When we went to Zermatt, he fell in love with the town. It is touristy, expensive and everything revolves around a single mountain (the Matterhorn). Nevertheless, it is very pleasant and still has loads of charm. They have kept some of the original buildings, which are very distinctive because they have giant stone discs in the pillars. Their function was to keep the mice out!
Although there are lots of hotels and some larger ones, they are definitely cuter than hotels on the Vegas strip. The Swiss use tons of wood in building and as accents, Zermatt is no exception. There are also tons of flower boxes and small plantings.
Zermatt seems to welcome everyone from the ultra rich, to backpackers and outdoor enthusiasts. For the number of people who visit, Zermatt is surprisingly calm and peaceful. There are no cars. Vehicles are small electric vehicles. We left our car in the valley and took the train to get there. It felt as though you were, literally, leaving it all behind.
People use these baggage trolleys to walk their luggage from the train station to the hotel (some hotels will send one of the little electric trolleys shown above).
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| It is public art in the form of a beaver fountain! In case you are wondering what he is doing, he is having a drink. |
I love public art. He probably wouldn’t say that, but I do think it adds to the general beauty and pleasantness that he picks up on. Finally, there is this. Need I say more?
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| The Matterhorn from Zermatt |
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