Zermatt, a village voted best ski area in the world for 2019
Staff Writer |
100 million years ago, enormous forces brought Africa closer to Europe. 50 million years later, as the rock masses folded and deformed, the Matterhorn was born from the rock thrusting upwards.
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There is no better-known mountain in the world whose natural shape is so close to a pyramid. The Matterhorn is the king of mountains. It straddles the Swiss-Italian border, and with its distinct pyramidal peak it become a Switzerland's icon and the most-photographed mountain in the world.
Every year it continues to claim the lives of several of the 2,000 people brave enough to climb it each summer.
But this glacier paradise is able to be reached by a cableway, with a viewing platform and the highest glacier palace in the world.
The cabin’s interior comes from the Italian design firm, Pininfarina, known around the world for its designs for Maserati and Ferrari.
Four of the cabins have added glamour, studded with thousands of Swarovski crystals, are a special attraction of the Matterhorn glacier ride.
During the journey, the crystal ride cabins reveal something truly amazing: three minutes into the ride, 170 metres into the air, the opaque glass floors clear in seconds, showing a spectacular view of the glacier landscape.
Snow-Online has once again selected the crème de la crème of winter sports – the ten best ski resorts in the world for the 2018/2019 winter season.
The experts looked at over 250 ski resorts and tested them in ten categories and - Zermatt wins the title.
The location of Zermatt at the foot of the majestic Matterhorn and in the middle of an enormous hiking and ski region makes it one of the world's most attractive vacation villages. (Its breathtaking surroundings comes at a price: acommodation in Zermatt is among the most expensive in Switzerland.)
Zermatt is a small village. There are three main streets which run along the banks of the river Vispa, and numerous cross-streets, especially around the station and the church which forms the center of the village.
Zermatt is car-free. Private cars can only drive as far as Täsch. The last 7 km must be travelled by train, taxi or helicopter.
Though tiny Zermatt has more hotels than most big cities. There are 126 hotels and over 2700 apartments to rent for holidays.
From there you may ski across the Italian border for lunch, followed by afternoon runs in Cervinia, then ski back to Zermatt in time for fondue.
Zermatt is all about snow sports - 365 days a year. As of the autumn and throughout the winter, up to three quarters of the ski runs and pistes can be provided with snow or lie ahead of glacier’s ground.
For those looking to relax leave the death defying Matterhorn hike to the crazies and enjoy views of the iconic peak from the comfort of Zermatt. ■