Zermatt

Another great day skiing and exploring the slopes. We started the morning in Gornergrat and then made our way over to Sunnegga. At the end of the day, we took the ski-out into the village. I am always a little nervous about ski-outs because sometimes they are flat and dull in places. However, this one turned out to be one of my favourite runs of the day.

There are approximately 5800 residents in Zermatt, primarily working in the tourism industry, but during prime ski season, there are easily two to three times as many tourists. To keep the air pollution-free and preserve the lucrative view of the Matterhorn, there are very few vehicles, all of which are electric save for a few emergency vehicles and some busses. Even the police car is electric. The quiet traffic, quaint architecture and village atmosphere make Zermatt appear to be frozen in time. Great for business!

There are three main streets in the village, including this one. This photo was taken at the end of the ski day when the street was busy with people who were enjoying après-ski socializing or shopping. In Europe, it is quite common for skiers to stop for a drink or two before heading to their hotels to change out of their ski clothes. To make it easy, there is a convenient place outside along the wall to leave skis. Today, after changing into our street clothes, we popped in at fuchs for some handmade Swiss chocolate. The restaurant across the street from the chocolatier was hopping with après-ski activity.

Our hotel is on this street between the bridge across the glacial stream that runs through the town and the church. The location is very convenient, as the bus to the gondolas stops right outside the hotel entrance. This evening we had another fabulous Swiss dinner at the hotel restaurant, which is one of the top-rated in a town full of superb dining.