Zermatt

Zermatt
Municipality
June 2022 view from Moosstrasse
June 2022 view from Moosstrasse
Flag of Zermatt
Flag
Coat of arms of Zermatt
Coat of arms
Location of Zermatt
Map
Zermatt is located in Switzerland
Zermatt
Zermatt
Zermatt is located in Canton of Valais
Zermatt
Zermatt
Coordinates: 46°01′N 7°45′E / 46.017°N 7.750°E / 46.017; 7.750
CountrySwitzerland
CantonValais
DistrictVisp
Government
 • MayorChristoph Bürgin
(as of 2004)
Area
[1]
 • Total
242.67 km2 (93.70 sq mi)
Elevation
1,608 m (5,276 ft)
Population
 (31 December 2018)[2]
 • Total
5,755
 • Density24/km2 (61/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (Central European Time)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (Central European Summer Time)
Postal code(s)
3920
SFOS number6300
ISO 3166 codeCH-VS
LocalitiesBlatten, Findeln, Gornergrat, Ried, Schwarzsee, Z'mutt
Surrounded byAlagna Valsesia (IT-VC), Ayas (IT-AO), Ayer, Bionaz (IT-AO), Evolène, Gressoney-La-Trinité (IT-AO), Macugnaga (IT-VB), Randa, Saas-Almagell, Täsch, Valtournenche (IT-AO)
Twin townsAlfano (Italy)
Websitezermatt.ch
SFSO statistics

Zermatt (German: [tsɛʁˈmat] ⓘ, Swiss Standard German: [tsɛrˈmat]) is a municipality in the district of Visp in the German-speaking section of the canton of Valais in Switzerland. It has a year-round population of about 5,800 and is classified as a town by the Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO).

It lies at the upper end of Mattertal at an elevation of 1,620 m (5,310 ft), at the foot of Switzerland's highest peaks. It lies about 10 km (6.2 mi) from the over 3,292 m (10,801 ft) high Theodul Pass bordering Italy. Zermatt is the southernmost commune of the German Sprachraum.

Zermatt is famed as a mountaineering and ski resort of the Swiss Alps. Until the mid-19th century, it was predominantly an agricultural community; the first and tragic ascent of the Matterhorn in 1865 was followed by a rush on the mountains surrounding the village, leading to the construction of many tourist facilities. The year-round population (as of December 2020) is 5,820,[3] though there may be several times as many tourists in Zermatt at any one time. Much of the local economy is based on tourism, with about half of the jobs in town in hotels or restaurants[4] and just under half of all apartments are vacation apartments.[5] Just over one-third of the permanent population was born in the town, while another third moved to Zermatt from outside Switzerland.[6]

  1. ^ a b "Arealstatistik Standard - Gemeinden nach 4 Hauptbereichen". Federal Statistical Office. Retrieved 13 January 2019.
  2. ^ "Ständige Wohnbevölkerung nach Staatsangehörigkeitskategorie Geschlecht und Gemeinde; Provisorische Jahresergebnisse; 2018". Federal Statistical Office. 9 April 2019. Retrieved 11 April 2019.
  3. ^ "Ständige und nichtständige Wohnbevölkerung nach institutionellen Gliederungen, Geburtsort und Staatsangehörigkeit". bfs.admin.ch (in German). Swiss Federal Statistical Office - STAT-TAB. 31 December 2020. Retrieved 21 September 2021.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference work was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference Housing was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference STAT2000 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).