Zermatt

Zermatt is Switzerland's most iconic mountain village — a car-free resort at the foot of the Matterhorn, the world's most recognisable mountain peak. The Matterhorn's pyramid profile, rising to 4,478 metres above the village, is the dominant presence in every view, every photograph, and every memory taken from this extraordinary place. The Klein Matterhorn cable car (Matterhorn Glacier Paradise) reaches 3,883 metres, Europe's highest cable car station, offering a year-round glacier skiing experience and views extending to Mont Blanc on clear days. The Gornergrat rack railway rises to 3,089 metres for equally spectacular views of the Monte Rosa massif and 29 four-thousand-metre peaks. In winter, the skiing is among the finest in the Alps — 360 kilometres of runs connecting to Cervinia in Italy. In summer, hiking trails of exceptional beauty wind through the high alpine terrain. The village itself is charming — traditional wooden chalets, church, cemetery and mountain museum create an alpine authenticity. The Josef Biner collection of Matterhorn art, and the Alpine Museum document the history of the first Matterhorn ascent (1865) and the tragedy that followed. The Sunnegga and Riffelberg are less crowded alternatives to Gornergrat for views. Zermatt is expensive even by Swiss standards, but accessible via the Glacier Express and Gotthard Panorama Express scenic railways.