Basic info for the day
- Morning - travel south alongside Lake Geneva as far as the former Roman garrison town of Martigny where we then turn east and ascend up the valley of the Rhône River.
The Rhone River valley is the largest wine producing area in the country; generations of handwork have created terraced vineyards up the south-facing slopes of the surrounding mountains; apple and apricot orchards line the valley floor. - Afternoon - arrive at the auto-free resort of Zermatt beneath the majestic Matterhorn. Before checking in at the hotel, take a stroll through the town to learn about its historic and legendary past.
- Dinner in the hotel restaurant.
Key info on ZERMATT
Population - Year-round 5,800; after Swiss-German, 2nd most spoken language by the locals is Portuguese.
Location - In the Pennine Alps, near the Italian border, the southernmost German-speaking town in Europe. Surrounded by more 4,000 m/13,000 ft peaks than any other town in the Alps.
Name - Originally Prato Borno, but with the influx of Germanic people in the 13th century it changed to Zur Matte ("at the meadow") and later Zermatt.
History - A small self-sufficient Alpine farming hamlet since Roman times until 18th century Romantic writers inspired an interest in the unspoilt mountain beauty, and later mountain climbers came to claim the first ascents of the high peaks.
1865 - 1st ascent of the Matterhorn by British climber Edward Whymper and 6 others, 4 of whom lost their lives on the descent. Despite the tragedy (or because of it?), a rush on the mountains surrounding the village followed, leading to the construction of many hotels and tourist facilities.
Gornergrat Rail - Opened in 1898, the first electric rack railway in Switzerland. It is the highest elevation open air railway in Europe; it ascends from Zermatt to the summit of the Gornergrat at an elevation of 10,135 ft.
Ski resort: Zermatt is Switzerland's largest ski resort based on lift tickets purchased.
For additional info related to today's places and activities, see: