Zermatt Switzerland |
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Zermatt is a famous mountaineering and ski resort in the German-speaking section of the Swiss Alps near the Italian border. It was predominantly an agricultural community until the mid-19th century when it was discovered by British mountaineers, most notably Edward Whymper, whose conquest of the Matterhorn made the village famous worldwide. Zermatt is well known throughout the world for its great skiing, especially Triftji due to its moguls. The high altitude results in consistent skiing late into the summer. The highest open-air railway in Europe, the Gornergratbahn is a spectacular rack railway line that departs from Zermatt and runs up to the summit of the Gornergrat peak which is a starting point for many mountain hikes including the Haute Route that leads to Chamonix, France. Zermatt is the western terminus for the Glacier Express rail service connecting to St. Moritz. To prevent air pollution from degrading the view of the Matterhorn, Zermatt prohibits combustion engines. Electric vehicles and horse drawn carriages provide the bulk of transportation within the village.
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