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Car Hire in Zermatt
Zermatt
In the extreme south of the country, close to the Italian border, Zermatt lies beneath the Matterhorn, which can change colour as the day progresses, providing of course it is not hidden from view by cloud. The reason for Zermatt's popularity is its hiking activities in the summer, and it skiing facilities in the winter.
Traffic free, the only vehicles to be met are electric buggies that the locals use to dodge around the town. With 73 lifts of various sorts, Zermatt is a world leader of well equipped ski centres. It claims the longest ski run in Europe and has more summer ski trails than all the other alpine resorts. Ski boots and boards plus equipment is widely available to rent as is climbing tuition and, of course, the gear.
Although not really suitable for the beginner, it does appeal to both intermediate standard and expert skiers. This resort can and does provide the sport they need. In addition, one will find snow boarding, snow shoeing, winter hiking, ice climbing, curling, ice skating, tennis, squash, bowling and sleigh rides within the town. This can make it an ideal centre for even those who are non-skiers. During the summer months, the tennis, swimming and indoor golf are retained, together with hiking and mountain bike riding. These can vary between the more gentle hikes and rides on the valley floor, to the much more difficult and energetic in the glaciers and high mountains. All the trails are well marked and maintained but a proper topographic map is essential to study before departure.
The picturesque village is a ‘must visit' destination at whatever time of year. The scenery is beautiful with the village being about a mile long and a mixture of traditional style chalets and more modern stores in its centre. There is a small alpine museum, an open-air cinema and, as mentioned earlier, many of the lifts are open to get you up into the surrounding countryside.