Zermatt and Valais self-guided walking holidays

Within the Valais region to the east of Lake Geneva sits the mountain resort of Zermatt and one of the most popular and recognisable bases for walking holidays in Switzerland. Zermatt is located at the foot of the Matterhorn and at the heart of a giant hiking and ski-ing region offering access to the natural surroundings by 54 mountain railways and lifts. The region is legendary amongst mountaineers but also renowned for its hiking trails which stretch for over 400 kms through and out of the Matter Valley, including mule traders’ trails which date from the 13th Century. One popular access route to the mountains and its tracks and trails is on the 3089-metre-high Gornergrat cog railway. There is walking for all grades of experience and fitness and the way the trails work around Zermatt is that you can switch from one grade to another as you extend the walk. In this way you can build up the day’s walking from several walks of different grades, if you want to.