This does mean, however, that you’re much more likely to hear British English in the lift queues and restaurants than Swiss German, and it also means that the prices can be kept high without massive investment in the infrastructure – beware horrendous queues for the morning gondola and unmanned, unprepared drag lifts.

Having said that, the queues once you’re up are not too bad, and there’s plenty of artificial snow being pumped in the early season. And the views of the Wetterhorn and Eiger in the afternoon sun are quite special.

First is a wonderful place to go hiking in Summer. You can choose different kinds of hiking routes. The most easy one is from First to Bachalpsee. It takes about 45 minutes one way and you can see the perfect invert image of Jungfrau from Bachalpsee.

Getting there

By train, Grindelwald is reached in around half an hour from Interlaken Ost, and then from the station you’ll have either a walk or a shuttle bus to the lifts. The “Snow and Rail” tickets from the SBB include, as always, return train travel and a day’s lift pass.

From Zurich by train, you need to change in Bern and Interlaken, with a total time of around 2h50m, plus a walk or a shuttle bus to the lifts, making it a bit far (and pricey) for a day trip.
By car from Zurich, it’s a long but scenic run through Luzern and over the Brünig pass to Interlaken, and then up the Grindelwald valley, taking around 2 hours. Parking is a bit problematic in the centre of Grindelwald, you might have to use the park-and-ride car parks outside the centre.

The top can be reached with the Pilatus Railway, the world’s steepest cogwheel railway from Alpnachstad, operating from May to November (depending on snow conditions), and the whole year with the aerial panorama gondolas and aerial cableways from Kriens. Pilatus has the longest summer toboggan track in Switzerland (0.88 miles or 1.350 km) and the biggest suspension rope park in Central Switzerland.

During the summer, the “Golden Round Trip” – a popular route for tourists – involves taking a boat from Lucerne across Lake Lucerne to Alpnachstad, going up on the cogwheel railway, coming down on the aerial cableways and panorama gondolas, and taking a bus back to Lucerne.

Pilatus was named after a local legend which alleges that Pontius Pilate was buried there.

Numbered amongst those who have reached its summit are Conrad Gessner, Queen Victoria and Lenin.

The Mountain

Whether you admire Mount Pilatus from the centre of Lucerne, whether you stand in Hergiswil beneath its steep slopes, or whether you stand in Eigenthal gazing at the rugged mountain chain towering behind the valley, the mountain always reveals its immense size and shape – although these appear different from every location.

Geology

From a geological aspect, Mount Pilatus is the northernmost branch of the Alps. The geological edge of the Alps stretches right through Lake Lucerne. Along this border run the sedimentary layers which traverse the whole of Switzerland and, with the lakes in the Alpine foothills, create some of Switzerland’s most stunning scenery.

History

The first written reference to Mount Pilatus was made in the 13th century. But Celtic herdsmen already inhabited the extensive heights in much earlier times.

But the real story of Mount Pilatus began with the completion of the Gotthard route. Suddenly, not only local people stood at the foot of Lucerne’s “own” mountain, but also travellers from the whole of the then-known world.

Legends & Myths

Since time immemorial, the rugged cliffs above Lucerne have been enveloped in mysterious myths and legends. in the Middle Ages, people believed that a dragon with healing powers and spirits inhabited the rocky crevices. It was said that the restless ghost of Roman governor once found lasting peace in Lake Pilatus. And so for a long time it was forbidden to climb the mountain – for woe betide any one who disturbed Pontius Pilate!

Intact Nature

On its climb from Alpnachstad to Pilatus Kulm, the world’s steepest cogwheel railway passes meadows carpeted with Alpine flowers, crystal-clear mountain streams and fascinating sheer cliff formations. With a little luck you may spot ibex, chamois, colourful Alpine roses, arnica or gentian on your journey. Over 900 species of plants are native to the Mount Pilatus area, many of them officially protected.

Hiking & High-Alpine Paths

Enjoy an easy stroll along the Dragon Path through the rock gallery on Pilatus Kulm – or make a short detour to the «Oberhaupt», the «Esel» or «Tomlishorn». In summer, these Mount Pilatus peaks are accessible along good paths, within an easy 10 to 35-minute walk from the Mount Pilatus hotels.

It is Switzerland’s most famous landmark, the most beautiful mountain in the world and considered by many true mountaineers to be the peak of all peaks: the Matterhorn.

Each year hordes of climbers from all corners of the globe attempt to scale the Matterhorn. And it is a genuine challenge, too: those venturing up the peak don’t just have to be very fit and have prior mountaineering experience, but above all they need a good head for heights, because the route to the top is highly exposed.

The history of the Matterhorn

The Matterhorn is not so much a fad, but an obsession. The Horn was first conquered 140 years ago on 14th July 1865. Four of the seven young men – lead by Englishman Edward Whymper – attempting the ascent lost their lives. Even today rumours surrounding this dramatic event, which made the small village of Zermatt world-famous overnight, are rife. Was it an accident or was it murder? The original rope from that first expedition that tore during the descent is on display today in Zermatt’s Matterhorn Museum.

Most mountaineers now take the Hörnligrat (North-East face) for their fist ascent. The normal route starts on the Swiss side with a hike from Zermatt-Schwarzsee to Matterhornhütte (Hörnli Hut, 3260 m above sea level) and the neighbouring Mountain House Matterhorn. From here a 4 to 5-hour climb up the Hörnligrat leads to the summit. The Solvayhütte, which has been set up as an emergency refuge, is about half way up (4003 m). An estimated 3000 mountain climbers try their luck on the Horn each year. Many give up because they are not fit enough.

Geological facts

The Matterhorn – Switzerland’s most famous landmark. But, strictly speaking the Matterhorn isn’t actually from Switzerland, but Africa. This is because around 90 million years ago the African continental plate slid over the European plate. And it was precisely these rocky masses surging upwards that gave birth to the Matterhorn.

However, the Matterhorn has much more to offer than the scores of celebs that scale it. The true celebrities are the intact nature and wilderness, and the unique flora and fauna. The history of alpinism, the job of the mountain guide, alpine mountain rescue services and skiing are all closely associated with the Matterhorn.

Things to see

The people of Zermatt honour this natural monument with a monument of its own: The exciting history of the “Horu”, as the people of Zermatt call the peak, is told in the Matterhorn Museum.

The Matterhorn (German) or Cervino (Italian), (French: Mont Cervin or Le Cervin) is perhaps the most familiar mountain in the European Alps. On the border between Switzerland and Italy, it towers over the Swiss village of Zermatt and the Italian village Breuil-Cervinia in the Val Tournanche. The mountain derives its name from the German words Matte, meaning meadow, and Horn, which means peak.

The Matterhorn has four faces which face the four compass points: the north and east faces overlook, respectively, the Zmutt Valley and Gornergrat ridge in Switzerland, the south face fronts the resort town of Breuil-Cervinia in Italy, and the west face looks towards the mountain of Dent d’Hérens which straddles the Swiss-Italian border. The north and south faces meet at the summit to form a short east-west ridge. The faces are steep, and only small patches of snow and ice cling to them; regular avalanches send the snow down to accumulate on the glaciers at the base of each face. The Hörnli ridge of the northeast (the center ridge in the view from Zermatt) is the usual climbing route.

Climbing

The Matterhorn was one of the last of the main Alpine mountains to be ascended, not because of its technical difficulty, but because of the fear it inspired in early mountaineers. The first serious attempts began around 1857, mostly from the Italian side; but despite appearances, the southern routes are harder, and parties repeatedly found themselves having to turn back. However, on July 14, 1865, in what is considered the last ascent of the golden age of alpinism, the party of Edward Whymper, Charles Hudson, Lord Francis Douglas, Douglas Robert Hadow, Michel Croz and the two Peter Taugwalders (father and son) was able to reach the summit from the the Hörnli route in Switzerland. Upon descent, Hadow, Croz, Hudson and Douglas fell to their deaths on the Matterhorn Glacier, and all but Douglas (whose body was never found) are buried in the Zermatt churchyard. Three days later on July 17, the mountain was ascended from the Italian side by a party led by Jean-Antoine Carrel and Jean-Baptiste Bich. Julius Elliott made the second ascent from the Zermatt side three years later in 1868, and later that year the party of John Tyndall, J. J. Maquignaz, and J. P. Maquignaz was the first to traverse the summit. In 1871, Lucy Walker became the first woman to stand on top of the mountain, followed a few weeks later by her rival Meta Brevoort. The difficult north Zmutt Ridge was first ascended by Albert F. Mummery, Alex­ander Burgener, J. Petrus and A. Gentinetta on September 3, 1879, and it wasn’t until July 31–August 1, 1931 that the extremely difficult north face route was first ascended by Franz and Toni Schmid.

Today, all ridges and faces of the Matterhorn have been ascended in all seasons, and mountain guides take a large number of people up the northeast Hörnli route each summer. By modern standards, the climb is fairly difficult (AD Difficulty rating), but not hard for skilled mountaineers. There are fixed ropes on parts of the route to help. Still, several climbers die each year due to a number of factors including the scale of the climb and its inherent dangers, inexperience, falling rocks, and overcrowded routes.

The usual pattern of ascent is to take the Schwarzsee cable car up from Zermatt, hike up to the Hörnli-hütte (elev. 3,260 m/10,695 ft), a large stone building at the base of the main ridge, and spend the night. The next day, climbers rise at 3:30 am so as to reach the summit and descend before the regular afternoon clouds and storms come in. Other routes on the mountain include the Italian ridge (D Difficulty rating), the Zmutt ridge (D Difficulty rating) and the north face route, one of the six great north faces of the Alps (TD+ Difficulty rating).

Travel on foot or by rail, postal bus, car, or lake steamer, and you’ll be surrounded by scenic delights.

If you’ve never been on a Swiss train, you’re in for a treat. Not only are they clean, modern, comfortable, and efficient, but they traverse the country’s most scenic regions . Passengers behold everything from meadows where cattles graze to towering glaciers from the comfort of a seat. The Swiss Pass, Swiss Flexipass, and Swiss Card from the Swiss Travel System enable vacationers to save time and money traveling this way.

The most popular train routes are the Glacier Express, linking Zermatt and St. Moritz (it passes through 91 tunnels and crosses nearly 300 bridges), The William Tell Express, connecting central Switzerland to the sunny Ticino, the Bernina Express, which descends from Chur, down past Swiss glaciers to the Italian town of Tirano, and the Golden Pass, which transports travelers from Lake Lucerne to Lake Geneva.

Land of Lakes

Geneva, the city on the lake, shares its southern shore with France and attracts cosmopolitan visitors. Lausanne, in the French-speaking part of Switzerland, is an ideal aerie on the lake’s northern shore to observe frequent regattas. To sail on Lake Geneva yourself, board Montreux, a Belle Époque-era steam-powered vessel built in 1904 and recently relaunched. Daily tours sail from Lausanne to Evian, which also takes in Montreux and Vevey, and an evening trip to Yvoire.

Further north, Lake Neuchâtel, the largest lake bordered by Switzerland on all sides, offers a number of attractions. Visitors will gain a new appreciation of the old at the Neuchâtel Museum of Archeology. A ride on the Chaumont funicular affords panoramic views. The underground mills of Col-des-Roches are unusual. During Expo 2002, see Neuchâtel’s Artplage Mobile du Jura, a fascinating over-the-water construction that marries science and high-tech poetry.

Both Lake Lucerne and Lake Zurich remain must-sees on any grand tour of the Swiss Alps. The former boasts the world’s largest paddlesteamer fleet within a continental lake, and the city of Lucerne holds many medieval sites. Zurich, at the northern tip of its namesake lake, is of course a metropolis and one of the country’s major cultural centers.

Switzerland also shares Lake Constance and Lake Maggiore with its neighbors. Brissago Island, on the Swiss side of Lake Maggiore, is home to a lovely botanical garden. Along the shores of Lake Constance, orchards rise to meet the foothillls of the Alps, and farmhouses dot verdant slopes in this German-influenced region.

Hiking and Biking

If you believe that hiking is the best way to experience the countryside, bring your most comfortable walking shoes or boots. Depending on your energy level and interests, you can choose anything from a lake shore amble to a challenging, multi-day mountain ridge hike or even a glacier tour. A weeklong trip sponsored by Ryder-Walker Adventures leads through mountain passes and valleys. Starting in Locarno, with its cobblestone streets, arcades, palm trees, and Mediterranean flair, you can traverse the Ticino region’s rivers and peaks. You’ll encounter small, enchanting villages with Italianate architecture, comfortable inns, and hearty country fare accompanied by local red wines.

Bicyclists can traverse a network of interconnected cycle routes that snake across two thousand miles. And there’s no need to bring your own two-wheeler: City and mountain models are available for rent at most train stations. Golfers and tennis players, swimmers and horseback riders can also find ample venues to play under the Swiss sun.

Memories may not be the only gift you bring home. This could be the year you purchase a genuine Swiss watch, the choices are plentiful in all price ranges. Other excellent buys include chocolates, embroidery, music boxes, wood carvings, and other treasures hand-made by devoted Swiss craftspeople.