Zermatt, Switzerland is a beautiful alpine village nestled at the foot of the iconic Matterhorn, one of the most photographed mountains in the world. Renowned for its beauty, chalets and year-round mountain activities, Zermatt is a unique experience of Swiss culture and nature. The village is car-free, preserving its tranquil environment and allowing visitors to immerse themselves fully in the mountain atmosphere.
Zermatt, Switzerland
One of the most scenic and convenient ways to reach Zermatt is by train. The journey itself is a breathtaking introduction to the Swiss Alps. From Gruyères we traveled by bus that weaved through lush valleys, picturesque villages and dramatic mountain landscapes. We boarded the narrow-gauge train Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn, in Täsch, which climbs steadily towards Zermatt. This part of the trip is particularly stunning, passing through tunnels and over viaducts, with panoramic views of snowy peaks and alpine forests. Waterfalls were prevalent along the way.
Traveling by train in this region highlights the efficiency and beauty of Swiss public transportation. It’s environmentally friendly, convenient, and allows access to remote mountainous areas that would be hard to reach otherwise. We were able to sit back, relax and enjoy postcard-perfect scenery throughout the journey to and from Zermatt.
Once in Zermatt, the Matterhorn dominates the skyline with its distinctive pyramid shape, soaring to 4,478 meters (14691 feet). Hiking, skiing and mountaineering are popular activities here.
The train station is the main gateway to the village. From there, electric taxis and horse-drawn carriages offer quiet transport without polluting the pristine environment. Never the less, walking the streets of Zermatt still had quite a bit of electric vehicle and bicycle traffic to be mindful of.
The main stores in Zermatt were watch and chocolate shops followed by gift and clothing stores.
We enjoyed walking the streets of Zermatt and exploring the shops, sights and restaurants.
We stayed at the Mount Cervin Palace, a 5-star luxury hotel with amazing food. Our room was huge with two bedrooms, a full kitchen, two bathrooms and a spacious dining/living room. It must be very popular during ski season.
Gornergrat Summit
The most memorable experiences were taking a scenic train ride on the Gornergrat Railway. This cogwheel train ascends above Zermatt, climbing to 10,225 feet on the Gornergrat ridge to Gornergrat summit.
From this vantage point, we had breathtaking 360-degree panoramic views of the iconic Matterhorn, 29 other peaks above 4,000 meters and the impressive Gorner Glacier, which is the third largest glacier in the Alps.
At the summit, there were hiking trails, a restaurant and an observation platform to soak in the views. When we arrived at Gornergrat summit, it was cloudy, snowing and extremely cold. One of our options was to hike back down to Zermatt. There were train stops to pick hikers up along the way.
We opted to go to the restaurant, enjoy a coffee and chocolate croissant and pray that the clouds would clear enough to glimpse the Matterhorn.
Eventually there was a blue sky and the Matterhorn revealed itself. Just iconic and amazing. We got very lucky to have seen it that day.
