Zermatt and Sion
The way to Zermatt is long – almost four hours, in fact. The direct train to Visp from Geneva usually takes around two hours and a quarter, after which one usually waits for a few minutes before boarding the hour-long train to Visp. This second train is specially made for sightseeing: it has ceiling windows allowing visitors to view the mountaintops above, and more comfortable seats than intercity carriages.
The weather was not
particularly nice on my way to Zermatt this Saturday, which lessened my guilt
for spending my time reading instead of gazing out of the window. When I
arrived, the peak of the iconic Matterhorn was hidden by clouds. After checking
into my Airbnb, therefore, I made only a small excursion around the town,
buying some cheese and bread for dinner and tomorrow’s breakfast. According to
the weather forecast, the sun would more than make up for its absence today.
The weather forecast
did not lie. The sky cleared up overnight, allowing temperatures to plummet to
around -16 degrees Celsius. On the one hand, this meant that the cheese I had left
out on my windowsill turned into a brick, but on the other, it guaranteed that
the weather would indeed be sunny. Having purchased funicular tickets in
advance, I proceeded to take the transport up to Sunnegga, which stands at
2,288 metres, and then the cable car from Sunnegga to Blauherd, which reaches 2,571.
I imagine I must have made for a rather puzzling figure, as all the other
passengers were dressed up in their skiing gear, ready to hit the slopes.
Once I reached Blauherd,
it took me a moment to figure out where I was and where the tourist train began.
I eventually figured that my best bet was to find whatever path seemed like it
would be boring for a skier, which proved to be a correct judgement. Winding my
way around the frozen Stellisee to the closest mountain hut, I admired my
surroundings as the light crept into the valley from the top of the Matterhorn.
The scenery looked at once gentle and cruel, with freshly fallen snow forming smooth
round waves over boulders while painting wild streaks along jagged cliffs.
I did not spend too
long walking around Blauherd, as the panorama did not change no matter how far
I went. After taking the ski lift and the funicular back to Zermatt, I bought a
ticket back to Geneva and transferred once more at Visp. Since I still had a
lot of time, however, I decided to hop off the train at Sion, a beautiful town at
the base of two hills. Atop the northern hill stands the menacingly medieval
Tourbillon Castle, while the southern hill houses the fortified Basilique de
Valère. Navigating with Google Maps, I climbed up to the western vineyards,
from which the panorama can be seen in full.
My final stop for the
day was Montreux, where I met with a few work colleagues for the city’s famous
Christmas Market. I had previously only passed through Montreux, and I was
surprised by its luxurious architecture and inspiring mountain scenery, both of
which bespeak its long history as a resort town. The Christmas Market itself was
sprawling but crawling with people, and it was near-impossible to find food
without having to wait in line for absurd lengths.
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