Zermatt, Switzerland Photo Gallery

The classic route to Zermatt, Switzerland, is via the Glacier Express, a 7.5-hour train journey through the Swiss Alps from St. Moritz. The carriages have oversized windows that maximize the expansive alpine views.  

At an elevation of 5,315 feet, Zermatt became famous as a mountain resort in the 1860s during the first attempts to climb the Matterhorn. Today it is home to some of Switzerland's top ski resorts in winter, and in summer it is the hub of superb hiking trails, many accessed by cable cars.  

Built in 1879, the Grand Hotel Zermatterhof is a five-star resort, with wood-panel interiors, a spa, rooms with Matterhorn views, and horse-drawn carriages escorting guests from the rail station.  

The first rays of morning sun greet the Matterhorn, by far the most famous of the peaks towering above Zermatt. The mountain was first climbed in 1865 by English mountaineer Edward Whymper, a feat tempered when four members of his team fell to their deaths on the descent. More than 500 climbers are said to have perished on the Matterhorn.  

With more than 250 miles of hiking trails in summer, Zermatt is a hiker's paradise. Take the cog railway to Sunegga above, then a cable car to Rothorn. From here mountain trails wind back to town against a backdrop of meadows and Alps.  

Alpine restaurants are sprinkled throughout the hillsides and valleys of the mountains surrounding Zermatt. Cold beer, barbecue, and rösti—potato pancakes—are staples.  

Zermatt's many mountain restaurants specialize in resplendent scenery and al fresco dining.  

Five valleys surround Zermatt, and more than 70 trails invite visitors to stroll in the footsteps of Emile Zola, Albert Schweizer, and British alpinist Edward Whymper.  

The route to the Hörnli Hut, elevation 10,700 feet, takes hikers to the base of the Matterhorn's northeast ridge, the most popular climbing route on the iconic mountain.