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***image3***I don’t know what other way to describe the specialness of the village Zermatt, Switzerland, other than to say that this place is a little present from God.
I’ve been there two times and if given the opportunity to run away and live like an expat, Zermatt would be my first, and only, choice.
There is so much that is spectacular about this place, in its unassuming way, but I will start with how you get there. You can make the five-hour drive or take the Deutsche Bahn from Kaiserslautern. Either way, you’ll have to stop in the village of Täsch. That’s where you will park and take a train up the mountain to Zermatt. In this unique little town, there arn’t any fuel-operated vehicles allowed. Right away you’ll notice it too. No cars backfiring, no puffs of black smoke anywhere and the dull hum of the small electric vehicles allows you to hear the sound of the Mattervispa river that flows through the center of town. You’ll think, this is what air should smell like.
***image2***This is a ski town. Most hotels don’t open for the season until the week after Thanksgiving. And, they’re all lovely. Just pick one. No matter where you stay, you’ll look out the window and see the jagged snow-capped Alps and if you’re lucky, it will snow.
It’s about a 10-minute walk from the center of town to the ski lift and when you ride up the mountain in the gondola, you might feel a little weak in the knees.
Skiing in the Alps for the first time is a bit overwhelming. From the top, you will have an uninterrupted view of the grand Matterhorn – a famous 14,693- feet above sea level mountain that thousands attempt to climb every year. You’ll find yourself slowing down as you head down the slopes just to take in the view.
It’s a great place to release all that troubles you; let the
Matterhorn take it for you.
Zermatt is wonderful, even if you don’t ski. The village is small, but has dozens of great shops – excellent places to get some Swiss-made gifts for the family.
***image1***And, the night life is tons of fun– 35 night clubs – one of note is the T-Bar, where dancing continues until the wee hours. And, for a special, only-made-in-Zermatt spirit, head to a little ski bar called The Pipe.
But, forget all that – the shopping, the dancing. What you really need to do is stroll up the HinterdorfStrasse, where you will see historic 17th century wooden homes, built on the steepest little roads, which will make you think about those who built this little town and the engineering of it all.
For the holidays, Zermatt could be a little present you give yourself.
Destinations:
•Switzerland is not a member of the European Union and does not use euro. You can exchange dollars or euro for Swiss francs at the Service Credit Union or Community Bank on Ramstein.
•By train, from Kaiserslautern, you can head to Visp, Switzerland, where you can catch another train to Zermatt. Details, www.zermatt.ch/e/access/
•By car, it will be about five and a half hours. You’ll need to park in Täsch and take a train up the mountain to Zermatt.
•For details, visit the official tourism site, www.zermatt.ch/
index.e.html
•For an up-to-date ski report, visit www.skireport.com/
Switzerland/zermatt/
