Spectacularly situated at the foot of the Matterhorn, the Swiss resort of Zermatt has the reputation of being a world-class resort with plenty to offer in the way of fantastic skiing, picturesque surroundings and a dynamic aprs-ski scene. Two members of the Flexiski UK team Pete Hillyard and Amy Askew recently travelled out to Zermatt to discover what makes this Swiss ski resort so iconic.
On arrival into Geneva they caught the train up to the town of Visp and from there took the connection to Zermatt. The train journey up to the resort is beautiful and in itself, offers a unique transfer option and fantastic start to a ski holiday in Zermatt. The train station within the resort is situated just off the pedestrianised high street ensuring an easy arrival into this chocolate-box, car-free village.
Amy and Pete were staying in the Hotel Mirabeau where they took advantage of the hotels luxurious spa facilities and woke up to sunny views of the Matterhorn from their balconies. As well as the Hotel Mirabeau, they visited several other hotels in Zermatt which will all be featured in the flexiski programme for the 2011/12 ski season. They found all of the hotel staff extremely welcoming and the standard of the hotels to be exceptionally high.
On their first day in Zermatt, they took a trip on Europes highest-altitude cable car up to the Matterhorn glacier which sits at 3883m. Unfortunately, they didnt have time to sample the summer skiing but from the top of the cable car they were able to gain an insight of what the skiing in Zermatt is like, with views across this incredible ski terrain.
After their trip up the glacier and various meetings with hotels, the tourist board and Ski Summit (a local ski school), Amy and Pete spent the evening strolling around the picture post-card village centre and sampling the reputable nightlife of Zermatt. As a year round resort, the streets are never empty and so even in the summer months the bars are lively, the restaurants are full and there is a general buzz around town.
On the first night of their trip they ate at the Pizza and Spaghetti Factory, an impressive restaurant spread over three levels within the contemporary Post Hotel (which incidentally seems to be the most popular night-spot of the resort with its 4 restaurants and 5 bars and clubs). On the second night they opted for a more traditional restaurant, the Caf du Pont which offers delicious Swiss cuisine at great value. They were pleased to discover that with regards to dining in Zermatt, there is something to suit all tastes and budgets, from gourmet Swiss cuisine to laid back pizzerias.
There was only one thing left to do before Pete and Amys departure! After Pascal at the tourist office advised that the Zermatt experience is only truly complete once you have danced on the barrel in the Broken Bar or taken a trip on the Gornergrat Railway, they sensibly opted for the latter and embarked on a breath-taking ascent up the mountain. This historic railway is not only an iconic part of Zermatts heritage, it also serves an important function during the winter months and acts as one of three main ski lifts transporting skiers from the resort centre up onto the mountain. The 30 minute journey takes you through idyllic forests, across viaducts and over beautiful mountain scenery, terminating at 3100m on a sunny platform with impressive views of the glacier and the Matterhorn.
Amy and Pete departed from the resort feeling like they had experienced all of whats on offer in this beautiful town and were reassured that Zermatt will be a perfect fit within the flexiski resort portfolio.
If you would like any more information about ski breaks to Zermatt, please call one of flexiskis Personal Travel Consultants on 020 8939 0864.