After a rough 48 hours, we were finally on a train from Geneva to Zermatt. Trains are meant to be transportation not a form of entertainment, but that train ride was incredible. We rode past Lake Geneva and up through the Alps. Even though we were exhausted we were compelled to stay awake for (most of) the 3 hour trip. The view of the icy turquoise lake was mesmerizing. Out the other side of the train was the breathtaking Swiss countryside. We passed fields of sunflowers, quaint little villages, and incredible mountain views, complete with waterfalls. Once we reached Visp, we took a fernacular up to Zermatt. That train ride is my new happy place. After sweating for days on end, it was refreshing to be able to comfortably wear a turtleneck.
One of the first things we did once we had checked into our Airbnb was grab a bratwurst off the street. Zermatt is definitely not a budget destination, so 6 francs apiece was a great deal. We spent a few days wandering the city; it’s just a perfect place. There are no cars, and it’s not very big, so it’s probably the most walkable place on earth. Every building could be on a postcard, with flower boxes in every window and a great view of the Matterhorn at almost every turn. We browsed some shops, trying to imagine what it would be like to casually buy a $15,000 Rolex on your vacation in the Swiss Alps. We saw some of the most precious dogs in the world, Marcus found a larger than life shoe to pose with, and of course we bought some Swiss chocolate. We went for truffles and had to resist the urge to eat them all in one sitting. Also, I would be lying if I said we didn’t go back for more brats on multiple occasions.
We went on two hikes while we were there. The first hike we took was through the gorge that the river that runs through Zermatt passes through. Unfortunately, pictures just don’t do this corner of the world justice, but that seems to be a theme pretty much everywhere we’ve gone. The water is the most captivating color because it is sourced from a glacier. The rushing water sound was oddly calming, and once we got to the end of the gorge we were rewarded with an incredible view of the town.
Once we reached the top, we decided to venture a little further through the meadows surrounding the gorge. We found what we’re pretty sure is the witch’s house from Hansel and Gretel, and then eventually found the little town of Blatten. It’s a small town that lies between Zermatt and the Matterhorn. While Zermatt is a big tourist destination now, it’s so interesting to think that people have lived all the way up in the Alps for hundreds of years.
Our second hike was the Matterhorn Trail. The mountain is huge, and it looks deceptively close when viewing it from Zermatt. The trail was a great way to get to know the area around the Matterhorn, and we absolutely loved it. We trekked through a few more mountain towns and stopped once we reached a dammed lake about 2 hours up from Zermatt. We found ourselves in another visual that pictures simply wouldn’t do justice.
Our last day in Zermatt was wonderfully kicked off with some crepes. We took one more day to wander the town. We stopped by the church which was the most modern church we’ve seen in Europe so far. The art was very contemporary and a bit eccentric. The ceiling was the most interesting depiction of the story of Noah’s Ark we’ve ever seen. Take a look at the picture below and see if you can spot the skiier, the TV skull, and a jingle bell stingray man (yes, you read that right).
There is also a graveyard dedicated to mountaineers who lost their lives attempting to climb the Matterhorn. It was a very interesting experience, and very sobering to see how dangerous the mountain actually is.
On our last night we decided to go out for dinner at the only restaurant we could afford. Marcus got some fondue with high expectations (being that fondue has a Swiss origin). Unfortunately, we learned the hard (expensive) way that Marcus is not a fan of real Swedish fondue. I, on the other hand, got some delicious wienerschnitzel. Did we pay more for our meal than we thought it was worth? Sure, but we didn’t go to Zermatt to save money.
As we knew all along, all good things must come to an end. We finally had to say goodbye to beautiful Zermatt. This was definitely my favorite place we’ve been so far, and we’ve already talked about when we’ll come back. But our next destination ended up being Marcus’ favorite: Zurich!
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