Zermatt, Switzerland

After hearing the disappointing news about not being able to snowboard we decided to head up to the glacier and the town of Zermatt where people ski most of the year. We had no idea what a production it would be to get there from where we were. It was nearly 80 km to get there but it took far longer than 40 minutes. We had to drive through the Alps (PS it was awesome) to a town called Tasch. This was the last destination you could drive to as you can only get to Zermatt by rail, that would be cognell rail. We parked at the Bahn Terminal, grabbed our gear and headed up. After a slow climb of about 20 minutes, we reached an altitude 1620 meters (or 5314 feet) to Zermatt. The town is so cute and has gorgeous views! Here is a look at the town and its views as we made our way to the lift area...
I mentioned that you cannot get there by car, and there are no cars in the streets besides these all-utility vehicles that look only big enough for someone the size of an Umpah-Loompah. These include hotel shuttles, taxis, and a bus.

And the shops were adorable and extremely expensive!

This area was a small square with a fountain in the middle and hotels and a church that surround it. I promise, there is not a bad view!

The hotel on the left is very charming...and I assume super expensive. I think it is the largest one named as a hotel rather than a Guest Haus like most German places.

Through some of the tiny streets we found these homes. They look like they are crumbling, but are not at all. TJ noticed that the exterior is sided with railroad ties that have been weathered over the years. I saw inside a window and the interiors appear to be updated.

Of course Zermatt would have a babbling mountain brook...

But the best view of Zermatt came from a run high above. TJ caught this one as he was waiting for me to make it down to catch up with him. we basically stared at it with our mouths open...we were not the only ones! FYI, the picture is no where near the way the town looks in person...it looked almost golden!

And then we have the majestic peak of the Matterhorn. It is far more impressive in person standing 4478 meters (14,691 feet) high as the highest peak in Switzerland. You will see more of this tomorrow during the snowboarding blog, in photos and video, as well as other breath taking views from the top.

And a little bit closer...

The day trip from Crans and back was exhausting, but worth it! It is like nothing I have ever experienced and we want to go back to Zermatt and actually stay there. We missed you all and invite you to come next time. The Swiss weekend adventure is not over as we still have two more days of blogs. I am excited to blog tomorrow as those are my favorite pictures, and videos!

Until then, Auf Wiedersehen!