A Swiss Story - Exploring Zermatt

The town is located in the Canton of Valais

Zermatt is a small, but popular village on the southern border of Switzerland with Italy, and an access point for travellers and mountaineers to visit Switzerland's signature mountain - the Matterhorn. It is nestled in a valley, surrounded by the highest peaks in all of Switzerland, like the Monte Rosa. It is commonly known as the Zermatt ski village and a little way up the Monte Rosa, one may find the Zermatt ski area, one of the most popular of its kind in the country. The village is a car free area, and the only transportation methods within the town are bikes, battery operated vans and buggies. The concern for air pollution in Zermatt and the effective methods to prevent it have termed this village "The World's First Pollution Free Town".

   

A view from Trockener Steg

Zermatt is served by the railway station Zermatt Bahnhof, from towns up in the valley, like Visp and Brig. A Zermatt shuttle is operated by cog railway from nearby Tasch. Moving into the town, we came across lots of fuel-free vehicles. Zermatt's proximity to the mountains near it has earned the town a reputation among tourists. This has resulted in a number of hotels springing up all over this unusually small village. There are also a number of famous brands who have set up shop in this region. Beyond the luxurious merchandise, one can find stores of Lindt, one of Switzerland's most famous chocolateers. A large number of shops sell ski equipment for those wishing to glide down the slopes. In spite of there being no cars in Zermatt, a fleet of battery operated buses ply around the city, ferrying people from the station right until the cable car station on the outskirts of the village. Though these might be the quickest way to get across, I would recommend walking through the city, exploring the ambience and typical Swiss rural life. 

Bicycling on the main road is prohibited by the local police, and if you have one with you, you should walk it down. Venturing into a by-lane that leads away from the main street, one can see little wooden houses, with spaces under them where animals were kept in the winter. Harvest grains were also stored there. These houses are unique and few have survived in the region, but Zermatt offers a popular opportunity to see them first hand.

I took the cable car right up to Trockener Steg, a ledge on the Klein Matterhorn. One can even take the cable car to Italy, on the other side of the peak and the border. The journey up and back took no 

Pretty little Zermatt

more than an hour, although one may spend time in the snow for as long as one pleases. Upon returning, I took the Gornergrat Railway up to the Gornergrat, another great snowy spot. Seasonally, a funicular railway goes right up the Sunegga peak and the views from there are great. Zermatt's village center has a lot of restaurants, but one cannot depart without tasting the lovely crepes offered by local shops. With the Matterhorn set as a picture perfect background, a good meal can never be missed. For the return trip, the railway line leading right up to Visp offers onward connections to everywhere in Switzerland.