"We are not the makers of history; we are made by history."
Welcome back to the 2nd blog of our trip to Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious Switzerland.
Supercalifraglisticexpialidocious - A nonsense word from movie - Mary Poppins - it means something very magnificent, outstanding and wonderful.
Do you know? : Graces from favourable climatic and geological conditions, Switzerland has clean water in abundant quantities. A sustainable water protection policy also gives Swiss tap water drinking water quality. What comes out of the supply network into taps, showers and toilets is drinking water.
Our first stop in Switzerland is the world-famous Zermatt, one of the prettiest Alpine towns in Switzerland! In the South of the Swiss territories, this small, charming town is located right below the iconic Matterhorn.
This tranquil town is well known for world class skiing routes; it is also well known for the backdrop of the town - The Matterhorn which is the famous logo of Toblerone Chocolate (I will go deeper on The Matterhorn as you scroll down further).
The snowy village adds a touch of magical feel during winter, especially my visit just after Christmas.
There are about 6000 people living here but during the holiday season, there will be more than 25,000 people here.
It is interesting that Zermatt is a car-free village because the government wants to preserve the area and prevent pollution. Most people get here by train and explore the place on foot on electric vehicles. It is such astonishment that every corner we turn, we are greeted by spectacular peaks.
We took a train from Zurich Airport to Visp station and transit another train to Tasch and the total journey is close to 4 hours.
With such a scenic ride of the Swiss Alps, the meadow, the villages, the lakes, the rivers, it was such a remarkable 4-hour journey.
As Tasch is located at around 1,500m above the sea levels, therefore we literally felt the accent during the train and the traces of snow was also much heavier.
After the long and scenic 4hrs train ride from the Zurich Airport, we landed at Tasch which is 10 minutes train away from Zermatt, this is the nearest town to park your vehicles as Zermatt is a car free zone.
The hotels in Zermatt itself were either for sales for at least 2 weeks (for skiers) or per night cost over SGD1000 and we will be here only for 2 nights, and the nearest next town is Tasch. To our surprise, most of the accommodations in Tasch were sold out too.
Here are some insights of Tasvh:
Tasch Station is attached to a mega carpark that public park their cars here and take a train to Zermatt. Tasch is the immediate next town of Zermatt.
Restaurant Walliserkanne
Located right across Tasch Train station, a great place to hide the cold and to fill our tummies.
We ordered a Spaghetti Carbonara and a traditional Swiss Fondue.
The fondue was served with bread and potatoes that really perfect dipped into the melted cheese. Swiss cheese has its own distinctive.
After this meal, we will head to Zermatt.
Below video is another scenic 15 minutes ride from Tasch to Zermatt.
Zermatt Train Station
The entry point to this enchanting village of my bucket list! The moment I stepped out of the train, I was overwhelmed with adrenaline.
Zermatt station is not big, in fact the track gauge (distance between 2 rails on the track) is just 1 meter apart.
It has been serving the car-free mountain Alpine town since July 1891 and upgraded to an electric line in 1929.
It is so common to see skiers walk around like this taking train.
Bahnhofstrasse AKA Main Street
The main street of the one of the prettiest Alpine towns in Switzerland is very charming itself!
Traditional wooden houses / shops lined up on the street that are filled with restaurants, cafes, souvenir, bakeries, chocolates, sport-gear, fashion and accessories shops. The roof of these buildings is capped with snow and the Christmas feel is very thick in the air as we strolled down the street as it is 26 December! Most importantly, it's car free!
Though it's car free but electric powered vehicles are still allow here. These vehicles usually belong to the hotels, the business owners or are taxis for hire.
Hinterdorf AKA Old Town
I use the landmark of Grand Hotel Zermatterhof as the starting point of Hinterdorf which means the "village at the back", it is also located at the higher ground of Zermatt.
Most of the building are in black-colored log houses that were built between the 16th and 18th centuries. It is also made up of several small alleys and feels so much like being transported back in time. Most of the building here are super well-preserved that stood through the times. There are also some commercial shops found here where it adds some vibes into our strolling in such a fairytale place.
Pfarrkirche St. Mauritius AKA St. Mauritius Church
St Mauritius Kirchplatz (Church Square, Church Steps)
The tower of St Mauritius Church has been dominating the skyline of Zermatt since 1913!
Everybody, whether you are a local or a tourist, is welcome to attend the mass here.
Restaurant Ross-Stall
This restaurant has been around since 1962. It looks so timeless in those old traditional wooden building with lovely and cozy interior.
Service is good with Michelin standard food that comes with a high price tag. Overall, it was a good experience for traditional Swiss food.
Zermatt Matterhorn Viewpoint
Just strolling by the bridge and there are few points that are great for photos of The Matterhorn.
Cervino View Point
Another point to stop by for some photos.
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Cup's Italian Coffee House
Located at a popular street, next opposite of the Mountaineers, Cemetery.
We decided to stop by here, chose an outdoor seat to chill and people gazing.
The staff are very friendly and polite and the view from the outdoor seat is awesome!
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Mountaineers' Cemetery
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.
Restaurant Weisshorn
Not only this place serving dining, there is also accommodations for rental too.
We came here for the dinner only as my Mr prefer this menu than some other options.
The staff here are very helpful and flexible that tried their best to accommodate the needs of all customers. The servings are so big that we really cannot move after the meal.
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Murini Viewpoint
Amazing spot to take amazing photos. This is the most beautiful spot for the prettiest picture of the village.
This is the best view of Zermatt that is located on Murini Hil come with a price of 15 minutes hike and at certain points, it is slightly steep..
A safe tiny hut is built at the edge of the Matterhorn:
There is no cable car service on the Matterhorn itself so there are people actually climbing the mountain.
Perched atop the majestic Matterhorn lies the tiny Solvay mountain hut constructed as a refuge for climbers in the Alps. Despite its small size, this hut can accommodate up to 10 people if needed.
It also has an emergency phone line for anyone who needs to be airlifted off the mountain due to an avalanche or injury. A haven in the midst of harsh weather conditions, the Matterhorn Hut provides climbers with the perfect place to take a breather and relax for a few minutes. Here are the photo I got from goggle.
Along the way, we met an Alpine Cat, so furry and beautiful.
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| meow! |
Bonus Moment: Golden Sunset - Before & After
It was said that during sunrise, the peak of The Matterhorn will turn into gold colour for a few moment. But, during sun set, this mountain (I am not sure the name) has its own golden moment too.
Night View of Bahnhofstrass
Whether its day or night, Bahnhofstrass is always so packed with people.
The night of Tasch, we are going up closer to the Matterhorn tomorrow. Our precious time in Zermatt end here, please stay tune on the coming blog on The Matterhorn
Here are the shortcuts to the blogs on our trips in Switzerland:
We visited Europe recently like The Netherlands & Belgium recently : Amsterdam, The Hague , Rotterdam , Kinderdijk , Naarden ,Muiden , Haarlem , Nijmegan, Brussel, Bruges
and Antwerp.
We even moved to stay in Denmark during the peak of Covid : Relocation from Singapore to Aalborg, Denmark
Meanwhile we will still be driving for short trips to nearby Malaysia especially gourmet trips to Johore.
Feel free, you are most welcome to browse through my other blogs to France, Japan, China, Thailand, Malaysia and cruises etc. I will be deeply blessed if you can like my facebook page:: followblueginger
"I travel because seeing photos in books and brochures was not good enough for me, To be there, that was everything"
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