When I was making plans for the European summer experience, the second place I wrote down was The Matterhorn. I blame this on growing up with Bugs Bunny.

It wasn’t until I started looking at how to get there that I came to learn about the town of Zermatt. A small little mountain town dedicated to the mountain lifestyle, conveniently situated at the foot of the mountain. It seemed the right spot to head toward.

Zermatt turns out to be a fantastic little town. A basically car free collection of hotels and shops, with hiking trails and chair lifts that leave right from town. Though designed around the 365 day a year skiing business, it has many items to offer summer sport seekers. It is also a Mecca for tourists just excited to get a look at the mountain. People like me. There’s a fair amount of upscale options, and a goodly amount of cheaper backpacker options for hotel, bar scene, and shopping.

Getting Into The Mountains.

Unless you have a car and some experience driving in the Alps, you’re taking the train. The shuttle train runs from a connection in Visp up-up-up hill to its termination in Zermatt. Since Zermatt is a car-free Town, if you drive in you’ll need to park your car in Tasch and take the train the remainder of the way. You can also get a taxi out of Tasch, if that’s more to your liking. Just don’t overthink it and take the train.

Touring Zermatt.

The charm of a place like Zermatt come in the form of its proposed detachment from society. It’s small. It’s charming. You walk where you want to go. The climate, even in May, is brisk.

The center of the town is a warren of small streets, tightly packed with shops and hotels. A small mountain stream transects the middle of town and allows you to get your bearing, when needed. A church, and two cemeteries also occupy the middle of town, reminding everyone that the Matterhorn is more for climbing than skiing.

A museum that covers Zermatt’s sorted history occupies a subterranean section under the middle of the main town area. For a small town, there is enough to see and do to keep someone pleasantly distracted for a couple days.

The Matterhorn.

The mountain is best viewed from the far end of town. Though the buildings in town are necessarily small, the tight confines of the streets make the best views just outside of town by the chairlifts. That being said, you can see the mountain from almost everywhere in town.

Thoughts.

If I get the chance I plan on returning to Zermatt. It’s mountain charm is invasive and the people are quite friendly, considering the tourist levels. If you find yourself traveling through the Swiss Alps, think about giving Zermatt a try. If for no other reason than to get a good picture of the mountain, and an afternoon drink by the fire.

Have fun. Go find new places.