The charming town of Zermatt is Switzerland's best-known ski resort. Nestled on a high plateau, it sits at the foot of the highest and most photographed peak in the country, the Matterhorn (4,478m or 14,692ft). The resort is a picturesque, if rather sprawling, old mountain village that is car-free with Swiss-style chalets. The village can only be reached via a spectacular cog railway from the valley below. It has one of the best networks of super-efficient cable cars, gondolas and cog railways in the country that whisk skiers to three separate ski areas and to altitudes of over 3,600m (12,000ft). Twenty-one of the 36 lifts also operate during the summer to cater for the busy hiking and climbing season. There are also plenty of non-skiing activities, superb views, some of the best mountain restaurants worldwide, and a raucous nightlife to keep everyone entertained. The Alpine Museum commemorates the tragic first ascent of the Matterhorn in 1865 and the many lives claimed by "the killer mountain" are honoured in the cemetery.
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Zermatt has its own train station, making it easily accessible via rail from Geneva Airport. The train journey usually requires one change at Brig or Visp. Journey time from the airport to the resort is approximately four hours.
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- Use the superfast lift up to Gornergrat for skiing that suits most abilities. The Riffelalp area is the easiest. The Matterhorn is the mountain that dominates Zermatt and the off-piste skiing is excellent.
- Walk in the middle of the road as no cars are allowed. In fact electric cars and the skibus do go along, as well as horses pulling people in carriages, but the lack of traffic gives the resort a special secluded feel.
- Make the most of the cheese. Fondue has become known the world over as traditional Swiss dish. If you lose your piece of bread from your fork and it disappears into the bubbling pot of cheese you have to pay a forfeit.
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