best restaurants and lots of energetic nightlife for visitors to enjoy.
The Matterhorn is not the highest mountain in Switzerland — but it surely is the most photogenic, rising up on four elegant faces to a craggy peak along the Swiss-Italian border. Walt Disney even borrowed its silhouette for Disneyland, debuting the Matterhorn Bobsleds ride in 1959.
Zermatt was “discovered” mid-century by British mountaineers, most notably Edward Whymper, whose conquest of the Matterhorn made the village famous. As early as the 1820s, British climbers adopted the isolated hamlet as a base camp from which to scale the nearby peaks. The small area around Zermatt features 36 mountains over 4000m, a statistic as enticing to summer hikers as to winter skiers.
Zermatt has no off-season – it’s crowded year-round – but the crowds never seem to matter. You may have to shoulder your way down the main street, but the terrain all around is expansive enough that with a little effort you could vanish into the wilderness, leaving everyone else behind.
Petrol and diesel engine cars and other vehicles are not permitted in Zermatt so as to prevent air pollution. There are no impersonal tour buses belching out noise, fumes, and package tourists. Parking is available in Tasch which is 5.5 km (3.4 miles) away from Zermatt, with taxis or shuttle train to Zermatt. However once in the town you will find numerous electric powered vehicles including taxis and buses which can take you to your hotel or to your destination. Transportation is also possible by using cog train and horse-drawn sleighs. Sitting in a horse drawn sleigh with a lap robe, which is a folded small blanket, with an eternal snow around is one of the most romantic things. However nearly everyone travels on foot or ski, locals and visitors alike. The main street bustles happily with pedestrians. Zermatt is no auto through-route and the train also stops there.
Zermatt is surrounded by 3 major ski areas, with the world’s second biggest lift-served vertical drop and skiing 364 days a year. You can even ski Zermatt during the summer months on the glacier. In Zermatt you can ski at the Rothorn paradise (3103m), the Gornergrat (3089m), or up on the glacier area which is the Klein Matterhorn (3883m). Snow covered trails from November until April ensure that you will enjoy great skiing and long, long runs back to Zermatt – the longest being from Klein Matterhorn at 14 kilometers with a vertical drop of 2’200 metres! If you’re looking for off-piste skiing you’ll find lots of it here as well.
Zermatt has more than 300 km of ski runs which include slopes ranging from the simplest to the most challenging. Easy access is provided by an extensive network of 57 transport facilities, with high-capacity cableways, mountain railways and ski-lifts. There are three starting points in the village for eager skiers to choose from: the Sunnegga paradise, Gornergrat and Matterhorn glacier paradise valley stations. More than 70 railways, chair and ski lifts with the capacity to carry more than 47,000 persons an hour means that no-one needs to be left waiting.
Once in Zermatt you should not miss having a ride on the world famous Gornegrat Bahn (station is located just opposite the main train station). Due to the steep climb, the Gornegrat Bahn uses a cogwheel engine which helps in pulling the train up the steep slopes. Almost all the time, the huge Matterhorn is in your view but for an optimum experience be sure to sit on the right side when going up and the left side when going down.
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