Zermatt

Next stop was the legendary ski village of Zermatt. It is nestled in a valley overlooked by the Matterhorn which we were fortunate to see close up and from our hotel room! The village is small, charming, and car-free so a great place to hang out. We stayed at a cozy, family-owned hotel which we used as our base for two-nights. We took the Gornergrat Railway, built in 1898 as the first electric cogwheel railway in Switzerland, reaching the lookout at an elevation of 3,089 meters. From there, we had a spectacular view of the Matterhorn (4,478m). It is possible to hike down from this viewpoint to the village or pick up the train again partway down.

The view of the Matterhorn from our bedroom window at dawn was truly memorable.