The Alphubel (4,206 m, 13,799 ft) is a mountain of the Swiss Pennine Alps , located between the valleys of Zermatt and Saas in the canton of Valais . It is part of the Allalin Group, a subgroup of the Mischabel Group, which culminates at the Dom (4,545 m, 14,911 ft). The summit of the Alphubel consists of a large ice-covered plateau, part of the Fee Glacier on its east side. The west side of the mountain is more rocky and much steeper. It overlooks the Weingartensee .
50-665: The nearest settlements are Täsch (north of Zermatt ) and Saas-Fee . North of the Alphubel is the higher Täschhorn , the southernmost top of the Mischabel, from which it is separated by the saddle of Mischabeljoch (3,847 m, 12,621 ft), while the ridge to the south is less prominent running via the Alphubeljoch (3,771 m, 12,372 ft) to the Feechopf (3,888 m, 12,756 ft) and Allalinhorn . While
100-538: A subarctic climate ( Köppen climate classification : Dfc ). Summertime is cool in Zermatt, with mild days and cool nights, while winter is cold and snowy, with highs around freezing and annual snowfall averaging 128 inches (325 cm). The village was "discovered" by mid-nineteenth-century British mountaineers, most notably Edward Whymper , whose summit of the Matterhorn made the village famous. The Matterhorn
150-560: A distance of around 180 km from Zermatt, and Milan Linate ( LIN ), almost 255 km away. Zermatt is known throughout the world for its skiing, especially Triftji for its moguls. The high altitude results in consistent skiing continuously throughout the summer. Skiing in Zermatt is split up into four areas: Sunnegga, Gornergrat, Klein Matterhorn and Schwarzsee. There is also a connection to Cervinia and Valtournenche in Italy through
200-478: A permit which allows residents to drive and park at the northern outskirts and for the permission to bring combustion-engine vehicles in to the town such as construction vehicles. Emergency and municipal vehicles, (fire trucks, ambulances, police etc.) generally use combustion engines, although even some of these are non-combustion (garbage trucks, etc.). Passenger vehicles operating within Zermatt include small electric shuttles provided by hotels to carry visitors from
250-411: A rate of 0.54%. The birth rate in the municipality, in 2013, was 9.5 while the death rate was 4.9 per thousand residents. Most of the population (as of 2000 ) speaks German (4,093 or 68.4%) as their first language, Portuguese is the second most common (719 or 12.0%) and Italian is the third (474 or 7.9%). There are 226 people who speak French and 1 person who speaks Romansh . As of 2008 ,
300-685: A small alpine museum. Zermatt is marketed as an all-year skiing resort, with summer skiing limited to the Theodul Glacier behind the Klein Matterhorn. Whilst strictly true, during the off season in May and June there will tend to be only one or two runs open, and the main glacier area does not open until July. In operation since 25 October 2003, the Furggsattel six-seater chairlift has twelve (of eighteen) masts that stand directly on
350-432: A total of 2,167 apartments (52.1% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 1,890 apartments (45.4%) were seasonally occupied and 103 apartments (2.5%) were empty. Of the 977 inhabited buildings in the municipality, in 2000, about 22.8% were single family homes and 45.5% were multiple family buildings. Additionally, about 10.8% of the buildings were built before 1919, while 14.4% were built between 1991 and 2000. In 2012
400-547: A town or not; it now also depends on its character. Currently, FSO considers 162 municipalities as towns/cities ( German : Statistische Städte , French : Villes statistiques ) in Switzerland. Further, some municipalities which would fulfill such a definition nevertheless prefer to understand themselves still as a village, or consequently refer to themselves just as municipalities ( German : Gemeinde , French : commune , Italian : comune ). The Swiss definition of
450-559: Is Lake Weingarten ( Weingartensee ). The entire eastern flank is taken up by the Fee Glacier , one of the larger glaciers of the region, which extends over several square kilometres and still almost reaches the valley basin near Saas-Fee. The Alphubel Glacier, the smallest glacier on the summit, lies in the south-west. The first ascent of the mountain was by Leslie Stephen and T. W. Hinchliff with guides Melchior Anderegg and Peter Perren on 9 August 1860, starting at Täsch and via
500-624: 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
550-506: Is a list of towns and cities in Switzerland . Until 2014 municipalities with more than 10,000 inhabitants were considered to be towns ( German : Stadt/Städte , French : ville(s) , Italian : città ). Since 2014, the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) uses a new algorithm (called German : Statistische Städte 2012 , or French : Villes statistiques 2012 ) to define whether a municipality can be called
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#1732765752554600-621: Is access to Schwarzsee via a gondola to the right, a cable car that leads on to the Trockener Steg midstation (and then on to the Klein Matterhorn ); and a new gondola, opened on 18 December 2006, links Furi to Riffelberg on the Gornergrat mountain. This lift addresses one of the most persistent criticisms of Zermatt: that it is very difficult to ski the two sides of the valley without a tiresome trek through Zermatt between
650-526: Is accessed via the SunneggaExpress funicular railway , followed by a gondola to Blauherd and finally a cable car onwards to the Rothorn (3,103 m) above. The topography of the mountain and the valley tends to keep the Rothorn clear and sunny, even when Zermatt is submerged in cloud. From Blauherd there is a gondola down to Gant, and from there a connecting cablecar goes to Hohtälli. This cable car and
700-473: Is geographically small. There are three main streets which run along the banks of the Matter Vispa, and numerous cross-streets, especially around the station and the church which forms the centre of Zermatt. In general anything is at most a thirty-minute walk away. There are several "suburbs" within Zermatt. Winkelmatten/Moos, which was once a separate hamlet, lies on a hill (1,670 m [5,480 ft]) on
750-821: The Feejoch (3,826 m, 12,552 ft), Feechopf and Alphubeljoch to the summit (also WS, 4 hrs). From the west, the best known route leads from Täsch via Täschalp and the Täschhütte and from there over the Alphubel Glacier via the Alphubeljoch over the main south-south-east running ridge ( Eisnase ) to the summit. This route takes about 5 hours and is also rated WS. [REDACTED] Media related to Alphubel at Wikimedia Commons Zermatt Zermatt ( German: [tsɛʁˈmat] , Swiss Standard German: [tsɛrˈmat] )
800-809: The Gornergrat at 3,089 m (10,135 ft). Zermatt is also the western terminus for the Glacier Express rail service connecting to St. Moritz and the MGB ( Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn ). Together with eleven other towns Zermatt is a member of the community Best of the Alps . To prevent air pollution that could obscure the town's view of the Matterhorn, the entire town is a combustion-engine car-free zone. Almost all vehicles in Zermatt are battery driven and almost completely silent. Electric vehicles are allowed for local commerce. The Cantonal police can issue
850-696: The Matterhorn (4,478 m [14,692 ft]). Most of the Alpine four-thousanders are located around Zermatt or in the neighbouring valleys. Zermatt is traversed by the main river of the valley: the Matter Vispa , which rises at the glaciers at the feet of the highest peaks: the Gorner Glacier on the east side near Monte Rosa and the Zmutt Glacier on the west side between Dent d'Hérens and Dent Blanche . The town of Zermatt, while dense,
900-555: The Plateau Rosa glacier. In 2008, Zermatt hosted an "Infinity Downhill Race". The race took place on 13 and 14 December and comprised a course descending from the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise (3,800 m (12,500 ft)) and finished in Zermatt itself (1,600 m (5,200 ft)). The course was 20 kilometres (12 miles) long and featured a 2,200 metres (7,218 feet) descent. The Sunnegga Paradise
950-771: The Rotgrat , strikes westwards down to the Täsch Hut ( Täschhütte , 2,701 m, 8,862 ft), while the main, north-south, ridge and an unnamed arête running northeast are largely covered by ice. Due to its considerable height and relatively low gradient of its slopes, there are several glaciers in the summit area of the Alphubel: To the northwest and west of the summit is the Weingarten Glacier, which has now disintegrated into three ice masses, reaching down to about 3,100 m (10,200 ft) in front of which
1000-512: The main train station (or the taxi transfer point just outside town) to the hotel properties, "electro" taxis operated by four major Zermatt families, and "electro" buses, which serve two routes: one between the major hotel areas and the stations of the various ski-lifts, and the other following a similar route but also serving the more rural "suburb" of Winkelmatten . Horse-drawn carriages can also be found; some are operated by hotels and others are available for hire. Most visitors reach Zermatt by
1050-441: The tertiary sector provided 5,807 jobs in 736 businesses. In 2013 a total of 13.7% of the population received social assistance. In 2008 the total number of full-time equivalent jobs was 4,261. The number of jobs in the primary sector was 20, all of which were in agriculture. The number of jobs in the secondary sector was 538 of which 83 or (15.4%) were in manufacturing and 385 (71.6%) were in construction. The number of jobs in
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#17327657525541100-444: The 2004/09 survey) of 242.91 km (93.79 sq mi). Of this area, about 9.4% is used for agricultural purposes, while 4.6% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 0.8% is settled (buildings or roads) and 85.2% is unproductive land. Over the past two decades (1979/85-2004/09) the amount of land that is settled has increased by 54 ha (130 acres) and the agricultural land has decreased by 160 ha (400 acres). Zermatt has
1150-797: The Gornergratbahn and the Matterhorn Express at opposite ends of the town. Testa Grigia at the top of the Theodul Pass serves as a connection to the Italian ski-resorts of Cervinia and Valtournenche. From the Swiss side it is reachable by skilift only, but from the Italian side by a chairlift and by a cablecar. In March 2019 it was announced that a new lift – the 'Alpine Crossing' – will connect Testa Grigia and Klein Matterhorn from spring 2021. There are customs offices here as well as
1200-478: The Matterhorn. The viewing area will be widened to keep tourists off the road and away from electric vehicles. The project should be complete by autumn 2019. The nearest airports that international air travellers to Zermatt can avail of from Switzerland are Sion Airport ( SIR ), which is 85 km away from the resort, Zurich Airport ( ZRH ), around 250 km away, and Geneva Airport ( GVA ), also 250 km away. Other nearby airports in Italy include Milan Malpensa ( MXP ), with
1250-453: The federal election, a total of 1,326 votes were cast, and the voter turnout was 46.0%. In the 2009 Conseil d'État/Staatsrat election a total of 1,009 votes were cast, of which 66 or about 6.5% were invalid. The voter participation was 34.4%, which is much less than the cantonal average of 54.67%. In the 2007 Swiss Council of States election a total of 1,289 votes were cast, of which 105 or about 8.1% were invalid. The voter participation
1300-541: The flat but crevassed Fee Glacier to the summit. The ascent takes 4-5 hours and is rated PD or WS ("wenig schwierig / a little difficult") on the Swiss Alpine Club 's high tour scale. Another option with Saas-Fee as the base is a high-level tour from Mittelallalin (3,457 m, 11,342 ft), which can be easily reached via the Metro Alpin funicular. From there, the ascent, partly over rock, leads via
1350-496: The glacial ice of the Theodul Glacier – a first for Switzerland. The new CHF52 million 3S Glacier Ride Cable Car from the resort to Klein Matterhorn was opened on 29 September 2018. It has an uplift capacity of 2000 people per hour and takes just 9 minutes to reach the top using 25 cabins, each with 28 seats. The Zermatt Bergbahnen's website mentions a few projects for the following years: As well as several changes to
1400-537: The hamlet of Zmutt (1,936 m [6,352 ft]), north of the creek Zmuttbach. Findeln (2,051 m [6,729 ft]) is located in the eastern valley above the creek Findelbach. It lies below the Sunnegga station (2,278 m [7,474 ft]). Located near a train station of the Gornergratbahn , Riffelalp (2,222 m [7,290 ft]) is one of the highest hamlets with a chapel. Zermatt had an area, (as of
1450-516: The local transportation network (as the "electro" buses do not have enough capacity). The results of this study are published in the December 2007 edition of Zermatt Inside . The six options explored are a coaster, a funicular, a metro, moving sidewalks, a gondola and more "electro" buses. In 2019 work started to improve access on the Kirchbrücke – one of the most popular places to photograph
1500-407: The newer 4-seat chairlift Sunnegga-Findeln-Breitboden provide connections between Sunnegga and Gornergrat. With few steep slopes, this mountain is often used to train younger skiers. The Gornergrat is served by the Gornergrat railway , a 29-minute ride to the Gornergrat peak (3,089 m), via Riffelalp, Rotenboden and Riffelberg, (with limited stops at Findelbach and Landtunnel just above Zermatt). At
1550-651: The older names of Zermatt; they appear in the ancient maps as early as the thirteenth century. The Romand -speaking people from the Aosta Valley and from the Romand-speaking part of canton Wallis (Valais) used this name until about 1860 in the form of Praborne , or Praborgne . The reason of this change from Praborno to Zermatt is attributed to the gradual replacement of the Romance -speaking people by German-speaking colony. The town of Zermatt lies at
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1600-535: 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 of 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
1650-495: The permanent population was born in the town, while another third moved to Zermatt from outside Switzerland. The name of Zermatt , as well as that of the Matterhorn itself, derives from the alpine meadows, or matten (in German ), in the valley. The name appeared first as Zur Matte ("at the meadow") and became later Zermatt. It does not appear until 1495 on a map or 1546 in a text, but may have been employed long before. Praborno or Prato Borno ( Prato also means meadow) are
1700-573: The population was 51.6% male and 48.4% female. The population was made up of 1,840 Swiss men (31.6% of the population) and 1,166 (20.0%) non-Swiss men. There were 1,837 Swiss women (31.5%) and 985 (16.9%) non-Swiss women. Of the population in the municipality, 2,214 or about 37.0% were born in Zermatt and lived there in 2000. There were 720 or 12.0% who were born in the same canton, while 774 or 12.9% were born somewhere else in Switzerland, and 2,039 or 34.1% were born outside of Switzerland. As of 2013 , children and teenagers (0–19 years old) make up 18.5% of
1750-529: The population, while adults (20–64 years old) are 69.5% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 12.0%. As of 2000 , there were 2,763 people who were single and never married in the municipality. There were 2,830 married individuals, 207 widows or widowers and 188 individuals who are divorced. As of 2000 , there were 2,441 private households in the municipality, and an average of 2.2 persons per household. There were 921 households that consist of only one person and 128 households with five or more people. In 2000 ,
1800-423: The rack-assisted railway train from the nearby town of Täsch (Zermatt shuttle). Trains also depart for Zermatt from farther down the valley at Visp and Brig , which are on the main Swiss rail network. The town also has a heliport ( ICAO : LSEZ) and a local helicopter operator, Air Zermatt , which also provides alpine rescue services. In 2007, a project group was formed to evaluate options for development of
1850-458: The rate of construction of new housing units per 1000 residents was 13.65. The vacancy rate for the municipality, in 2014 , was 0.28%. The historical population is given in the following chart: The petroglyphs and prehistoric grinding stone at Hubelwäng is listed as a Swiss heritage site of national significance . In the 2011 federal election the most popular party was the CVP with 43.7% of
1900-408: The season in late February or early March – cablecar is now permanently closed, with no replacement lift planned. A new slope leading back from Hohtälli to Kellensee just under the Gornergrat replaced this lift to maintain the link from the Rothorn to Gornergrat. Near the southern end of Zermatt, the Matterhorn Express gondola transports passengers up to the interchange station at Furi. From here there
1950-420: The slopes, and the placement of new snowmaking installations. The blazon of the municipal coat of arms is Gules a lion rampant Or langued of the first on a trimount Vert between two mullets of five Argent in chief. Zermatt has a population (as of December 2020 ) of 5,820. As of 2013 , 39.0% of the population are resident foreign nationals. Over the last 3 years (2010-2013) the population has changed at
2000-494: The south-east ridge and the Alphubeljoch. The morphology of the Alphubel and its proximity to the Saas-Fee funicular make the Alphubel one of the comparatively easier four-thousanders of the Swiss Alps to climb. Nevertheless, all the ascents have the character of a high mountain tour with all the typical dangers of such a tour. The normal route leads from Berghaus Längflue (2,867 m, 9,406 ft) above Saas-Fee over
2050-748: The southern end of the Matter Valley (German: Mattertal ), which is one of the lateral branches of the grand Valley of the Rhône . Zermatt is almost completely surrounded by the high mountains of the Pennine Alps including Monte Rosa (specifically its tallest peak, named Dufourspitze ), Switzerland's highest peak at 4,634 metres (15,203 ft) above sea level . It is followed by the Dom (4,545 m [14,911 ft]), Liskamm (4,527 m [14,852 ft]), Weisshorn (4,505 m [14,780 ft]) and
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2100-476: The southern side. Steinmatten is located on the eastern bank of the main river. Many hamlets are located in the valleys above Zermatt, however they are not usually inhabited all year round. Zum See (1,766 m [5,794 ft]) lies south of Zermatt on the west bank of the Gorner gorge, near Furi where a cable car station is located (1,867 m [6,125 ft]). On the side of Zmutt valley (west of Zermatt) lies
2150-478: The summit, the hotel and restaurant have been refurbished and accommodate a shopping centre. Riffelalp station is linked to Riffelalp Resort by a short tramway line named Riffelalptram . A cable car heads up from Hohtälli to the Rote Nase (3,247 m). This final lift serves a freeride area but can be unreliable as this mountainside requires good snow cover to be skiable. The lifts in this area generally open for
2200-467: The terrain drops steeply into the Mattertal valley to the west, the east side is flat and, compared to its neighbours, almost smooth. The characteristically flat summit of the Alphubel is mostly covered with firn and has, in addition to the main summit, a northern top of 4,188 m (13,740 ft), which barely rises above the flat summit area. From the Alphubel a prominent, ice-free, rocky arête ,
2250-574: The tertiary sector was 3,703. In the tertiary sector, 531 or 14.3% were in wholesale or retail sales or the repair of motor vehicles, 477 or 12.9% were in the movement and storage of goods, 2,178 or 58.8% were in a hotel or restaurant, 38 or 1.0% were in the information industry, 54 or 1.5% were the insurance or financial industry, 116 or 3.1% were technical professionals or scientists, 56 or 1.5% were in education and 87 or 2.3% were in health care. List of cities in Switzerland Below
2300-403: 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
2350-553: The vote. The next three most popular parties were the SVP (33.3%), the FDP (14.1%) and the SP (4.1%). In the federal election, a total of 1378 votes were cast, and the voter turnout was 48.1%. In the 2007 federal election the most popular party was the CVP which received 68.98% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SVP (19.61%), the SP (6.3%) and the FDP (3.51%). In
2400-514: The winter and hikers in the summer; the highest of them leads to the Klein Matterhorn at 3,883 m (12,740 ft), a peak on the ridge between Breithorn and Matterhorn that offers extensive views in all directions. It is possible to cross into Italy via the Cervinia cable car station. A rack railway line (the Gornergratbahn , the highest open-air railway in Europe) runs up to the summit of
2450-400: Was 45.4%, which is much less than the cantonal average of 59.88%. About half of the jobs in Zermatt are in the hotel and restaurant industry. As of 2012 , there were a total of 6,370 people employed in the municipality. Of these, a total of 42 people worked in 19 businesses in the primary economic sector . The secondary sector employed 521 workers in 68 separate businesses. Finally,
2500-674: Was one of the last alpine mountains to be summitted (in 1865), and the first expedition that reached the top ended dramatically with only 3 of the 7 climbers surviving the descent. The story is related in the Matterhorn Museum . Zermatt is a starting point for hikes into the mountains, including the Haute Route that leads to Chamonix in France and the Patrouille des Glaciers . Cable cars and chair lifts carry skiers in
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