The Magnificient Matterhorn

Oh, the occasional perks of being a participant in a brand-new study abroad program! The Graduate Institute in Geneva decided to take the 10 of us Korbel in Geneva students on an excursion to a classic location in Switzerland. We had three options to choose from, and the majority of us picked a day-trip to Zermatt, so away we went!

Not all of us were able to go on the same day, so four of us went on Saturday, 16 October, and the rest will go in early November. WOW. We had an absolutely perfect day!! Although the train ride from Geneva to Zermatt is slightly less than four hours, it went by very quickly, both coming and going. 

Once we arrived in Zermatt, we were met by one of the Graduate Institute's liaisons for our exchange program, Eliane, who also happens to be from Zermatt originally and has a home there currently. Eliane was a fantastic tour guide and was very gracious in showing us around the town and hillsides of Zermatt. In addition, since the weather was absolutely perfect (seriously- not a single cloud in the sky all day and about 65ºF!), we had breathtaking views of the Matterhorn all day long. It was difficult not to take a photo every five paces; the scenery inspired 'ooohs' and 'ahhhhs' from me all day long.

 

 

Just after we arrived, we walked to a different station to ride the funicular up the hill through the underground tunnel to Sunnegga, where we had coffee and sat on the terrace and soaked up the views and the sunshine. It was a gorgeous way to start the morning.

Here we are, hanging out with Wooli, the mascot sheep of Zermatt. :)

What's up, Wolli?!

 

After our coffee, we began our hike down the hillside. We walked for about half an hour, past a beautiful small alpine lake that perfectly reflected the mountain, and then down and around the valley. We reached a tiny 'village' of sorts (one small and very old church and a few privately-owned wooden lodges) and enjoyed an amazing lunch of escargots, Röschti (a traditional Swiss dish that is basically hash browns, but cooked with amazing things on the side of the dish or in the dish. Our Röschti that day had fresh chanterelle mushrooms in a cream sauce- AMAZING), and wonderful white wine from the region, followed by dessert and coffee. Eliane and the Graduate Institute definitely spoiled us with that meal! It was a meal to remember, especially given the stunning views and sunny weather we enjoyed while eating it.

After lunch, we continued our hike down the valley and back into Zermatt and ended our day together with a visit to the Matterhorn Museum, which tells the history of the first ascent of the Matternhorn (150 years ago) and describes the lives of the Swiss people who live and thrive in the Alps, both hundreds of years ago and today. It was an excellent museum with lots of interactive exhibits and great artifacts and photos; I'm very glad we made the visit.

The four of us parted ways with Eliane in the evening after stopping by a local shop to pick up postcards and souvenirs four ourselves and our friends and families. Before the four of us Korbelians hopped on the train back to Geneva, though, we stopped by the grocery store and stocked up on snacks and wine and had a picnic in a little plaza. Thus began the most awesome and wine-fueled four-hour train ride I have ever experienced. It's always great times with the Korbel Crew, I must say!

I'm immensely glad that we had such a perfect day of sunshine and warm weather for our trip to Zermatt. The Matterhorn is as stunning of a solitary mountain peak as I have ever seen, very much on par with the likes of Mount Rainier in Washington and Mount Hood in Oregon. What a pleasure to experience a day of mountain life in the south-eastern Swiss Alps! I highly recommend a fall visit to this beautiful part of the country and of the world.