Zermatt

INFORMATION;.

Located at the base of the famous Matterhorn, Zermatt has the idyllic beauty found throughout Switzerland, but it’s also unique because it is a completely car-free town. Residents and visitors alike get around on foot or bicycle; electric buses and taxis are also available. This is the perfect base for a visit to the Alps, with outdoor recreation that includes skiing, mountain climbing, hiking and more.

Of course one must go up Matterhorn, the most photographed mountain the world. The Matterhorn Express, the highest altitude aerial cableway in Europe, runs from the center of Zermatt to the top of the forbidding peak, where there is a viewing platform and restaurant. But the most enchanting thing there is the fairy-tale ice palace that is hidden beneath. An elevator takes you down inside the glacier, where ice sculptures are lit with haunting colors, tunnels have been carved through of the frozen walls, and pathways allow visitors to take it all in. There’s even a small ice toboggan run that kids of all ages enjoy. 

Zermatt can be reached by the Glacier Express, one of the most popular train journeys since its maiden voyage in 1930. It traverses 291 bridges and 91 tunnels along the UNESCO World Heritage Albula-Bernina Railway.