Home -> Europe -> Switzerland -> Travelogue 2000 -> Wednesday 4 October

To Zermatt and the subterranean lake of St. Leonard

Täsch At last! Today we will finally go into the mountains. Early in the morning we sit in our car to drive to Täsch, the most southern point of the Mattertal, coming from Visp. In Täsch we park our car and buy a train ticket to Zermatt. Although cars are not permitted into Zermatt there is a road, but that's only for V.I.P.'s and construction traffic.
Täsch Täsch And constructing is what they have been doing over the last years in Zermatt. The once small village now looks like a tourist city and the construction of new hotels is still going on.
Zermatt The train moans and groans and it is too bad that many parts have been insulated from the steep cliffs (oh, Elisabeth doesn't agree with that...). After a trip of 20 minutes we arrive at Zermatt where the sun is shining brightly and the temperature is a pleasant 20°C or probably even more.
The Matterhorn Twenty years ago, Teije has been in the village Zermatt, but it has grown incredibly and is still being expanded. It takes us more than 30 minutes to finally get a view on the Matterhorn, the most well-known mountain top of Switzerland, next to the Eiger.
The Matterhorn The Matterhorn We walk and walk and don't seem to get any closer. The chairlift here is functioning normally, but we decide not to take it today (by the way: Elisabeth is frightened by it somewhat, but that will change one day!)
Zermatt The picture to the right is not made by us, but 'stolen' from the internet. We didn't come that close, but we made some nice walks in the neighbourhood.
When the day progresses we have to take more and more clothes off, it is getting real hot. Soon we search for a pub where we can sit outsideto quench our thirst and combine it with a pleasant view on the Matterhorn. But it isn't really quiet with all the construction traffic going on and off and machinery busy to drag away stones and heavy glacier-rocks.
The caves of St. Leonard At the end of the day we are just in time to take the last visit to the subterranean caves in St. Leonard. It is difficult to take a nice picture there, so we scanned this postcard. You should visit it when you are in the neighbourhood. It is a magnificent and long cave. After a short walk we step into a boat for a trip of 30 minutes over the subterranean lake. For us this is a nice conclusion of this short trip to Switzerland.
Our apartement building at Veysonnaz Our apartement building at Veysonnaz The sun is just going down when we return at the apartment. Here two pictures of the front side of the building. In the distance you should be able to see one of us standing on the balcony.
Sunset in Veysonnaz From our balcony we have a magnificent view on the valley and the sun disappearing behind the mountains.
Teije on the balcony Elisabeth on the balcony We just have a short time left to sit in the sun, before it disappears after which it cools down quickly. Then we flee inside and enjoy the warmth of this Swiss cottage for the last night.
We haven't told much about the gorgeous routes we took today, but you can believe us, it is really wothwhile to drive around here. The trip by car has been as nice as the visits to Zermatt and the caves of St. Leonard. But it is hard to describe the sceneries here, without getting too much poetic...
Go to the previous day Go to the next day
© Teije and Elisabeth 2000 - 2012
Travel through Europe and Africa

with Elisabeth and Teije