|
|
ZERMATT - SWITZERLAND
Zermatt is a village located (46°1'N, 7°45'E) at
the base of the Matterhorn in the German-speaking section of the Valais
canton in southern Switzerland. It is 62 km southwest of Gstaad, and only
about 10 km from the border with Italy. It has a population of around 4,000
people, although this varies considerably through the seasons. The village
is situated at the end of a south-facing valley, at an altitude of 1620m
(5315 ft).
Zermatt is famed as a ski resort and as a general tourist destination. Until
the mid-19th century, it was predominately an agricultural community - its
name, as well as that of the Matterhorn itself, derives from the alpine
meadows or matten in the valley. It was "discovered" mid-century by British
mountaineers, whose conquest of the Matterhorn made the village famous world-wide.
The town is carfree, although motor vehicles
are permitted with permission from the cantonal police (generally granted
only to some permanent residents). Most visitors reach Zermatt by cog
railway train from the nearby town of Tasch. Trains also depart for Zermatt
from farther down the valley at Visp. The only passenger vehicles operating
within Zermatt are the tiny electic shuttles that hotels provide to carry
visitors from the town center to the hotel properties.
Zermatt is a starting point for many hikes into the surrounding mountains,
including the Haute Route that ultimately leads to Chamonix in France. A
complex of cable cars and chair lifts carry skiers in the winter and hikers
in the summer; the highest of them leads to the Klein Matterhorn, a small
outcropping on the ridge between Breithorn and Matterhorn that offers
spectacular views in all directions. It is possible to cross into Italy via
the Cervinia cable car station. A spectacular rack and pinion railway line,
the highest open-air railway in Europe, runs up to the summit of the
Gornergrat at 3089m (10134 ft).
|
|
