In the town of Zermatt, the canton of Valais in southern Switzerland)

 "Life is a bit like mountaineering -- never look down."

-- Edmund Hillary
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(in the German-speaking section of the canton of Valais in southern Switzerland) When approaching the town of Zermatt, you can sense the anticipation on the train from Täsch: couples gaze wistfully out of the window, kids fidget and stuff in Toblerone, folk rummage for their cameras. And then, as they arrive in Zermatt, all give little whoops of joy at the pop-up-book effect of the Matterhorn (at 4,478 meters), the hypnotically beautiful, one-of-a-kind mountain peak that rises like a shark's fin above town.

+ Zermatt, a town in the district of Visp, lies at the head of the Mattervisp Valley and at the foot of the Matterhorn mountain, 23 miles (37 km) southeast of Sion. Its name is derived from its position Zur Matte (“in the Alpine meadow”). A year-round resort surrounded by mountains and glaciers, it commands some of the finest views in Switzerland and is also a popular center for Alpine mountaineering and winter sports. Cableways are numerous, and the highest in Europe leads up the Klein-Matterhorn. (Zermatt is reached by rail from Brig; automobiles are not permitted in Zermatt and the valley road stops at Sankt Niklaus.)

+ Matterhorn, one of the best-known mountains in the Alps, straddling the frontier between Switzerland and Italy, six miles (10 km) southwest of the village of Zermatt, Switzerland. Though from the Swiss side it appears to be an isolated horn-shaped peak, it is actually the butt end of a ridge. The Swiss slope is not nearly as steep or as difficult to climb as the grand terraced walls of the Italian slope.

+ Matterhorn mountain is situated in the Pennine Alps on the border between Switzerland and Italy. The Matterhorn is a pyramidal-shaped colossus, which makes it the sixth highest mountain in the Alps and in Europe. Its four steep faces rise above the nearby glaciers and face the four compass points, north, east, south and west. Although not the highest peak in the Alps its fame is due to its almost impossible shape; an unusual landform with a summit that appears to extend over its north face, making it look like a cobra about to strike.

+ After a number of attempts, mainly on the Italian side, the Matterhorn was first conquered from the Swiss arête on July 14, 1865, by the British explorer Edward Whymper, but four of his party fell to their deaths on the descent. Three days later it was scaled from the Italian side by a party of men from the village of Valtournanche, in Italy, led by the Italian guide Giovanni Antonio Carrel. (The mountain is now frequently ascended in summer, especially from Zermatt.)

+ The Matterhorn’s north face overlooks the Swiss Zmutt Valley, while the south stands guard over the Italian ski resort village of Breuil-Cervinia. The Theodul Pass, a trade route used by Ancient Romans and Celts as early as 100 BCE connects the two destinations. (Unknown to most, the Romans originally named the Matterhorn, "Mons Silvius.")