Our Switzerland Sightseeing Part 2 tour took us this time to the logo of Toblerone, so I mean the symbol of Switzerland, of course 🙂 

Zermatt and the Matterhorn! The weekend after Ascension – thanks to the long weekend – we headed to Valais, the beautiful, green, hilly, and cozy canton in the south of Switzerland.

Andermatt

Our first destination is Andermatt in the canton of Uri (U=R x I). I still remember it from my studies 🙂

Through the beautiful Surselva, past Ilanz and Disentis, we drive over the Oberalp Pass. This pass is part of the Glacier Express route, which is why you see many great bridges and tunnels along the way. The pass itself is relatively easy to drive and even relaxing. From Sedrun to Andermatt, you can take the car train in winter.

Once you reach the Oberalp Pass, you have the opportunity to grab a bite to eat and stretch your legs with a short walk. We do both and continue on our way refreshed.

Arriving in Andermatt, we walk through the idyllic town and take a few photos. At the chapel at the top, you have a great view of the valley and over the town.

Devil's Bridge

A highlight when you are in Andermatt is visiting the Devil's Bridge, which spans the Schöllenen Gorge. You should plan for about 30 minutes here. There is a great circular path that leads through a small pedestrian tunnel through the mountain. It feels about 20 degrees colder there than outside. Perfect!

After taking some great photos, we're heading towards Wallis.

Restaurant tip Andermatt

A good restaurant is this Hotel 3 Kings. We usually stop there on the way back and get some refreshment. The food there is very good, with fast and friendly service. If there's no parking space there, just park about 100 m further ahead at Coop.

Zermatt and the Matterhorn

The next pass is ahead of us. It's the Furka Pass. This pass is still a good 400 m higher than the Oberalp Pass, so at 2400 m above sea level, and a bit more difficult to drive, as it contains many 180° turns. From Realp, you can use the car shuttle.

The car-train is usually only worthwhile if you arrive at the station exactly at departure time. Otherwise, you'll get over the pass just as quickly, but of course, you'll see more. Since the weather is excellent today, we'd rather enjoy the view and save the train journey for the return trip.

At approximately 7,546 feet above sea level stands the Hotel Belvédère. From there, you can view the Rhone Glacier, and there is also an ice grotto you can walk into. However, we prefer to continue on after a short break.

It's only 12 degrees up here, which is great compared to the 33 degrees in the valley.

After a wonderful drive, we arrive in Zermatt. The crowds (98% Asians) are absolutely overwhelming. And this is actually the off-season. So here’s my tip: Avoid the peak season.

Zermatt is beautiful. The idyll is preserved despite the crowds, and you can even find a McDonalds...in a hut =) Furthermore, the shopping here is excellent. There are about 1000 watch shops, which makes my heart happy 🙂 But also many, many, many outdoor shops. I'll pop into the Mammut shop briefly, find nothing, and then we head off to the hotel. Great, the hotel is right in town, very central, next to the church.

Matterhorn

Why else would one go to Zermatt? The Matterhorn can be seen from many points in the town. For example, from the Kirchgasse bridge. The panorama around Zermatt is unique.

You'll get one of the best views of the Matterhorn when you ride the Gornergrat Railway. It starts right next to the train station. It's a cogwheel railway that travels from about 1700 m to over 3100 m above sea level. The journey, which lasts 45 minutes, is an adventure in itself. There are several stops on the way to the summit. With your ticket, you can get on and off anywhere. I'm staying seated and going all the way to the top.

There, instead of what you might expect, you'll find a Kulm Hotel with a shopping mall 🙂 oh... and two observatories. An absolutely special place up there. But also extremely fascinating. By the way, you don't just have a sensational Look not just the Matterhorn, but a total of 29 four-thousanders!

Here too it's about 12 degrees, but it feels more like under 10 because it's quite windy. I'm treating myself to a Graubünden water and enjoying the view and the sun.

Restaurant recommendation Zermatt

I'd also like to recommend a great restaurant for Zermatt. In the evening, we went to Restaurant Julen This is one of the top addresses in Zermatt, and as expected, the food was excellent. Delicious dishes are served in a romantic, stylish, and chic setting.

For those who want it even more rustic, they can visit the grill room in the basement.

You should definitely reserve a table there beforehand, as the place ALWAYS it is booked. Nevertheless, we also have there without Reservation, but with a lot of negotiation skills, I managed to get a small table in the middle 😉

Return trip

After an overnight stay, we saw everything in Zermatt =) No, of course not. But we're still driving back. There's one more spot we want to visit: the „Goms Bridge“ in Goms. This suspension bridge is 280 meters long and 1.40 meters wide and connects the Bellwald and Emen hiking areas.

At dizzying heights, you can take fantastic pictures of the surroundings. Below, a river flows by, about 100 meters away... ughhhhh....

By the way, the Glacier Express drives above the bridge.
I don't know if it stops there. But if it does, it's worth getting off there and walking along the bridge.

Conclusion

A great short road trip through the Alps is coming to an end. Zermatt is a magical place, reachable by the Glacier Express from Chur, but it's more scenic by car. My tip for tourists: rent a car and drive the route from Chur!