Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn Train, Switzerland
Matterhorn Gottard Bahn train links the lowlands of Switzerland with the ski resort of Zermatt high in the Swiss Alps. To do this the train uses a cog wheel in the middle of the standard gauge railway line to climb the steep inclines as it winds itself up the mountain side.
As someone with a fear of heights, this particular journey can be bit nerving as there are one or two high spots on the journey as the train ascends from 620m at Visp to 1620m at Zermatt. Having said that, the journey is extremely picturesque and the trains on the hour long journey are extremely comfortable and modern with excellent viewing via very large windows.
Prices from Visp to Zermatt are exceptionally reasonable especially if you take advantage of the Swiss half-price rail card. The ski resort of Zermatt is very beautiful and highly popular with tourists, as well as being the best place to get a good view of the Matterhorn which sits high above the town.
For those wanting to go further, there is a secondary cog railway from Zermatt (1620m) to the high altitude stop of Gornergrat (3039m) which offers even better views of the Matterhorn on a clear day.
Both journeys are highly recommended for the avid train goer.
This entry was posted on Monday July 20th, 2009 at 4:00 PM and is filed under Things to do. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response.
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