A few years ago, I spent a weekend in a little town of the Swiss Alps called Zermatt. Very popular among skiers and mountaineers, Zermatt is also known for the stunning Matterhorn.

Nicknamed as the Mountain of Mountains, the Matterhorn juts out from Swiss’ landscape like a clear, triangular peak. It is hard to miss this one. It also stands as a natural divide between Italy and Switzerland.

Yesterday, when I read Anita’s blog post, I was immediately transported to Zermatt. The cold Winter nights from there are still lucid in my memory. A few days before Christmas, this town was thriving with adventure enthusiasts. As the layer of snow grew taller, the temperature moved to a biting sub-zero. I recall hurrying back with my pizza box (dinner) and avoided skidding on ice through my way. This was particularly tough because of the distracting, Christmasy decorations on every window.

Zermatt seemed to have an old world charm that still keeps my memories warm from my short, semi-frozen stay. Would I go back?  Definitely, but with snow boots and a warmer pair of gloves.

Joyeux Noël everyone. May Santa bless us with free, fast Wi-Fi, more visa-free destinations, delicious wine and unlimited storage space in our gadgets!

A quaint restaurant window.
A quaint restaurant window.
The main town, aligned with bright shops.
The main town, aligned with bright shops.
The Christmas tree outside the main terminus.
The Christmas tree outside the main terminus.
A visual confirmation of the temperature.
A visual confirmation of the temperature.
Swiss chocolates anyone?
Swiss chocolates anyone?
The first light of the morning.
The first light of the morning.
And from the other side.
And from the other side.
The berry-like flowers and the well.
The berry-like flowers and the well.
Natural decorations in every corner.
Natural decorations in every corner.
Taking the Zermatt lift to Furi.
Taking the Zermatt lift to Furi.
A distant, quiet chalet.
A distant, quiet chalet.
The cloud cover clears as I see the crisp Matterhorn.
The cloud cover clears as I see the crisp Matterhorn.
Amateur skiers.
Experimenting with ski .
Open lifts for advance skiers.
Open lifts to the next level of ski, for advanced adventurers.
Can you spot Zermatt?
Can you spot Zermatt?
On my way back.
On my way back.
The Matterhorn from the town.
The Matterhorn from the town.
Celebrating Christmas.
Celebrating Christmas.
A chalet in the neighbourhood with ornaments on each pane.
A chalet in the neighbourhood with ornaments on each pane.
Baffled to see a horse carriage in the town centre!
Baffled to see a horse carriage in the town centre!

Good to know

-Zermatt is car-free. The town is very small and comfortably accessible on foot.
-The best way to reach Zermatt is by train.The final station is Bahnhofplatz.
-It is a German-speaking town.
-If you’re planning to travel to Zermatt, you can check this website for more information and tips, including the tickets to the lifts (cable car).

Read (another Christmas experience): Photo Story: Paris, France

Where is your favourite Christmas?

To see more photos from my travels Like my Facebook Page and follow me on Instagram.

Amrita Das

I have been a travel and culture independent journalist. My bylines have appeared in many publications worldwide including National Geographic Traveller India, Lonely Planet Magazine India, The Indian Express and World Travel Magazine. A fellow of Media Ambassadors India-Germany 2019 program by Robert Bosch Stiftung and Centre for Media Competence, University of Tübingen. Currently, I am the photo editor for RoundGlass Sustain, a wildlife and conservation e-publication. I live in India.

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