Zermatt for your body and soul

In early January of this year, Cindy and I went to Zermatt.  It’s one of our favorite places in the world to Ski.
 

What makes Zermatt so special? The moment you arrive you realize this place is unique. For one, there are no cars. The only mode of transportation within the town are your feet and the small electric cars and buses that zip around town through the narrow streets.
 

Zermatt pulses with life. There are lots of shops, cafés, bakeries, bars, and Nobel hotels offering tremendous variety. The old part of the town has houses dating back more than 500 years. All this is surrounded by 38 mountain peaks higher than 4000müM (13,125 ft).
 

Wherever you ski, the Matterhorn is in sight, even from the Italian side. But the familiar Matterhorn shape, the one you see on postcards Toblerone chocolate is from the Swiss side to be found when you are in Zermatt, Gornergrat, Rothorn, or Findeln.
 

Where else than Zermatt can you ski to Italy, to enjoy the best espresso and then ski back to Switzerland for lunch outside the Ganthuette, high above the glacier? To reach that hut you have to walk for a while with your skis on but it is worth the effort. This hut has been greeting skiers and hikers in winter and summer since 1885.
 

For a ski area offering 360km (225 miles) of prepared ski trails, Zermatt is a bargain. Compare it to the States – in Stowe, VT, for example; it costs $134.00 for a day pass. On  Copper Mountain, CO the cost is $158. In Zermatt, it’s $92 (international, which means including skiing in Italy) or $79 to ski only the Swiss side. Lots of people think Switzerland is expensive, but there are a few things you can do that are a better buy.
 

If you like variety,  Zermatt has that. You can board a cogwheel train that brings you up to the Gornergrat (3089m / 9999ft). Or you can take an underground funicular to the Sunnegga. From there you extend your trip with a Gondola ride to Blauherd and continue to the Rothorn. If you want to go to the Kleine Matterhorn at 3883m / 12000ft), there’s a brand new panorama gondola. From there you can ski down to Cervinia In Italy. Many fast and comfortable chairlifts bring you to various locations. Some have even heated seats, powered by renewable energy. Overall 52 possibilities to get somewhere in the mountains.
 

And for all the people who want to take a day off skiing, they have so many possibilities to hike and stroll high above Zermatt.
 

I think one of the most famous and most enjoyable parts of skiing in Zermatt is the fact that you can have delicious food right on the ski trails. Everything served with silverware and porcelain. There is no plastic at all. In my next blog, I will write about food on the mountain.
 

Zermatt for us is skiing, but culture, the beauty of the mountains and food are as important.
Try it! A round trip airfare is not much more expensive than flying within the States. Ski passes are much cheaper. Being in a place where the mountains are all around you is spectacular.
 

For more pictures click image below 🙂

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