Top 10 Sights & Landmarks in Zermatt, Swiss Alps

An inconspicuous barn stands high above the village of Zermatt, visible to all. It was built in 1811 as a result of developments on the world stage. A wooden building more than 200 years old stands high above the Triftbach river, opposite the Edelweiss restaurant, at “Turuwang uf dem Pfad”. The barn, built in 1811, recalls the Napoleonic Battle of Beresina (or Berezina), at the Berezina river near today’s border with Belarus. Recruitment of soldiers for Napoleon As Napoleon prepared for his Russian campaign, he recruited soldiers from Switzerland and the Valais. Switzerland was then (1803-1813) effectively a French vassal state. About 12,000 Swiss and Valais soldiers formed four regiments. Every village in the Valais was obliged to provide at least one soldier for the Russian campaign. In many places, volunteers stepped forward – mostly from bitter necessity. In Zermatt, no volunteers could be found. Rather than force somebody to join up or choose someone by lot, the people of Zermatt decided on another procedure. Whoever volunteered to join the army would subsequently receive a barn with surrounding pastures up at the “Fad” on the “Turuwang”. These were times of economic hardship and poverty: in due course, a young man volunteered with a view to receiving the property on his return. The barn was built, and the volunteer left for war. Sadly, he never returned from Russia and so never took possession of his property. About a thousand Swiss and Valais soldiers lost their lives at the Battle of Beresina, and ever since, locals have called this barn, in local dialect, the “Beresinahüs”.

The Gornergrat (3,089 m) is one of those places that everyone should visit at least once in a lifetime. The mountain panorama and the glorious view of the Matterhorn are unforgettable. With its sunny observation platform accessible all year, the Gornergrat, at an altitude of 3,089 m, has been one of Switzerland’s top excursion destinations since 1898. The Gornergrat Bahn was the world’s first fully electrified cog railway. Today it is a modern, eco-friendly railway, equipped with a regenerative braking system that generates electricity on the descent and so saves energy. All year: •Photo subject: 29 mountains above 4,000 m in view (Switzerland, Italy) •Shops •Restaurants: self-service and waiter-served, indoors and out •Large sun terrace •“Bernhard von Aosta” chapel •Panoramic viewing platform Summer: •Wild ibex near the viewing platform of the station •Starting point for hikes •Sunrise trips (bookable offer) •Sunset dinners (bookable offer) •For families: “Wolli and the climate detectives” (audio guides available from Zermatt Tourism and the Gornergrat Bahn cog railway) Winter: •Dining with the stars (bookable offer) •Moonlight visit (bookable offer) •Direct access to the pistes and winter hiking paths •Highest sledging slope in Switzerland (Rotenboden 2815 m - Riffelberg 2582 m) •Igloo village on 2727 m

The sunny corner of Zermatt From the train station you will reach the Sunnegga-Rothornvalley station by foot in five minutes. Taking the undergroundn funicular you will ascend to 2,288 metres (7,506 ft) in just four and a half minutes and arrive at Sunnegga, the “sunny corner” of Zermatt. From the spacious sun terrace of the restaurant, you enjoy a wonderful view of the Matterhorn. Wolli playground Leisee At Leisee lake, families can enjoy an adventure playground with attractive barbecue areas and a water feature. Your children can explore the play area while you relax in the idyllic lakeside surroundings and contemplate the amazing views of the Matterhorn. Take a refreshing dip in the lake, or play Robinson Crusoe as you cross the water on a wooden raft attached to a cable that spans the lake. Off to the land of adventure! Kickbiking on Sunnegga The extremely popular kickbikes can be hired at the SunneggaRothorn valley station (helmet included). From there it’s a thrill a minute as you speed downhill to Tuftern and on to Zermatt. There are various restaurants along the way where you can stop for a breather before continuing back to the valley station to return your kickbikes.

The Matterhorn Museum – Zermatlantis offers insight into the development of Zermatt. It shows the triumph and tragedy surrounding the first ascent of the Matterhorn. Here one is immersed in the mountain world of past generations: One sees how the people lived in Zermatt in the 19th century and shudder at the sight of the broken rope from the first ascent of the Matterhorn in 1865. Four of the seven climbers lost their lives at that time. And one looks in wonder at “Theo,” the 16th century mercenary who did not succeed in crossing the Theodul Pass.

The mountaineers’ cemetery is a moving reminder of the accidents that have occurred in the mountains around Zermatt. The tranquil site is a memorial to all climbers who have lost their lives here. The inscriptions reveal that women and men from all over the world have died on the Matterhorn, Täschhorn, Weisshorn, Liskamm, Obergabelhorn and on the Monte Rosa massif. At the mountaineers’ cemetery, visitors can see the graves of about 50 climbers who perished in the surrounding mountains. Most date from the 19th century, some from the early-20th century. Grave of two climbers from the first ascent of the Matterhorn One gravestone is an exception. It commemorates two famous climbers who died naturally rather than on the mountain: Peter and Peter Taugwalder, father and son. These were the mountain guides of the first person to climb the Matterhorn, Edward Whymper. Only these three out of the original party of seven returned to Zermatt alive. The ascent, on 14 July 1865, was a success: on the way back down, however, four of the climbers fell to their deaths, including Michel-Auguste Croz, a mountain guide from Chamonix. His gravestone stands beside that of the two Taugwalders. Two of the English climbers who died on the descent were laid to rest at the English Church in Zermatt: D. Robert Hadow is buried outside, while the Reverend Charles Hudson lies by the church altar. The third English climber who lost his life on the expedition, Lord Francis Douglas, has no grave as his body was never found. Another tombstone in the mountaineers’ cemetery belongs to probably the most famous female mountaineer of the 19th and 20th centuries: Eleonore Noll-Hasenclever (1880–1925). She lost her life as she descended the Bishorn on 18 August 1925, carried away by an avalanche. Symbols of mourning Some of the memorial stones bear candles and flowers left by relatives and fellow climbers. In some cases, the stones reveal the causes of accidents: an avalanche, a rockfall, a crevasse. One memorial to a young climber carries a simple and striking statement: “I chose to climb”. The mountaineer’s own red ice axe adorns the stone, along with the US flag.

The lake of the Riffelsee (2,757 m) offers the ultimate in mountain tranquillity. The reflection of the Matterhorn on the surface of the water is one of nature’s finest spectacles. The Riffelsee is located away from the great hiking trails of Zermatt; however, the Riffelseeweg path (no. 21) leads direct to its shores. The view of the Matterhorn, king of the mountains, standing solitary on the horizon framed by a vast sky, is breathtaking: the scene is unforgettable. The best time to visit is when there is no wind and the surface of the lake is completely still – usually early in the morning or in the evening. Starting point for numerous climbs and walks The Riffelsee is not visible from the Rotenboden station of the Gornergrat Bahn cog railway, but it’s only a short walk away: about 10 minutes along a trail leading gently downhill. Climbers turn left off the path before the lake to access the numerous climbing routes on the south face of the Riffelhorn. Nature lovers will find beautiful alpine flora in the area. •Photo subject: reflection of the Matterhorn • Accessible via Gornergrat Bahn cog railway: 10 minutes’ walk from Rotenboden station • Rare alpine flowers • Close to climbing routes on the Riffelhorn (2,927 m)