Zermatt

Zermatt
Zermatt - Old houses of Zermatt and the Matterhorn
Old houses of Zermatt and the Matterhorn
Country Switzerland Coat of Arms of Zermatt
Canton Valais
District Visp
Population 5,828 (Dec 2009)[1]
- Density 24 /km2 (62 /sq mi)
Area  242.67 km2 (93.70 sq mi)
Elevation 1,608 m (5,276 ft)
Postal code 3920
SFOS number 6300
Mayor Christoph Bürgin (as of 2004)
Localities Blatten, Findeln, Gornergrat, Ried, Schwarzsee, Z'mutt
Surrounded by Alagna Valsesia (IT-VC), Ayas (IT-AO), Ayer, Bionaz (IT-AO), Evolène, Gressoney-La-Trinité (IT-AO), Macugnaga (IT-VB), Randa, Saas-Almagell, Täsch, Valtournenche (IT-AO)
Twin towns Alfano (Italy), Myoko (Japan)
Website www.zermatt.ch
SFSO statistics
Zermatt is located in Switzerland
Zermatt
View map of Zermatt

Zermatt is a municipality in the district of Visp in the German-speaking section of the canton of Valais in Switzerland. It has a population of about 5,800 inhabitants.

The village is situated at the end of Mattertal at an altitude of 1,620 m (5,315 ft), at the feet of Switzerland's highest peaks. It lies about 10 km (6 mi) from the over 3,300 metres high Theodul Pass bordering Italy.

Zermatt is famed as a mountaineering and ski resort of the Swiss Alps. Until the mid-19th century, it was predominantly an agricultural community; the first and tragic ascent of the Matterhorn in 1865 was followed by a rush on the mountains surrounding the village, leading to the construction of many tourist facilities.

Contents

Etymology

The name of Zermatt, as well as that of the Matterhorn itself, derives from the alpine meadows, or matten (in German), in the valley. The name appeared first as Zur Matte ("in the meadow") and became later Zermatt. It does not appear until 1495 on a map or 1545 in a text, but may have been employed long before.

Praborno or Prato Borno are the older names of Zermatt; they appear in the ancient maps as early as the thirteenth century.[2] The French-speaking people from the Aosta Valley used this name until about 1860 in the form of Praborne, or Praborgne. The reason of this change from Praborno to Zermatt is attributed to the gradual replacement of the Romance-speaking people by German-speaking colony.[3][4]

Geography

The village of Zermatt lies at the southern end of the Matter Valley (German: Mattertal), which is one of the lateral branches of the great Valley of the Rhone. The village is almost completely surrounded by the high mountains of the Pennine Alps among which Monte Rosa (or Dufourspitze), Switzerland's highest peak at 4,634 metres above sea level. It is followed by the Dom (4,545 metres), Lyskamm (4,527 metres), Weisshorn (4,505 metres) and the Matterhorn (4,478 metres). Most of the Alpine four-thousanders are located around of Zermatt or in the neighbouring valleys.

The high summits around Zermatt

Zermatt is traversed by the main river of the valley: the Matter Vispa,[5] which takes its sources from the glaciers located at the feet of the highest peaks; the Gorner Glacier on the east side near Monte Rosa and the Zmutt Glacier on the west side between Dent d'Hérens and Dent Blanche.

The village of Zermatt, while dense, is geographically small. There are three main streets which run along the banks of the river Matter Vispa, and numerous cross-streets, especially around the station and the church which forms the center of the village. In general anything is at most a thirty minute walk away. There are several "suburbs" within Zermatt. Winkelmatten, which was once a separate small hamlet, lies on a hill (1,670 metres) on the southern side. Steinmatten is located on the eastern bank of the main river.

View of Zermatt with the main church

A large number of hamlet are located in the valleys above Zermatt, however they are usually not inhabited all year round. Zum See (1,766 metres) lies south of Zermatt on the west bank of the Gorner gorge, near Furi where a cable car station is located (1,867 metres). On the side of Zmutt valley (west of Zermatt), lies the hamlet of Zmutt (1,936 metres) north of the Zmuttbach river. Findeln (2,051 metres) is located in the eastern valley above the Findelbach river. It lies below the Sunnegga station (2,278 metres). Located near a train station of the Gornergrat railway, Riffelalp (2,222 metres) is one of the highest hamlets with a chapel.

The municipality has a permanent population of around 5,800 people,[6] although the actual population varies considerably through the seasons as tourists come and go.

Tourism

Cable car heading towards Klein Matterhorn

The town was "discovered" by mid-nineteenth century British mountaineers, most notably Edward Whymper, whose conquest of the Matterhorn made the village famous. The Matterhorn was one of the last alpine mountains to be conquered (in 1865), and the first expedition that reached the top ended dramatically with only 3 of the 7 climbers surviving the descent. The story is related in the Matterhorn Museum.

Zermatt is a starting point for hikes into the mountains, including the Haute Route that leads to Chamonix in France and the Patrouille des Glaciers. Cable cars and chair lifts carry skiers in the winter and hikers in the summer; the highest of them leads to the Klein Matterhorn at 3,883m, a peak on the ridge between Breithorn and Matterhorn that offers spectacular views in all directions. It is possible to cross into Italy via the Cervinia cable car station. A spectacular rack railway line (the Gornergratbahn, the highest open-air railway in Europe) runs up to the summit of the Gornergrat at 3,089m (10,134 ft). Zermatt is also the western terminus for the Glacier Express rail service connecting to St. Moritz and the MGB (Matterhorn-Gotthard-Bahn).

Transport

Electric cars in the streets of Zermatt

To prevent air pollution which could obscure the town's view of the Matterhorn, the entire town is a combustion-engine car-free zone. Almost all vehicles in Zermatt are battery driven and almost completely silent. Electric vehicles are allowed for local commerces. The Cantonal police can issue a permit which allows residents to drive and park at the northern outskirts. Some emergency (fire trucks, ambulances, etc.) and municipal (buses, garbage trucks, etc.) vehicles are also allowed to use combustion engines.

Passenger vehicles operating within Zermatt include tiny electric shuttles provided by hotels to carry visitors from the main train station (or the taxi transfer point just outside town) to the hotel properties, "electro" taxis operated by four major Zermatt families, and "electro" buses, which serve two routes: one between the major hotel areas and the stations of the various ski-lifts, and the other following a similar route but also serving the more rural "suburb" of Winkelmatten. Horse-drawn carriages can also be found; some are operated by hotels and others are available for hire.

Glacier Express approaching Zermatt

Most visitors reach Zermatt by cog railway train from the nearby town of Täsch (Zermatt shuttle). Trains also depart for Zermatt from farther down the valley at Visp and Brig, which are on the main Swiss rail network. The town also has a heliport (ICAO: LSEZ) and a local helicopter operator, Air Zermatt, which also provides alpine rescue services.

In 2007, a project group was formed to evaluate options for development of the local transportation network (as the "electro" buses do not have enough capacity). The results of this study are published in the December 2007 edition of Zermatt Inside. The six options explored are a coaster, a funicular, a metro, moving sidewalks, a gondola or more "electro" buses.[7]

Skiing

Ski area on the Breithorn plateau, 3,900 metres

Zermatt is known throughout the world for its skiing, especially Triftji for its moguls. The high altitude results in consistent skiing continuously up until the summer.

Skiing in Zermatt is split up into four areas; Sunnegga, Gornergrat, Klein Matterhorn and Schwarzsee. There is also a connection to Cervinia and Valtournenche in Italy.[8][9]

In 2008, Zermatt hosted an 'Infinity Downhill Race'. The race took place on the 13 and 14 December and comprised a course descending from the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise (3,800 m (12,500 ft)) and finished in Zermatt itself (1,600 m (5,200 ft)). The course was 20 km long and featured a 2,200 m descent.[10]

Sunnegga

The Sunnegga Paradise is accessed via a funicular railway, followed by a gondola to Blauherd and finally a cable car onwards to the Rothorn (3,103m) above. The topography of the mountain and the valley tends to keep the Rothorn clear and sunny, even when Zermatt is submerged in cloud.

From Blauherd there is a gondola down to Gant, and from there a connecting cablecar goes to Hohtälli. This cable car and the newer 4-seat chairlift Sunnegga-Findeln-Breitboden provide connections between Sunnegga and Gornergrat. With few steep slopes, this mountain is often used to train younger skiers.

Gornergrat

Gornergrat railway station, 3,100 metres

The Gornergrat is served by the Gornergratbahn railway, a 29 minute ride to the Gornergrat peak (3,089 m), via Riffelalp, Rotenboden and Riffelberg, (with limited stops at Findelbach and Landtunnel just above the town). At the summit, the hotel and restaurant have been refurbished and accommodate a shopping centre.

A cable car heads up from Hohtälli to the Rote Nase (3,247 m). This final lift serves a freeride area but can be unreliable as this mountainside requires high snow cover to be skiable. The lifts in this area generally open for the season in late February or early March, depending upon the snowfall. In 2008 a new T-bar tow re-opened access to the Stockhorn.

The old Hohtälli to Gornergrat cablecar is now permanently closed, with no replacement lift planned. A new slope leading back from Hohtälli to Kellensee just under the Gornergrat replaced this lift to maintain the link from the Rothorn to Gornergrat.

Klein Matterhorn / Schwarzsee

View of Zermatt from the cable car to Furi

Near the southern end of Zermatt, the Matterhorn Express gondola transports passengers up to the interchange station at Furi. From here there is access to the Schwarzsee via a gondola to the right, a cable car that leads on to the Trockener Steg midstation (and then on to the Klein Matterhorn), and a new gondola, opened on 18 December 2006, links Furi to Riffelberg on the Gornergrat mountain. This lift addresses one of the most persistent criticisms of Zermatt: that it is very difficult to ski the two sides of the valley without a tiresome trek through the village between the Gornergratbahn and the Matterhorn Express at opposite ends of the town.

Testa Grigia at the top of the Theodulpass serves as a connection to the Italian ski-resorts of Cervinia and Valtournenche. From the Swiss side it is only reachable by skilift, but from the Italian side by a chairlift and by a cablecar. There are customs offices here as well as a small alpine museum.

Zermatt is marketed as an all year skiing resort, with summer skiing limited to the Theodulgletscher behind the Klein Matterhorn. Whilst strictly true, during the off season in May and June there will only tend to be one or two runs open, and the main glacier area does not open until July.

In operation since 25 October 2003, the Furggsattel six-seater chairlift has twelve (of eighteen) masts that stand directly on the glacial ice of the Theodulgletscher - a first for Switzerland. It is one of very few lifts worldwide with bottom- and top-station in different countries, respectively Switzerland and Italy.

History of the lift system

Developments

The Zermatt Bergbahnen's website[11] mentions a few projects for the following years:

As well as several changes to the slopes, and the placement of new snowmaking installations.

Weather

Climate data for Zermatt
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °C (°F) 0.2
(32.4)		 1.3
(34.3)		 3.7
(38.7)		 7.3
(45.1)		 12.1
(53.8)		 15.6
(60.1)		 18.9
(66)		 17.9
(64.2)		 15.4
(59.7)		 11.2
(52.2)		 4.6
(40.3)		 1.1
(34)		 9.1
(48.4)
Daily mean °C (°F) -4.8
(23.4)		 -4
(25)		 -1.5
(29.3)		 2
(36)		 6.7
(44.1)		 10
(50)		 12.5
(54.5)		 11.7
(53.1)		 9
(48)		 4.8
(40.6)		 -0.8
(30.6)		 -3.8
(25.2)		 3.5
(38.3)
Average low °C (°F) -8.4
(16.9)		 -7.8
(18)		 -5.5
(22.1)		 -2.2
(28)		 2.1
(35.8)		 4.8
(40.6)		 6.8
(44.2)		 6.7
(44.1)		 4.2
(39.6)		 0.7
(33.3)		 -4
(25)		 -7.1
(19.2)		 -0.8
(30.6)
Precipitation mm (inches) 43
(1.69)		 46
(1.81)		 49
(1.93)		 50
(1.97)		 61
(2.4)		 56
(2.2)		 47
(1.85)		 60
(2.36)		 41
(1.61)		 55
(2.17)		 55
(2.17)		 49
(1.93)		 611
(24.06)
Avg. precipitation days 6.6 6.3 7.7 6.7 10 8.6 8.9 9.9 6.9 6.7 7 6.7 92
Source: MeteoSchweiz [12]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Swiss Federal Statistical Office, MS Excel document – Bilanz der ständigen Wohnbevölkerung nach Kantonen, Bezirken und Gemeinden (German) accessed 25 August 2010
  2. ↑ W. A. B. Coolidge, " Swiss Travels and Guide Books," p. 255
  3. ↑ The names of Zermatt, W. A. B. Coolidge
  4. ↑ Rey, Guido, The Matterhorn, p. 290
  5. ↑ The Matter Vispa originates from the Zmuttbach, Gornera and Findelbach
  6. ↑ Bundesamt fur Statistik (Federal Department of Statistics) (2008). "Bilanz der ständigen Wohnbevölkerung (Total) nach Bezirken und Gemeinden". http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/de/index/themen/01/02/blank/key/raeumliche_verteilung/kantone__gemeinden.html. Retrieved November 5, 2008. 
  7. ↑ "Zermatt Inside". Zermatt. http://inside.zermatt.ch. 
  8. ↑ Trail Map 2007/08
  9. ↑ ski-zermatt.com
  10. ↑ The world's biggest drop snowskiing.com
  11. ↑ "Planned Projects (Zermatt Bergbahnen)". ZBAG. http://web.archive.org/web/20080822080201/http://bergbahnen.zermatt.ch/e/about-us/projekte/. Retrieved 2008-02-24. 
  12. ↑ "Temperature and Percipitation Average Values-Table, 1961-1990" (in German, French, Italian). Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology MeteoSwiss. http://www.meteoswiss.admin.ch/web/de/klima/klima_schweiz/tabellen.html. Retrieved 8 May 2009. 

External links

Wikisource has the text of the 1920 Encyclopedia Americana article Zermatt.
Municipalities in Visp District, Switzerland

Baltschieder | Eisten | Embd | Grächen | Lalden | Randa | Saas-Almagell | Saas Balen | Saas-Fee | Saas-Grund | St. Niklaus | Stalden | Staldenried | Täsch | Törbel | Visp | Visperterminen | Zeneggen | Zermatt

Valais | Districts of Canton Valais | Municipalities of the canton of Valais

 Coat of Arms of the Canton Valais
Matter Valley
Settlements
Zermatt · Täsch · Randa · St. Niklaus · Embd · Grächen · Stalden · Törbel
Mountains
Barrhorn · Brunegghorn · Bishorn · Weisshorn · Zinalrothorn · Ober Gabelhorn · Dent Blanche · Tête Blanche · Dent d'Hérens · Matterhorn · Klein Matterhorn · Breithorn · Pollux · Castor · Lyskamm · Monte Rosa · Gornergrat · Strahlhorn · Rimpfischhorn · Allalinhorn · Alphubel · Täschhorn · Dom · Lenzspitze · Nadelhorn · Balfrin
Glaciers
Zmutt · Gorner · Findeln · Ried