Zermatt (French: Praborgne) is a municipality in the district of Visp in the German-Speaking section of the canton of Valais in Switzerland.06631
Zermatt has a permanent population of around 5.800 people, although the actual population varies considerably through the season as the tourists come and go. The village is situated at the end of Mattertal, a north-facing valley, at an altitude of 1,620 m (5,315 ft). The valley is a dead end;Although the border with Italy is close,it can not be crossed by road, as it traverses a glacier at an altitude of over 3,000 m (9,800 ft). Zermatt is the starting point of the Patrouille des Glaciers and the Haute Route.
Tourism
Zermatt is famed as a mountaineering and ski resort. Until the mid-19th century, it was predominantly an agricultural community — its name, as well as that of the Matterhorn itself, derives from the alpine meadows, or matten, in the valley. In the German language, the town is "Zur Matte", or "in the meadow."
The town was "discovered" mid-century by British mountaineers, most notably Edward Whymper,whose conquest of the Matterhorn made the village famous.
There are several "suburbs" within Zermatt, and the largest of these organise summer street parties, where the local shops, restaurants and bars contribute towards communal events. Notable parties include the Steinmatte (held in late August, last in 2007), and the Winkelmatten (held in September, takes place every other year). Winkelmatten itself was once a separate small hamlet, but as Zermatt has grown it has become incorporated within the greater conurbation.
Zermatt is a starting point for hikes into the mountains, including the Haute Route that leads to Chamonix in France. 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).
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