Alo and I took the train from Venice to Milan and then picked up our rental car and were on our way to Switzerland! I had heard from many people how beautiful the country is, especially my Aunt who had traveled there years ago, but it wasn't until we were there that I could truely understand how stunning it is. The views of the Alps and the countryside are just absolutely jaw dropping. I've never in my life seen anything like these mountains. It makes all the other mountains I've seen look like hills :)
Our first stop in Switzerland was Zermatt, the small town located at the foot of the famous Matterhorn. The Matterhorn's summit is 14,690 ft high, making it one of the highest peaks in the Alps. We stayed at Alpen Lodge up on the hill and just LOVED it! The lodge had a perfect view of the entire town and the Matterhorn. At night it got so cold because we were at such a high altitude and we were visiting in late August. I can't even imagine what winters there feel like! The quaint town is so charming and cozy. No cars are allowed so when you visit you must use the train and leave your car at the Tash station about 20 minutes away.
A must DO if you go to Zermatt is to take cable car up to Glacier Paradise. The views on the way up are just amazing and getting to experience the snow capped Alps while being so close to the top of the Matterhorn is a once in a lifetime thing (unless you plan to hike up there yourself and are an experienced hiker!). They also offer year round skiing due to the high altitudes which is pretty cool if you are a ski enthusiast. Alo and I hiked down for about 3 hours after we went to the top of the mountain and then took the cable car the rest of the way down. Being so close to the Matterhorn peak and seeing it's incredibly steep rocky northern face makes it so hard to believe hikers actually attempt such a dangerous summit. In the town of Zermatt at a small church there are graves surrounding it of those who have died attempting to summit the Matterhorn and their stories etched into their gravestones.
The whole experience for us was just so great. We have SO many gorgeous pictures that trying to pick some to share in the blog was quite challenging. We have traveled to many different places and this one is at the top of our list for sure!
In the cable car heading up the mountain...
Hiking down the mountain - some of the views...also the big peak in all these pictures is the Matterhorn in case you didn't already know!
<3
If you look closely you can see the town of Zermatt at the foot of the mountains...
Sunrise at the Matterhorn
The glaciers were massive!
I found Santa's sleigh in August!
Fondue for dinner...Switzerland = perfect excuse for cheese at every meal!
Can you read the restaurant's name? Cafe Du Pont - who knew DC opened one up in Zermatt?
The photo below was at the Brown Cow Pub - highly recommend - HUGE cheeseburgers and great atmosphere and affordable prices compared to alot of the fine dining. Can you tell how happy we were to have a great burger?! (they don't really exist in Tunisia)
Until next time...farewell Zermatt - can't wait to see you again someday!
Next stop - Luzern!
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