Valais
We’ve compiled the best of the best in Valais - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.
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1. Matterhorn
At 14,685 feet, the Matterhorn's elegant snaggletooth form rears up over the village of Zermatt, larger than life and genuinely awe inspiring. As you weave through crowds along Bahnhofstrasse, the town's main street, you're bombarded on all sides by Matterhorn images—on postcards, sweatshirts, calendars, beer steins, and candy wrappers—while the original, slightly obscured by resort buildings, occasionally peers down at you. In town, it's better seen from side streets and the windows of hotel rooms. Break past the shops and hotels onto the main road into the hills, and you'll reach a slightly elevated spot where you'll probably stop dead in your tracks. There it is, a twist of snowy rock blinding in the sun. Catch it in the very early morning to witness its rare alpenglühen, when the rising sun bathes it in fragile pink light. It was Edward Whymper's spectacular—and catastrophic—conquest of the Matterhorn, on July 14, 1865, that made Zermatt a household word. After reaching the mountain's summit, his climbing party began its descent, tying themselves together and moving one man at a time. One of the climbers slipped, dragging the others down with him. Though Whymper and one of his companions braced themselves to stop the fall, the rope between climbers snapped and four mountaineers fell nearly 4,000 feet to their deaths. One body was never recovered, but the others lie in modest graves behind the park near the village church, surrounded by scores of other failed mountaineers. In summer, the streets of Zermatt fill with sturdy, weathered climbers who continue to tackle the peaks, and climbers have mastered the Matterhorn thousands of times since Whymper's disastrous victory.
Zermatt, Valais, Switzerland -
2. Gornergrat–Monte Rose Bahn
A train trip on the Gornergrat Bahn functions as an excursion, as well as a ski transport. Part of its rail system was completed in 1898, and it's one of the highest open-air rail systems in Europe. It departs from Zermatt's main train station and winds up the mountain, with great vistas along the way. Its stop at the Riffelberg, at 8,469 feet, presents killer views of the Matterhorn. Farther on, from Rotenboden, at 9,246 feet, a short downhill walk leads to the Riffelsee, a glassy alpine lake that offers postcard-perfect reflections of the famous peak. At the end of the 9-km (5½-mile) line, the train stops at the summit station of Gornergrat, at 10,266 feet, and passengers pour onto the observation terraces to take in the majestic views of the Matterhorn, Monte Rosa, Gorner Glacier, and an expanse of peaks and glaciers. Atop there are vendors and the chance to pose with St. Bernard dogs with the Matterhorn in the background. It's touristy, yes, but memorable. Make sure to bring warm clothes, sunglasses, and sturdy shoes, especially if you're planning to ski or hike down as many do.
Bahnhofpl. 7, Brig, Valais, 3900, Switzerland084-8642442Sight Details
Rate Includes: SF94 round-trip, SF47 one-way -
3. Matterhorn Museum – Zermatlantis
To get a sense of life in this high-altitude region and the risks involved in climbing, visit the Matterhorn Museum – Zermatlantis, a sunken village of chalets, mazots, and dwellings depicted as an archaeological site that visitors walk through, experiencing different periods of time along the way. The personal accounts of local docents liven up the displays of antiquated equipment, clothing, and historical documents about those who lived and climbed here. There is a farmer's cottage, hotel, and church interior, plus stuffed and mounted animals.
Kirchpl., Zermatt, Valais, 3920, Switzerland027-9674100Sight Details
Rate Includes: SF10 -
4. St. Peter's Zermatt - The English Church
Religious Building/Site/ShrineClimb the winding pathway behind Pizzeria Molino to the white church on the hill, St. Peter's. Anglican services are still held in the tiny sanctuary established by the British, who ignited a climbing fervor to conquer the Matterhorn and other towering peaks in the region. Take time to pause in the cemetery that holds the graves of those not fortunate enough to return safely and others who remained in this beloved community to live out their lives.
Bodmen 5, Zermatt, Valais, 3920, Switzerland027-9675566 -
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