Sion, Switzerland

As I mentioned in the previous post, Jenny's family came to visit us a few weeks ago.  After our weekend visit to Zermatt, we all drove northwest to the small town of Susten, where we stayed in a campground and the kids got to do some much needed swimming.  While we were in the area we spent a day in the small Swiss town of Sion.  Sion lies in the southwestern part of Switzerland, and it lies in the "French" speaking part of the country.  (Switzerland has 3 official languages...German in the north and central, French in the western part, and Italian in the southern part.)  Since we were in the French part of the country it was interesting to see all the differences in the architecture compared to bavarian influences in Zurich or Luzern for example.  Several of the buildings and streets resemble something you would see in Italy or southern France, as opposed to bavarian Switzerland.  One of the main attractions in Sion is the "Valere Basilica," which was a fortified church situated on a hill overlooking the town.  The church was built during the 12th and 13th centuries, and the organ inside is believed to be one of the oldest in the world.  Perched on an opposite hill nearby is "Tourbillon Castle."  The castle was built at the end of the 13th century and has been rebuilt several times over the centuries.  Back in the day it was primarily used as a chateau by the bishop, and there's a beautiful chapel inside with ancient frescoes.  The castle is now in ruins but we had a great time exploring the site, and we were even treated to a special tour of one of the towers by some of the curators.  

Sion has had a lot of history over the centuries.  The oldest trace of human settlement in the area goes back to about 6200 BC, and the town was later conquered by the Romans around 20 BC.  During the middle ages the town was an "imperial city" under Roman rule, and then centuries later the town became a state under French rule during the rein of Napolean.  Nowadays Sion is a quiet town that caters to tourists...and we had a great time exploring its streets and discovering its history.

Zermatt, Switzerland

A few weeks ago Jenny's brother and his family, along with her Mom all came to visit us from Texas.  Almost immediately after they arrived we all packed into both cars and started venturing around Switzerland.  One area we visited for a few days was Zermatt, Switzerland.  The village of Zermatt is located in the southern portion of the country next to Italy, and it's the home to the world famous "Matterhorn" mountain (the icon of Switzerland.)  We've been meaning to get down to Zermatt ever since we moved to Switzerland, but it hasn't worked out until now.  In the winter Zermatt is a popular skiing destination, but in the summer the area turns into a hiking wonderland.  One other interesting note about Zermatt...there are no cars allowed.  When you go there you have to leave your car in the town of Tasch, and then take a train south into Zermatt.  The result is a quiet, picturesque ski village with lots of character.   We stayed at the "Bellerive Hotel," which was newly renovated and very nice.  We would definitely recommend it.  One other interesting thing we came across in Zermatt was the cemetery. Many of the graves pay homage to those who have tried to climb the Matterhorn and failed.

On our first full day there we all took the cog-rail train up to the "Gornergrat" area, which is an observation area looking out at the Matterhorn.  From here you get panoramic views of the surrounding mountains and glaciers, as well as the famous mountain.  From "Gornergrat" we then hiked down to "Riffelsee" and a beautiful lake.  The lake is a famous "photo spot" for reflections of the Matterhorn in the water.  The kids found a smaller lake nearby and went swimming in the freezing waters.  It was fun watching them splash around in such a remote spot.  Megan also had fun imitating "The Sound of Music" in her "Heidi dress."  Then from "Riffelsee" we continued our hike down to "Riffelberg" where we caught the train for the rest of the way down.  I have to be honest here, the hike we did from "Gornergrat" to "Riffelberg" just might be the prettiest scenery I've seen thus far in Switzerland.  On top of that I'll go ahead and say it might also be one of my favorite hikes ever.  The weather was perfect, the scenery was spectacular, the kids were in great spirits and never complained, and we had full views of the Matterhorn all the way down.  Doesn't get much better than that.  

Then on our second day we took the gondola up to the top of "Glacier Paradise," which is exactly what you think it is - a ski resort on top of a glacier at the top of a mountain.  The area straddles the border with Italy, and the views are amazing.  It's here that you can ski all year long.  The boys from Texas had a great time playing around in the snow...something they don't normally get to see.  Then later on we took a hike down from the "Schwarzsee" area to "Furi."  Right before we arrived at "Furi" we came upon a small restaurant on a slope in the middle of the woods .  It was owned by a older couple, and it was a great spot for a cold drink.  It's very typical in Switzerland to all of the sudden stumble upon a pub, hostel, or restaurant in the middle of nowhere while hiking.

Anyway, overall we loved Zermatt.  Ever since we first told Ben we were moving to Switzerland the first thing he wanted to do was to see the Matterhorn.  Now we can cross that off our list.  Zermatt is truly one of the most beautiful areas of Switzerland I have seen so far.  We will definitely try to go back before we leave.