Switzerland – August 2021

For Christmas 2020 my family came up with a new idea for presents. Everyone thought about an event or trip a the five of us could do or go on together. During the next 12 months we would then try to conduct as many of them as possible. This story is about the trip my mom wanted to take us on: A weekend in Zermatt. For those who don’t know, Zermatt is home to the world famous Matterhorn (AKA Toblerone mountain). In August 2021 it’s finally time. We all pack our bags and hop into our car on a gloomy Friday morning.

We spend the 4-hour drive catching up about new jobs and vacation plans and admiring the beautiful scenery the mountain passes have to offer. Arriving in Täsch, we park the car and hop on the shuttle train to Zermatt. The village is car free and only accessible by train, bike, helicopter or foot. My mom has many plans for our short stay and so we quickly check into our hotel “Chesa Valese” and drop off our bags in the big suite with gorgeous views on the Matterhorn. The next stop is Gornergrat with its iconic Valais Blacknose sheep.

The train ride up the steep hills is already something else. As we take it later in the afternoon, there are only few people besides and we enjoy the views on both sides of the ridge. We get off at the top and my dad shows us all the peaks he has already climbed in the region. After a brief photo session we then get back on the train and descend to Rothenboden. Usually the cute Blacknose sheep hang out here and we definitely don’t want to miss out the chance to see them in real life. After doing a bit of looking around we find them all gathered under the railway bridge.

When they see us, a couple of them come out from their hiding spot and relentlessly start to graze and walk/jump around. Though the big males look a little intimidating with their pointy, spiraling horns, all of them are very friendly. My brother even manages to catch a selfie with one of them, before we start the short hike down to the next station called Riffelberg. Usually you’d have a great view on the Matterhorn on this trail. However, when we are there clouds cover most of its peak. From there we continue our journey to Zermatt by cable car, as the train isn’t running due to a technical issue.

Back in the village, we only have little time for an aperitif on the suite’s balcony. My mom has made a reservation at the popular restaurant “Pöstli Stübli”. All of us order a local beer to start and my dad chooses a wine to go with the main courses. On this warm summer day nobody feels like heavy cheese fondue or raclette and so we end up with a selection of their hot stone plates. After my sister spills most of her wine and my brother scatters MY dessert over the table, it’s definitely time to leave. But the night isn’t over yet. We end up at “Harry’s Skibar” and join the ecstatic bartender singing along to German Schlager classics.

A little hungover (some of us more than others) we start our next day in Zermatt. As the weather forecast doesn’t look good for the afternoon, we leave early for our mission to find a place where we can race downhill on kick bikes. We make it to Blauherd where we first go on a short hike to a small mountain lake and befriend the local Valais Black-necked goats. Returning down to Sunnegga, we rent 5 kick bikes and first slowly and later more daringly chase down the picturesque mountain paths. Arriving in Zermatt about 40 minutes later, the adrenaline slowly wears off and makes space for the sleep deprivation we’re all suffering from. And so the rainy afternoon is spent at the hotel.

With everyone well rested, we head back out to the streets in the evening for dinner at “Grampi’s”, an Italian restaurant. Having learned our lesson from the previous night, we abstain form a nightcap and directly return to the hotel for an early night’s sleep. The next day it’s already time to say goodbye and make our way home. We only stop for a hike up to the Rhone Glacier on the Furka pass and then continue straight back to Lucerne. During the ride I once again admire the beautiful landscapes and truly understand why people think of Switzerland as a place out of a fairytale.