Zermatt is famed
as a mountaineering and ski resort of the Swiss Alps. Until the
mid-19th century, it was predominantly an agricultural
community; the first and tragic ascent of the Matterhorn in 1865
was followed by a rush on the mountains surrounding the village,
leading to the construction of many tourist facilities.
The above Image shows the Matterhorn viewed from the village of
Zermatt
From Wikipedia: The town was
"discovered" mid-nineteenth century by British mountaineers,
most notably Edward Whymper, whose conquest of the Matterhorn
made the village famous. The Matterhorn was one of the last
alpine mountains to be conquered (in 1865), and the first
expedition that reached the top ended dramatically with only 3
of the 7 climbers surviving the descent. The story is related in
the Matterhorn Museum.
Zermatt is a starting point for hikes into the mountains,
including the Haute Route that leads to Chamonix in France and
the Patrouille des Glaciers. Cable cars and chair lifts carry
skiers in the winter and hikers in the summer; the highest of
them leads to the Klein Matterhorn at 3,883m, a peak 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 railway line
(the Gornergratbahn, the highest open-air railway in Europe)
runs up to the summit of the Gornergrat at 3,089m (10,134 ft).
Zermatt is also the western terminus for the Glacier Express
rail service connecting to St. Moritz and the MGB (Matterhorn-Gotthard-Bahn)..
For more info on Zermatt
including hotel and restaurant listings please see the official
Zermatt tourism website
here.
Google map showing Zermatt's
location: