Welcome to Zermatt!
Zermatt is one of the most famous mountain resorts in Switzerland. Located in the German-speaking part of Valais its most popular sight is the iconic Matterhorn peak, probably Switzerland's most famous mountain. It comes at no surprise then that the town of Zermatt caters mostly to skiing, hiking, and mountaineering. Though its fame has also a downside, the town is busier and much more expensive than other destinations in the region.
Zermatt is a municipality in the district of Visp in the German-speaking section of the canton of Valais in Switzerland. It has a year-round population of about 5,800 and is classified as a town by the Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO).
It lies at the upper end of Mattertal at an elevation of 1,620 m (5,310 ft), at the foot of Switzerland's highest peaks. It lies about 10 km (6.2 mi) from the over 3,292 m (10,801 ft) high Theodul Pass bordering Italy. Zermatt is the southernmost commune of the German Sprachraum.
Zermatt is famed as a mountaineering and ski resort in the Swiss Alps. Until the mid-19th century, it was predominantly an agricultural community, the first and tragic ascent of the Matterhorn in 1865 was followed by a rush on the mountains surrounding the village, leading to the construction of many tourist facilities. The year-round population (as of December 2020) is 5,820, though there may be several times as many tourists in Zermatt at any one time. Much of the local economy is based on tourism, with about half of the jobs in town in hotels or restaurants, and just under half of all apartments are vacation apartments. Just over one-third of the permanent population was born in the town, while another third moved to Zermatt from outside Switzerland.