Mattertal
The Matter Valley (German: Mattertal, or sometimes Nikolaital) is located in southwestern
Rhone valley in the canton of Valais. The village of Zermatt is the most important settlement of the valley, which is surrounded by many four-thousanders, including the Matterhorn
.
Geography
Located in the
talweg
and the summits on both side reaches over 3 km. The total length of the valley is about 40 km.
Settlements
St. Niklaus follows with 2,400 inhabitants. Between them are located the smaller villages of Täsch and Randa. The villages of Grächen, Embd and Törbel are located above the valley. Stalden
, located at the end of the valley, is the lowest village (800 m).
Transport
Since the end of the nineteenth century the upper end of the valley is connected by rail from Visp (Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn). If the main road connect Zermatt from Visp, it cannot be used between Täsch and Zermatt, the latter being completely car-free.
Since 1930 the valley is directly connected to St. Moritz by the Glacier Express panoramic train.
References
- Swisstopo maps
