June 16 Geneva to Zermatt
June 16, 2023
Last updated on September 6th, 2023 at 03:37 pm
Photos from Zermatt
Video Summary of the Day
We were up at 6:15 am this morning to head to Zermatt. We checked out from The Ambassador, grabbed two apples and made our way to the train station. It’s beginning to feel pretty natural now, and doesn’t invoke trepidation about when and where to be.
From Geneva we headed to Visp, where we changed trains and headed to Zermatt. On the way, Alan showed me an article about altitude sickness and how to lessen the effects. We think that is what I have been experiencing. The symptoms are virtually gone today. but we will be going to some pretty high altitudes again.
Traveling from Visp to Zermatt, we were treated to more stunning mountain views. It is hard to find words to describe the majesty of the towering mountains, water falls, snow covered peaks, terraced mountain sides growing grapes and rolling meadows dotted with small farms. We frequently see streams or rivers with glacier runoff giving the water a milky look.
We arrived in Zermatt and walked about 5 minutes to the Hotel Walliserhof Zermatt, built in 1896. As we checked in we learned this was the 1st day of their season after having been closed for about a month. Our room was ready. It was very spacious (especially when compared with our rooms in Zurich, Bern, and Geneva), with a balcony and a loft.
The article about altitude sickness recommended plenty of water, deep breathing and eating more carbohydrates, as well as sleeping below 10,000 feet. With that in mind, we ate lunch in hotel dining room, Restaurant Theodore’s Stuba Zermatt. It was in front downstairs, and was clearly well preserved over the last 125 years. We ate inside because we’ve noticed throughout Switzerland that there is a fair amount of smoking that happens in the outdoor seating areas. Joyce ordered a risotto mushroom tomato dish, Alan ordered Swiss mac and cheese. Both dishes were excellent, with Alan raving about the Swiss Mac and cheese (and still doing it today!). There weren’t many other guests eating inside, so we got a lot of good attention.
It was time to decide if we were ascending to see the Matterhorn, which was one of the reasons we went to Zermatt. The lingering specter of another bout with altitude sickness was hanging there.
The options to go up were by train or cable car. Alan would have preferred to go by cable car and Joyce was not sure she wanted to go at all. We had heard good things about both in our pre-trip research. We stopped at the Gornergrabahn station for information and were told it was too late on the day to take the cable car (though Alan saw several cable cars operating while we were going both up and on the way back!).
With the decision made for us concerning how to travel, Joyce decided to go. So we bought our reduced-price (Swiss Travel Pass to the rescue!) tickets for the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn train. She can’t say the ride up was comfortable, but she is glad she decided to go.
The Matterhorn could be seen along the way except for very top, which was in the clouds. The view from the top was almost indescribable. We will let the pictures speak for us.
Joyce was equally impressed with the snow covered peaks and glaciers surrounding the Matterhorn. It was windy and cool, the temperature 46 degrees Fahrenheit. We stayed outside as much as we could, and walked slowly and breathed deeply. We visited a small church at the top, did a little shopping, saw the world’s biggest chocolate Matterhorn at 4478 grams, and found a key chain for our Christmas tree, and then headed on the train back down to Zermatt. The views on the way down were just as spectacular!
Back in Zermatt, we walked down the main street of the town filled with restaurants with outdoor seating, colorful flags, window boxes overflowing with colorful flowers, and of course, tourist shops. We toured the Matterhorn Museum and saw what life was like over time, and as the Matterhorn was first scaled by humans. The museum even included the rope that broke and killed 4 of the first seven men who made that climb in 1865. The museum is below the current grade level of Zermatt, but was at the same level as has been excavated to 2-300 years ago.
We then visited St Mauritius, the oldest church in Zermatt, dated to the 13th century. The current church building, with its soaring spire, was built in 1913. The stunning and surprising painting on the ceiling of the central nave, Noah’s Ark, was added in 1980.
After our walk, Alan wanted to visit the mini spa. Joyce thought she packed her swimsuit, but couldn’t find it, so Alan enjoyed the hot tub for one, though he did stub his toe and had a bit of blood to deal with before he could!
We were both were only a little hungry, so decided on a sampler of 3 cheeses served raclette-style down at Restaurant Theodore’s Stuba Zermatt in the hotel (though Alan was very tempted to get the mac and cheeses again!). Raclette-style is putting a block of cheese against a hot stone, slicing the melted cheese onto a plate, served with bread, potatoes, pickle & pickled onions, and/or air-dried meat. Joyce saw dark chocolate fondue on the menu and wanted to taste it and Alan chose Apfelkuchen, a type of apple pie. The dark chocolate fondue was served with fruit – apples, strawberries, pear, melon, pineapple, blueberries, bananas. Again, we were certain to not waste a single drop!
Fully satisfied, we returned to the room to work on pictures, blog and enjoy a little down time. Tomorrow we take the Glacier Express train toward Zurich to join the Viking cruise tour for the next part of our journey. The train doesn’t leave until a little before 10 am, so we can sleep in a little. Breakfast is included with our room so we will enjoy that as well.
About Zermatt
When most people think of Zermatt, they think of one thing: The Matterhorn. This ultimate Swiss icon looms over Zermatt, first drawing visitors here in the 1860s. The village of Zermatt itself is lovely and car-free, with old-fashioned brown chalets and winding alleys. (Don’t worry, you don’t have to walk everywhere—there are electric vehicles and horse-drawn cabs.) Skiing in the region often lasts through early summer, but when the weather’s warmer, it’s a great time to hike.
