On my two previous trips to Switzerland鈥檚 tiny but touristy Zermatt, I failed to catch a glimpse of the glorious Matterhorn mountain that draws so many to the burg at its base for a peek at the peak.
My third try was the charm, and now I have a confession: I鈥檓 in love with the Matterhorn. Now I get why this mountain town of 5,800 people is so popular.
There鈥檚 just something about the Matterhorn, the most recognizable mountain on the planet. Just seeing the Matterhorn is one of the great experiences in Switzerland. And hiking with that iconic summit as a background is even better.
Zermatt, which sits at 1,524 metres in the shadow of the 4,477-metre Matterhorn, is nestled at the dead end of a long valley in Switzerland鈥檚 remote southwest. While it鈥檚 barely two hours from Bern and Interlaken by train, or about three from Z眉rich or Lausanne, it鈥檚 not quite on the way to anywhere.
Especially considering its inconvenient location, many travellers find it overrated. If you make the trek and find only cloudy weather, you might end up with a T-shirt that reads: 鈥淚 went all the way to Zermatt and didn鈥檛 even see the Matterhorn.鈥�
But in sunny weather, riding the high-mountain lifts, poking through lost-in-time farm hamlets and ambling along on scenic hikes 鈥� all with that famous pointy mountain in view 鈥� make the trip worthwhile. And the town itself does have pockets of traditional charm, with streets lined with chalet after chalet and overflowing flower boxes.
Stepping out of the train station, astute visitors notice that there are no gas-engine vehicles 鈥� only electric buses and taxis that slalom between the pedestrians like four-wheeled Vespas. (Drivers must park down in the valley and ride the train into town.)
Strolling up the town鈥檚 main street, Bahnhofstrasse, is a joy: Even bikes are forbidden on the main drag; the street is reserved for people and, in summer, a twice-daily parade of goats.
Sure, the town hosts plenty of fabulously wealthy visitors, but locals like to say that the 鈥渢raffic-free鈥� nature of the town is a great equalizer. Zermatt strives to be a high-class mountain resort, but for active guests.
Once upon a time, Zermatt was a humble village of farmers, but with the first ascent of the Matterhorn in 1865, the advent of 鈥渕ountaineering鈥� as a leisure activity, and the arrival of trains in 1891, Zermatt found itself on the Grand Tour of Europe.
Over time, its residents learned it was easier to milk the tourists than the goats, and mountain tourism became the focus. Aside from the stone quarries that you might notice on the way into town, tourism is Zermatt鈥檚 only industry.
This little town is capable of entertaining about two million guests each year, hosting more than a hundred modern chalet-style hotels and a well-organized and groomed infrastructure for summer and winter sports.
From town, countless lifts head to all sorts of hikes, ski slopes and incredible views. But really, it all comes back to the star of the show: the Matterhorn.
High summer into early fall is the best time to come to Zermatt (I finally saw the Matterhorn during an August trip). Visiting in spring is generally a bad idea 鈥� most trails, lifts and restaurants are closed 鈥� but on the plus side, there are no crowds.
Early fall also works, as most lifts and trails remain open until the snow returns. (In winter, skiers take over the town, and prices jump even higher than in summer.)
Zermatt has earned its reputation for untrustworthy weather 鈥� the valley can get completely socked in at any time of year. While two good-weather days are enough to experience the highlights, add at least one buffer day to your itinerary as insurance against rain.
The Zermatt region has three high-mountain summit stations linked by lifts and hikes: Matterhorn Glacier Paradise (closest to the Matterhorn), Gornergrat (with a historic cogwheel train that goes to 3,000 metres), and Rothorn (farthest up the valley from the Matterhorn).
While prices are steep, the community has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in their mountain lifts in recent years. They鈥檙e absolutely state-of-the-art, and experiencing them is unforgettable.
Gornergrat is my pick if you can fit in only one high-mountain excursion, simply because it鈥檚 a best-of-all-worlds experience: sweeping views from the top station and my favourite hike in the region, between the Rotenboden and Riffelberg train stops.
Whichever excursions you opt for, pay close attention to the weather 鈥� the lifts aren鈥檛 cheap and none of them is worth the cost if the Matterhorn is shrouded by clouds.
That said, don鈥檛 wait for perfectly clear skies to head into the hills 鈥� even in bright, sunny weather, the Matterhorn loves playing peek-a-boo behind the clouds. If it鈥檚 at least sunny-ish, get up the mountainside. Like me, you might find love at first sight of the Matterhorn.
Rick Steves (ricksteves.com) writes European travel guidebooks and hosts travel shows on public television and public radio. Email him at [email protected] and follow his blog on Facebook.
