At the foot of the highest mountains in the entire Alpine mountain range lies the popular village Zermatt with the views of the Matterhorn, Weisshorn, Monte Rosa and many other alpine peaks. A single visit to the Matterhorn village is not enough to experience all of the attractions and records. An excursion to Gornergrat is a must. From here, you can gape at 29 four thousand meter peaks, which is a record in the Alpine region. In the mountaineer’s cemetery next to the church, you can also see that mountains can take their toll on humans. Those who want to immerse themselves in the rich variety of the world of Zermatt will come under the spell of the most impressive mountain world anywhere. Here are the top 10 attractions that you just can not miss while in Zermatt.
Matterhorn is the mystical, majestic and the mountain of mountains. It is the ultimate mountain and is the world’s most photographed peak, a legend and an emblem for climbers and photographers. It is also Switzerland’s greatest landmark and symbol. Standing on the border between Switzerland and Italy, at 4478 meters high, this magnificent mountain is considered to be the epitome of a mountain. There is no better known mountain in the world whose natural shape is so close to a pyramid. This mountain became very famous when the first ascent was made by Edward Whymper and his fellow climbers in July 14th 1865 during the golden age of alpinism. On the descent, four climbers fell and lost their lives making it head of the news all around the world. Even though the first ascent was made with a tragic ending, the Matterhorn became very famous and now is one of the most popular 4000 meter peaks that every mountaineer wants to conquer. The Matterhorn has become an iconic emblem of the Swiss Alps and the Alps in general since the 19th century when the railways were built. It attracted more and more visitors and climbers. Each summer a large number of mountaineers try to climb the Matterhorn via the northeast Hornli ridge which is the most popular route to the summit.
Gornergrat at the height of 3089 meters, is one of those places that everyone should visit at least once in a lifetime. The mountain panorama and the glorious view of the Matterhorn are unforgettable. With its sunny observation platform accessible all year, the Gornergrat has been one of Switzerland’s top excursion destination since 1898. The Gornergrat Bahn was the world’s first fully electrified cog railway. Today it is a modern, eco-friendly railway, equipped with a regenerative breaking system that generates electricity on the descent and so saves energy. This magnificent place has shops, restaurants, large sun terrace chapel and panoramic viewing platform open all year round. During summer visitors can view wild ibex near the viewing platform of the station, have a sunrise trip, sunset dinners, and for families have a wonderful tour called Wolli and the climate detective. During winter, moonlight visit, visit to the snowmaking facility and the direct access to the piste is available.
