[The following post is from the archives of my In Search Of Incredible blog, originally published on 17 May 2015]
1 November 2014, Saturday
It’s a new month, and we’re off to a new country – Switzerland! After the underwhelming Milan, we couldn’t be more excited than to leave the drab city behind and to head over to the mountainside for some fresh air and beautiful scenery.
For our cross border journey, we took the 8:25am EuroCity 32 train. The train was operated by SBB, the Swiss Federal Railways, and our tickets cost CHF 71.00 each, which came up to about S$95.00. The whole ride would take 3 hours 48 minutes and we would arrive at Zermatt at 12:13pm. Along the way, we would have to change a train at a small Swiss town called Brig.
From our apartment, we walked to Milano Centrale train station, a huge, white monolith. I thought it was quite impressive but mum didn’t like it much. After checking and making sure that there was no delay in the train departure, we settled down at McDonald’s for breakfast before boarding.
As usual, the train ride was smooth and pleasurable. When we arrived at Brig, we carried our luggage and walked to the other Brig Bahnhofplatz platform, which was about 7 minutes away. From there, we caught the Regio 299 train to Zermatt. Regio trains connect local towns.
We only realised we were in Switzerland moments after we alighted and stood at the Brig Bahnhofplatz platform. It felt weird because there was no checking of passports and no immigration counters to clear. We had just crossed over to another country unknowingly. Almost immediately, the air felt fresher and our spirits lifted considerably already.
We departed Brig at 10:52am. The train was supposed to take us all the way to Zermatt, but as there were major repair works taking place at a certain stretch of the railway, we had to alight at one of the stops to catch a shuttle bus to bypass the affected stretch, before hopping on to the train again to take us to Zermatt. As a result, there was a slight delay and we arrived at Zermatt at about 12:25pm.
The journey to Zermatt was very scenic and we passed by towns with their pretty little houses, green fields and hills covered with coniferous trees. It was a total contrast to Italy, which was full of people and buildings, and bustling with activity. Here in Switzerland, nature took centre stage and the pace of life was much slower.
After exiting the train station, we orientated ourselves and tried to locate our Airbnb apartment. It was actually only about 5 minutes walk from the train station, but we missed the turn and overshot a little. The apartment was located in a tiny street off the main road and we found it after a short while. However, we were in great spirits so the little detour did not hamper us.
Airbnb apartment
Address: 18 Brantschenhaus, Zermatt, VS 3920
Host: John Biner
Cost: S$422 for 2 nights, for 3 pax
We fell in love with the apartment as soon as we stepped in. It was wonderfully furnished, spotlessly clean, comfortably spacious, and best of all, very homely. It felt like a real home that we could envision living there for real. The quality of the kitchenware (the plates, utensils) was very good and the kitchen was very well-equipped. There was even an oven. The bathroom was well-designed, with doors for the bath tub so that water would not splash onto the floor.
My extra bed in the living room was a real surprise because it was concealed in a wardrobe. Just pull it down and a full-size bed magically appears – what a great space-saving idea. There was also a balcony where we could chill out and enjoy a cup of hot coffee, but on this day, it was too cold to do so. Overall, we were very satisfied with the apartment, and I give it a score of 10/10. It was mum and dad’s favourite Airbnb apartment for the entire trip.
We didn’t have anything planned for the day, so we took our time to explore at our own pace. Zermatt is real tiny, with just one main street – Bahnhofstrasse – running through the town. The population is only about 5,800. The most striking feature of Zermatt is that there are no cars at all, having been banned since 1961. Only small electric-powered taxis are allowed to ply the streets. The idea is to keep Zermatt as pollution-free as possible, so as to preserve the fresh Alpine air and to have a better quality of life. In any case, the town is so small so everywhere is accessible by foot.
The first order of the day was lunch. We found a restaurant that was packed with people sitting outdoors and enjoying the warm sunshine, so we figured it should be not too bad. We chose a seat indoors. We ordered rosti and risotto, with a glass of red wine each. Rosti is the national dish of Switzerland and I absolutely love it. To the uninitiated, rosti is made of coarsely grated potato fried with oil or butter to a golden crisp. It can be eaten plain, or served with toppings like egg, bacon or sausages. I always order the dish when I visit Marché restaurant in Singapore, but nothing beats the rosti in Switzerland.
It was a very good lunch. We were totally relaxed, sipping the red wine and enjoying our food. The rosti and risotto were superb. We were not in a hurry to go anywhere or check out any famous landmarks. It was nice to just unwind with no agenda.
After satisfying our stomachs, we explored Zermatt, on foot of course. As we headed south, the image of the Matterhorn appeared larger. Zermatt is the gateway to the Matterhorn, an Alpine mountain sitting on the border of Italy and Switzerland. It is famous for its near-symmetrical pyramidal peak, which stands at 4,478m tall. The Matterhorn is believed to be the inspiration for the Toblerone chocolate logo.
Most tourists come to Zermatt to ski in winter. However, we were not there to ski, but simply to admire the scenery and nature. As we visited during the shoulder period (between summer and winter), the official ski season had not commenced yet, so Zermatt was relatively quiet during this time. Some of the shops were not open. The view of the Matterhorn framed by the blue skies, green trees and flowing river was simply stunning. We walked to the end of the town, where the cable car station to the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise was located, before turning back.
For dinner, instead of having another (expensive) meal in the restaurant, we bought some pastry buns from a confectionary and headed back to our apartment and ate them, together with home-made coffee, courtesy of our Old Town 3-in-1 instant coffee that we brought from Singapore. It was simple, but satisfying.
We did not do a whole lot that day, but it was one of the most enjoyable days of the trip. After seven days of intensive walking and landmark chasing in Italy, it was time to rest our feet and unwind, and we loved it. You wouldn’t typically visit Zermatt if you’re not there to ski, but I would say it is still worth a visit. Just take things slow and enjoy the fresh mountain air!
