It is hard to imagine a town without cars, but it does exist. At the foot of the Matterhorn in the Swiss Alps.
Apart from the odd delivery, combustion engines are rarely heard in Zermatt. Battery powered taxis, solar powered buses and horse drawn carriages are the order of the day if you don't want to walk or cycle along its cobbled streets.
Zermatt is best known as a ski resort, boasting some of the best skiing in Switzerland for all levels of ability.
Because of its altitude (it has the highest ski lift in Europe), Zermatt offers not only the longest winter skiing season in Europe, but also Summer skiing opportuinities too. Indeed, you used to be able to ski 365 days of the year in Zermatt, but climate change now sees the resort operate for around ten months of the year (July to April give or take a few weeks).
Mountain climbing is another big attraction. Obviously there's the Matterhorn for those who take their climbing seriously, but for those who don't but would still like to conquer a peak over the magical 4,000m mark (13,000 feet) there's its nextdoor neighbour, the Breithorn.
The Breithorn is regarded as the easiest of the 4,000m plus peaks to climb because you get a cheat. A cable car will take you to 3,870m! Altitude-aside, it's a fairly easy route to the top from there although you will need crampons, a ski stick and a climbing harness to complete the snow covered ascent. Nothing that you can't hire in Zermatt and if you are a novice to this sort of thing you can go up in a group with a guide.
Accommodation in Zermatt is plentiful, although there's never enough during the peak season
and it never comes cheap. You'll have a choice odf over 700 establishments though, from camp sites to five star luxury.
Similar, the quality of food on offer ranges from the good to truly excellent - again though with price tags to match.
Reaching Zermatt is best done by train or taxi from the nearby town of Täsch. Trains also depart for Zermatt from further down the valley at Visp and Brig, both of which are on the main Swiss rail network. If you like to arrive in style, the town also has a heliport.
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