Zermatt

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Template:Infobox Swiss town Image:Zermatt and Matterhorn.jpg Image:Zermatt - Switzerland - 2005.JPG Image:Bahnhofstrassezermatt.jpg

Zermatt is a village located (Template:Coor dm) at the northern base of the Matterhorn in the German-speaking and predominantly Roman Catholic section of the Valais canton in southern Switzerland. It is 62 km southeast of Gstaad, and only about 10 km from the border with Italy.

Zermatt has a permanent population of around 5,500 people, although the actual population varies considerably through the seasons as tourists come and go. The village is situated at the end of a south-facing valley, at an altitude of 1620m (5315 ft). The valley is a dead end; although the border with Italy is close, it cannot be crossed by road, as it traverses a glacier at an altitude of over 3000m.

Zermatt is famed as a ski resort and as a general tourist destination. Until the mid-19th century, it was predominantly an agricultural community — its name, as well as that of the Matterhorn itself, derives from the alpine meadows or matten in the valley. In the German language, the town is "Zur Matte", or "in the meadow", hence the name.

It was "discovered" mid-century by British mountaineers, most notably Edward Whymper, whose conquest of the Matterhorn made the village famous worldwide.

To prevent air pollution which could disfigure the town's lovely view of the Matterhorn, the entire town is a car-free zone. A few motor vehicles are permitted with permission from the cantonal police (generally granted only to some permanent residents).

Most visitors reach Zermatt by cog railway train or taxi from the nearby town of Täsch. Trains also depart for Zermatt from farther down the valley at Visp and Brig, which are on the main Swiss rail network.

There are various passenger vehicles operating within Zermatt, from tiny electric shuttles provided by hotels to carry visitors from the main train station (or the taxi transfer point just outside town) to the hotel properties, to "electro" taxis operated by four major Zermatt families, and "electro" buses, which serve two routes: one between the major hotel areas and the stations of the various ski-lifts, and the other following a similar route but also serving the more rural "suburb" of Winkelmatten. Horse-drawn carriages can also be found; some are operated by hotels and others are available for hire.

Zermatt is a starting point for many hikes into the surrounding mountains, including the Haute Route that ultimately leads to Chamonix in France. A complex of cable cars and chair lifts carry skiers in the winter and hikers in the summer; the highest of them leads to the Klein Matterhorn, a small outcropping on the ridge between Breithorn and Matterhorn that offers spectacular views in all directions. It is possible to cross into Italy via the Cervinia cable car station. A spectacular rack and pinion railway line, the highest open-air railway in Europe, runs up to the summit of the Gornergrat at 3089m (10134 ft). Zermatt is also the western terminus for the Glacier Express rail service connecting to St. Moritz.

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