4 Best things to see & do in Zermatt

Europe’s most popular tourist train never leaves the mountains of the Valais and Graubunden in Switzerland, yet it passes through an astonishing variety of landscapes: snow-covered peaks that dwarf the train, the broad Goms Valley, desolate moors above Andermatt, the limestone cliffs of the Rhine gorge, and the breathtaking climb to the Albula Pass through spiral tunnels and horseshoe curves.

The narrow-gauge train carriages have panoramic windows and headphone commentary.

Straddling the border between Switzerland and Italy, the Matterhorn is one of Europe’s highest, most recognisable and perhaps most beautiful mountains.

Its iconic jagged tooth form, a near-symmetrical pyramid peak, rears to 4,478 metres, dwarfing the surrounding Alpine range.

First summitted in 1865, it’s attracted mountaineers ever since. However, over 500 mountaineers have died trying to scale it – making it also one of the most deadly mountains in the world.

Opened in 1898, this is one of the highest cog railways in Europe and makes its way from the centre of Zermatt to the top of Mount Gornergrat, site of a former observatory, at 3,089m.

The 9km route offers heart-stopping views over the lower reaches of the Gorner Glacier and across to the Matterhorn. There are a number of stops on the way, and at the mountain top is a hotel, shopping arcade and two restaurants.

This subterranean icy wonderland has been carved out of the ice, 15 metres below the surface of the glacier at the top station of Klein Matterhorn.

A lift takes you down to the entrance, where you walk into the palace through an ice tunnel. There you enter a surreal world of painstakingly created ice sculptures, ice wall carvings and centuries-old ice formations. It’s a heady experience for the senses. There are seating areas strewn with animal hides where visitors can pause to take in the enchanting surroundings. It’s also possible to walk through a natural crevasse on the tour.

New creations are sculpted by artists every year – so even if you have been to the palace before, a re-visit is always worthwhile.