Emmanuel Tresmontant - 2008-10-21

Zermatt is tangible proof that dreams are within reach and you don't have to go to the ends of the earth to find sublime scenery... This car-free, chic and cosmopolitan resort, nestling at an altitude of 1,620 m (5,315 ft), has chalets and hotels that have managed to combine high luxury with a certain mountain simplicity.

 

People come here to recharge their batteries, and they all find what they came for, from millionaire spa enthusiasts to skiers passionate about unspoilt mountains (contrary to popular belief, there are some cheap hotels).

In the 19^th century, this humble mountain village consisted of sun-scorched houses and wood sheds set on stone piles. From the 1840s, along with Chamonix, Zermatt emerged as a centre for mountaineering, mainly practised by the English. The chamois-hunting mountain dwellers turned into guides, clearing the path for these altitude enthusiasts.

 

It was in Zermatt that one of the best - and most tragic - pages in the history of mountaineering was written: the ascent in 1865 of the reputedly inaccessible Matterhorn (4,478 m/14,692 ft) by Londoner Edward Whymper (1840-1911) and his companions. The veritable symbol of Switzerland, this pyramid-shaped mountain (which, on the Italian side, looks like a castle) towers above Zermatt, giving it its unique reputation.

 

 

From Lausanne, an inter-regional train takes you to Visp. From there, the Glacier Express from Saint Moritz and Davos will take you to Zermatt on one of the steepest railways in the world. Edging along head-spinning precipices, its red carriages are equipped with amazing glass roofs through which you can admire the snowy peaks. An hour and a half later, the train arrives in Zermatt. There are no cars here, and the peace and quiet is wonderful. Horse-drawn carriages or small electric cars take you to your hotel via the main street, which links the station to the church.

 

 

The skiing area of Zermatt, which straddles Switzerland and Italy, is covered by 394 km (245 miles) of pistes, enabling you to ski through and admire magnificent scenery. An ingenious system using a magnetic card carried in the front pocket of your ski suit allows you to use all the ski lifts freely, without having to get your pass out.

 

At an altitude of 3,883 m (12,740 ft), the Klein Matterhorn is the highest point in Europe accessible by cable car. In winter, temperatures there easily drop to minus 20 degrees. To get there, take the cable car from Zermatt to Furi (1,864 m/6,115 ft), then to Trockener Steg (2,939 m/9,642 ft) where a third connection will take you up to the terminus. Due to the altitude, a certain caution should be exercised, particularly by pregnant women and frail people coming straight from the plain. You are advised to avoid sudden movements and to breathe deeply. Why not spend a day or two in Zermatt itself, or in the surrounding area, to become acclimatised to the altitude before climbing the Klein Matterhorn.

 

This glacier (where a grotto was hollowed out in 1999 and decorated with sculptures) offers an extraordinary 360° panorama of all the Swiss, French and Italian Alps. 39 peaks surrounding Zermatt are over 4,000 m (13,123 ft) high, notably, to the east, Mont Rose (4,634 m/15,203 ft, the highest peak in Switzerland), the Breithorn (4,164 m/13,661 ft) and Castor and Pollux (4,228 and 4,092 m/13,871 and 13,425 ft); to the north, the Zinalrothorn (4,221 m/13,848 ft) and the Weisshorn (4,505 m/14,780 ft); in the background, to the west, you will see Mont Blanc; the skyline is completed to the south by the Italian Alps with Monte Viso, the Gran Paradiso and La Grivola.

 

 

Ski passes are free for children under 9 years old and there is a 50% discount for under 16s. If, however, you want to ski in peace, you can leave your children at one of the two parks run by the Zermatt ski schools at Schwarzsee (reached by cable car) and Riffelberg (served by the famous Gornergrat train). These parks are open from 9am to 4pm and accept children between the ages of 3 and 12. Lunch is included in the daily fixed price. For more information, contact the Zermatt Tourist Office.

 

From the Klein Matterhorn, a lovely red run heads down to the Plateau Rosa, where there is a refuge that serves excellent Italian coffee. From there, you can enjoy skiing in the sunny area of Cervinia (2,555 m/8,383 ft) in Italy, and admire the other side of the Matterhorn. It was from the Italian side, where access is most difficult, that mountaineers attempted the ascent in vain for years. Edward Whymper himself failed there until he decided to scale the face from the Swiss side on 14 July 1865*.

For lunch, we recommend that you take the Cervinia cable car to the Theodulpass resort, which overlooks a glacier ridged with frozen waterfalls and crowned with snowy peaks. At 3,317 m (10,883 ft), the Refugio Teodulo is a pleasant hut owned by the Italian Alpine Club. Far from the usual sausages and chips with ketchup, you can sample the nourishing cuisine of the Aosta Valley: traditional charcuterie, polenta with cepes, and home-made tiramisu. All for a mere 15 euros per person!

From Theodulpass, the return to Zermatt is 17 km (10.6 miles) downhill, with a fantastic difference in height of 2,300 m (7,546 ft). There is a beautiful view of the resort from Schwarzsee (2,583 m/8,474 ft), a lake nestling at the foot of the Matterhorn and the starting point for some excellent hikes.

 

 

All in all, the skiing area of Zermatt offers easy routes that are accessible to everyone. There are not many black runs, and the red runs have a level of difficulty comparable to the French blue runs. Good skiers can find slopes that match their standards by skiing off-piste from Stockhorn (3,632 m/11,916 ft) and Hohtälli (3,286 m/10,781 ft). These two peaks can be reached from the Gornergrat resort. We remind you that for off-piste skiing, you absolutely must be accompanied by a professional guide.

 

 

To get an excellent photograph of the Matterhorn in the morning sun, we suggest you take the funicular to the hamlet of Sunnega (2,288 m/7,507 ft). As you come out of the tunnel, where the cable cars begin their ascent to Rothorn, you will find a terrace that offers a superb view of the mountain and glaciers surrounding the resort.

Then head downhill via the path that leads to the marvellous hamlet of Findeln. Its old wooden houses clinging to the hillside are typical of the Valais region, with their granaries set on piles. Sit down on a rock or tree trunk and just listen to the silence! At the northern end of the hamlet, next to a chapel, the Findlerhof is reputedly one of the best places to eat in Zermatt.

 

Sitting on the terrace facing the Matterhorn, you can enjoy the simple and tasty local cuisine here: mountain veal marinaded with citrus fruit and grilled over a wood fire, mushroom risotto, garlic cream, fish pot au feu. To digest, there is nothing like a walk back to Zermatt through the forest (an hour's walk, watch out for ice!).

 

Back at the resort, why not take a trip on the train to Gornergrat (one every 20 min, around 1hr40min round trip), a popular day-trip in Switzerland and also home to an observatory. Built a century ago, Switzerland's first cog railway (designed for very steep slopes) is the highest railway in Europe. Don't hesitate to hop off the train in Riffelberg (2,582 m/8,471 ft) or Rotenboden (2,815 m/9,236 ft) to admire the grandiose panoramas of the seas of ice that surround the Matterhorn. You can walk back to Zermatt from Riffelberg (2 hours downhill with a difference in height of 950 m/3,117 ft). Allow one day for snowshoe hikes from Gornergrat to Stockhorn.

 

 

Even if mountaineering is not your cup of tea, we recommend a visit to Zermatt's Alpine Museum, founded in 1944 and located near the English church. Its director, Mr Willi Hofstetter, is an exceptionally knowledgeable and passionate mountain dweller.

 

If you are lucky enough to meet him, he will tell you the history of Zermatt and the heroes who conquered the Matterhorn, an epic from which the museum has preserved the relics.

 

Those who have read the account of this adventure** will be moved when they see the rope that snapped, plunging Edward Whymper's companions (Michel Croz, the guide from Chamonix, and the 3 English climbers Douglas, Hudson and Hadow) into the abyss.

 

Besides photographs, engravings, statements and documents (Churchill and Roosevelt stayed in Zermatt), you will also be amazed by the basic appearance of the equipment used by the first mountaineers: poorly studded boots, axes to carve out steps in the ice, chamois leather gourds, a few ropes...

 

 

In Zermatt, you will find it hard not to succumb to the temptation of a Swiss fondue, traditionally made with Emmenthal, Gruyère and Vacherin cheese and white wine, with garlic rubbed on the bottom of the fondue dish. The Whymper Stübe, set in the basement of the resort's oldest hotel (the famous Monte Rosa, where Whymper and his friends stayed) makes probably one of the best fondues in the region (served with pears or mushrooms!) as well as other Valais specialities, including the famous raclette, which uses soft Valais cheese.

Among the extensive range of luxury hotels in Zermatt which attract a fashionable and cosmopolitan clientele, the Mont Cervinhotel offers very interesting fare. The German chef, Mr Switalla, has been based in the resort since 1976. With talent and precision, he has introduced a clientele used to luxury food to simple produce from the region: wine soup with cinnamon, roast pikeperch with saffron from Mund, roast rack of Valais lamb in hay from the Alps and herbs. The wines of the Valais, which come from very steep slopes, benefit from Alpine conditions (intense sunshine and drought in summer) which give them a lovely concentration. So be tempted by the lively and fruity Fendant from Chamoson (made from the Chasselas grape, the most planted variety in Switzerland) or Jean-René Germanier's astonishing Syrah from Vétroz. You will also find a good selection of tea, which will help you enjoy the après-ski!

 

The great Italian guide Jean-Antoine Carrel (1829-1890) did, however, manage to climb the Matterhorn via the Lion's Ridge on the Italian side just 3 days after the ascent of his friend and rival Whymper.
** Including Scrambles Amongst the Alps by E. Whymper himself, the first and most famous book of Alpine literature.

 

 

Zermatt Tourist Office
Tel: 0041 (0) 279 668 100
www.zermatt.ch
 
Refugio Teodulo
www.rifugivaldostani.it
 
Findlerhof
Tel: 0041 (0) 279 672 588
www.findlerhof.ch
 
Alpine Museum
Tel: 00 41 (0) 279 674 100
Open in winter from 4.30pm to 6.30pm.
 
The MICHELIN® Guide Switzerland 2005 has a selection of 1,228 hotels and 884 restaurants, including 99 "Bib Gourmands", 80 restaurants with one star, 14 with two stars and 2 with three stars. You can access this information on the ViaMichelin website from 9 February and download software onto your PDA from 15 February.
 
Mont Cervin Palace hotel-restaurant
Tel: 0041 (0) 279 668 888
www.zermatt.ch/montcervin
 
Monte Rosa hotel-restaurant
Tel: 0041 (0) 279 660 333