Like any other touristic Alpine town, Zermatt relies heavily on the skiing activities on its surrounding slopes for an income. Starting off as a destination for the wealthy that could afford to take weeks off on holiday, the first holidayers came in when the narrow gauge railway was open. The scenic ride and stunning surroundings proved to be popular. The very same rail line today is the terminus of the Glacier Express.
Mountain goat 1 
Mountain goat 2
Before long, tourists started flocking in both summer and winter when the infrastructure improved further after WWII. By the eighties and nineties, there were ski lifts and cable cars going all over the mountains and even crossing into Italy! You can read all about the town’s history in the Matterhorn Museum.
Matterhorn Museum 
Very small busses
Right, the Matterhorn. That’s the other reason why people flock to this unremarkable town from all over the world. A 30 minute ride on a cog railway up to the peak Gornergrat will afford you a perfect view of the Matterhorn – but at over CHF100 the ride is anything but affordable.
Giant alphorn
