Zermatt

Nestling at the foot of the mighty Matterhorn and Weisshorn peaks, Zermatt is the picture perfect Swiss mountain village. It's traffic free (apart from the sometimes annoying electric taxis). You'll reach the village by train from Tasch, just down the valley, which has the nearest available road.

Zermatt has a long and interesting history - in 1865 Edward Whymper used Zermatt as his base to successfully conquer the Matterhorn, just beating a team from the Italian side. But four of Whymper's companions fell to their deaths on the descent (in what some describe as suspicious circumstances).

There's lots of skiing for both beginners and experts. One option for beginners is to head to the easy long slopes of the Gornergrat, reached by a spectacular cog mountain railway. Experts can try the Trifti, a long and difficult mogul slope with a wicked reputation.

Off the slopes, the very interesting mountaineering museum is well worth a vist.