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Zermatt is well known as a skier's paradise offering more than 300 km (approx. 200 miles) of ski runs, some of them on the glacier are open even during the summer. Gondolas and other mountain rides provide for easy access to the Gornergrat, the Rothorn or the Klein-Matterhorn ski areas from where you enjoy magnificent views of the Matterhorn and other surrounding peaks of more than 4,000 m (13,120 ft) asl.

Zermatt, at the foot of the famous Matterhorn, is simply a must for any traveler to Switzerland. Despite its status as a world-class resort, Zermatt has not lost its authenticity as a Swiss mountain village. Chalets, old half-timbered houses and cabins, restaurants or shops, line the streets with geraniums spilling out of window boxes in the summer, and in winter, the sun shines bright, the snow is clean and horse-drawn sleighs jingle through the streets. Zermatt is a car-free village, which makes a special vacation atmosphere as soon as one gets out of the train. There are three main streets which run along the banks of the river Matter Vispa, and numerous cross-streets, especially around the station and the church which forms the center of the village. In general anything is within a 30-minute walk (at most).


At the end of the 18th century the first visitors came to Zermatt - mainly mountaineers who were trying to get to one of the 4,000 m (13,120 ft) summits of which 38 are situated within the community of Zermatt; others visited to gather healthy Alpine herbs or simply to enjoy the natural beauty of the region. In 1865, the news of the first ascent of the Matterhorn with the tragedy on the descent made this majestic mountain and the picturesque village on its foot world-famous. Since then, more than 3,000 climbers have reached the summit - many others failed to do so - and over the years, numerous hotels have been built to accommodate these mountaineers and other tourists.