Zermatt

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Zermatt
Canton	Valais
District	Visp
Coordinates	46°01′N 7°45′E
Population	5,687 (November 2005)
Area	242.67 km²
Elevation	1,608 m
Postal code	3920
SFOS number	6300
Website	www.zermatt.ch
Zermatt

Zermatt (Old French: Praborgne) is a village located at the northern base of the Matterhorn in the German-speaking and predominantly Roman Catholic section of the Valais canton in southern Switzerland. It is 62 km southeast of Gstaad, and only about 10 km from the border with Italy.

Zermatt has a permanent population of around 5,500 people, although the actual population varies considerably through the seasons as tourists come and go. The village is situated at the end of a north-facing valley, at an altitude of 1,620 m (5,315 ft). The valley is a dead end; although the border with Italy is close, it cannot be crossed by road, as it traverses a glacier at an altitude of over 3000m.

1 Tourism
2 Transportation
3 Skiing
4 External links

[edit] Tourism

Zermatt is famed as a ski resort and as a general tourist destination. Until the mid-19th century, it was predominantly an agricultural community — its name, as well as that of the Matterhorn itself, derives from the alpine meadows or matten in the valley. In the German language, the town is "Zur Matte", or "in the meadow", hence the name.

It was "discovered" mid-century by British mountaineers, most notably Edward Whymper, whose conquest of the Matterhorn made the village famous worldwide.

Zermatt is a closed village, which means that non-Swiss nationals are not permitted to buy property within the area. Traditionally May heralds the beginning of the construction season, and this contributes towards May being possibly the worst time to visit, as, during this month only, large trucks are permitted to trundle through the town, turning all of the roads into rivers of mud.

There are several distinct "suburbs" within Zermatt, and the largest of these organise summer street parties, where the local shops, restaurants and bars contribute towards large communal events. Notable parties include the Steinmatte (held in late August), and the Winkelmatten (held in September). Winkelmatten itself was once a separate small hamlet, but as Zermatt has grown it has become incorporated within the greater conurbation. This areas is rather hopefully marketed as the "Beverley Hills" of Zermatt, and a number of large (for Zermatt) residences have sprung up here recently.

As Zermatt attracts visitors nearly all year round, the tourist office works hard to make sure that events are scheduled all summer, and examples of this include celebrations for Swiss national day in August, and a music festival held in September.

Zermatt view from Klein Matterhorn during descent in a cable car.

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 railway line (the Gornergratbahn, the highest open-air railway in Europe) runs up to the summit of the Gornergrat at 3,089 m (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).

[edit] Transportation

To prevent air pollution which could disfigure the town's lovely view of the Matterhorn, the entire town is a combustion-engine car-free zone. Electric vehicles are allowed for local commerces. The Cantonal police can issue a permit which allows residents to drive and park at the northern outskirts. Some emergency vehicles (firetrucks, ambulance,..) are also allowed to use combustion engines.

Most visitors reach Zermatt by cog railway train or taxi from the nearby town of Täsch. Trains also depart for Zermatt from farther down the valley at Visp and Brig, which are on the main Swiss rail network.

Bahnhofstrasse, the main street of Zermatt.

There are various passenger vehicles operating within Zermatt, from tiny electric shuttles provided by hotels to carry visitors from the main train station (or the taxi transfer point just outside town) to the hotel properties, to "electro" taxis operated by four major Zermatt families, and "electro" buses, which serve two routes: one between the major hotel areas and the stations of the various ski-lifts, and the other following a similar route but also serving the more rural "suburb" of Winkelmatten. Horse-drawn carriages can also be found; some are operated by hotels and others are available for hire. The town also has a heliport (ICAO: LSEZ) and a local helicopter operator, Air Zermatt, which also provides alpine rescue services.

[edit] Skiing

Skiing in Zermatt is split up into four distinct areas; Sunnegga, Gornegrat, Klein Matterhorn and Schwarzsee. There is also a connection to Cervinia and Valtournenche in Italy. Trail Map.

[edit] Sunnegga

The Sunnegga Paradise is accessed via a funicular railway, followed by a gondola to Blauherd and finally a cable car onwards to the Rothorn (3103m) above. The unique topography of the mountain and the valley tends to keep the Rothorn clear and sunny, even when Zermatt itself is submerged in cloud. From Blauherd there is a gondola down to Gant, and from here there is a large connecting cablecar up to Hohtälli. This cable car is currently the only connection between Sunnegga and Gornegrat, and can get very busy during peak times.

[edit] Gornergrat

The Gornegrat is served by a railway of the same name (Gornergratbahn) and, whilst picturesque, the journey is a very slow ride up to the Gornegrat peak (3,089 m), via Riffelalp, Rotenboden and Riffelberg, (with limited stops at Findelbach and Landtunnel just above the town). At the summit, the hotel and restaurant have been completely refurbished, and there is a further cable car that seemingly heads more across than up to the Hohtälli (3286m), where the Gant cable car connects the mountain to Sunnegga. Two final cable cars head up to the Stockhorn (3405m) and across to the Rote Nase (3,247 m). These final two lifts serve a unique freeride area and can be unreliable as this mountainside requires high snow cover to be skiable. They remained closed throughout most of the ski season of 2006. A new slope leading back from Hohtälli to just under the Gornergrat will open for the winter of 2007.

[edit] Klein Matterhorn / Schwarzsee

Near the southern end of the Zermatt village, the Matterhorn Express gondola speeds passengers up to the interchange station at Furi. From here a there is access to the Schwarszee via a gondola to the right, a cable car that leads on to the Trockener Steg mid station (and then on to the Klein Matterhorn), and a brand new gondola, due to open in December 2006, that will link Furi to Riffelberg on the Gornergrat mountain. This lift will address one of the most persistent criticisms of Zermatt: that it is very difficult to ski the two sides of the valley without a tiresome trek through the village between the Gornergratbahn and the Matterhorn Express at opposite ends of the town.

Testa Grigia at the top of the Theodulpass servers as a connection to the Italian ski-resorts of Cervinia and Valtournenche. From the Swiss side it is only reachable by skilift, but from the italian side by a chairlift and by a cablecar. There are customs offices here as well as a small alpine museum.

Summerskiing in Zermatt on the Theodulgletscher.

Zermatt is marketed as an all year skiing resort, with summer skiing limited to the Theodulgletscher behind the Klein Mattehorn. Whilst strictly true, during the off season in May and June there will only tend to be one or two runs open, and the main glacier area does not open until July.

In operation since 25 October 2003, the Furggsattel six-seater chairlift has twelve (of eighteen) masts that stand directly on the glacial ice of the Theodulgletscher - a first for Switzerland. It is one of very few lifts worldwide with bottom- and top-station in different countries: resp. Switzerland and Italy (EU).

[edit] Future developments

Future planned lifts include a new four seat chairlift from Sunegga down to Findeln and up to Breitboden near the Grunsee, thus easing the queues at the Gant cable car, and the "skilift Stockhorn" (as a replacement for a 50 year old cablecar), both of which are planned to be built during the summer of 2007.