Switzerland
Visp District

Discover travel destinations of travelers writing a travel journal on FindPenguins.
Top 10 Travel Destinations Visp District
Show all
Travelers at this place
    • Day 7

      Sprehod do modrega jezera

      July 21, 2023 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

      Ogrevanje za jutri oziroma prvi sprehod po Aosti.

      Prispela sva v oblačno dolino, se je pa vreme hitro popravljalo in sonce naju je že grelo na potki do modrega jezera (menda se mu tako reče).

      Vsega skup nekaj višincev in dobro uro pretegovanja nog, razveseljujejo pa razgledi na strme gore vsenaokrog. V ozadju (al pa ospredju) se je iz oblakov lupil tudi Matterhorn.

      Na povratku še en "aperol with a view". Pasalo je 🙂
      Read more

    • Day 113

      Lost in the Swiss Alps!

      July 12, 2022 in Switzerland ⋅ ⛅ 50 °F

      Miles: 15.7!! A new high
      Steps: 35989
      Flights stairs: 29

      Zermatt is an amazing city - it’s carless! There are a few vehicles but only for businesses, buses and taxis - and they must be electric. It sits at the base of the Matterhorn and people flock here to hike and to climb - and these are serious hikers and climbers. 3000 people attempt the climb every year - 500 have died since 1865.

      There are at least 8 different cable cars going up into the mountains surrounding the Matterhorn - and a scenic train that climbs to the very top of the mountain next to it. Unfortunately, we’re in the most expensive city, in one of the most expensive countries in the world. So .. can’t do all we’d want to. I wish we could have stayed here a week!

      But we read all the literature, found a moderate difficulty level hike, and went for it! We picked the “Matterhorn Glacier trail” which all the information people said was a good choice for our abilities. We took two cable cars to get to the top (10,000 ft) then we hiked 4 miles in about 3 hrs around the base of the Matterhorn. It was phenomenal. Then we decided instead of taking the cable car back down to town, we’d attempt a second trail. Should have been 3 miles, about 2 more hours. All down hill, supposed to be a mountain “stroll” - figured, why not? Well, it wasn’t very well marked and we got lost … really lost. Eventually we were off the trails heading straight down steep hills just trying to get to the river, which we figured we could follow to town.

      In the end, after I had another tumble in the gravel, we made it back, obviously. The entire trip tho, which should have been about 7 miles, 5 hours … clocked in at 15.6 miles and 8 hours!!

      We’re both in a lot of pain tonight - but oh what memories we made trying to get off that mountain! And … I think I’d do it again if I ever got the chance!!
      Read more

    • Day 40

      Gornergrat, Riffelsee and the Matterhorn

      August 19, 2023 in Switzerland ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

      It’s 3 minutes past nine and I’m sat in the station half asleep and waiting on the most expensive train ride I’ll probably ever take. The Gornergrat Bahn is the highest (and oldest functioning) open air railway in Europe. It takes passengers up to the rocky ridge of Gornergrat at 3100 meters. As I board I ask the conductor if the windows open, he doesn’t understand me at first and so I point to the window beside me and mime opening them. He wins the game of charades and tells me confidently that ‘no, they are closed’. I’m a little miffed that the windows don’t open but as I sit in my seat I decide to give it a shot and sure enough, the window opens… as do all the windows in the carriage. Heavens knows what the conductor thought I was asking.

      The moment we start to climb, I get my first full view of the Matterhorn and I’m absolutely smitten. There’s something about these iconic mountain peaks that just leaves you in awe. And while I have no desire to actually scale the thing, I can understand the obsession that the first climbers must have had in the pursuit of getting to the summit.

      The peak of the Gornergrat overlooks the Matterhorn as well as the Gorner glacier. You can see the path that the glacier has taken over time, the movement somehow visible in frozen ice. I spend ages gawking and taking photos, grinning the whole time. My plan is to hike down but first I take a wander around the visitor centre on the top. First stop is to buy water, since I realised once I was on the train that I’d made a rookie error and left the bottle I’d filled up, in the hostel toilet 🤦🏻‍♀️
      Water (presumably infused with caviar given that it costs me £4.50) in hand, I stumble across a little chapel and then find my way into the visitors centre. It’s filled with stories of Matterhorn ascents- solo ascents with just teddy bears for company (‘exactly the mental support needed’ according to the climber), the ascent of the future pope in 1889, the oldest ascent (89 years old) to the youngest (8 years old). I find a room with hanging seats and VR headsets and next thing I know I’m virtually paragliding around the Matterhorn.

      On the top of the Gornergrat there’s a number of shops. Some selling standard touristy T-shirts and badges, others selling Swiss watches, chocolate and cheese. I stumble across one selling Swiss Army Knives and after a quick flashback to breaking into Rosie’s safe box in Girona, I realise that if I need one souvenir from Switzerland (and this trip), it’s a Swiss Army knife (after all, a girl can never have too many knives 💅🏼💁🏻‍♀️). I pick out the one I want and the saleswoman tells me it’s free engraving if there’s anything I want added. I write out the phrase ‘Per Ardua Ad Astra’. She smiles, plugs it into the machine and asks me ‘Latin? What does it mean’. I explain, ‘through hardship to the stars’ and that it was a phrase that took on huge personal significance when I was dealing with hyperthermia and my body going into shut down on a trek in Nepal. She asks me which route and next thing I know we’re chatting about the Annapurna region as she’s been trekking there too. She notes that she had an advantage with the altitude, working at 3000m daily. She asks where I’m from and when I say Scotland she tells me I know mountains too then. I make a noncommittal noise and tell her not like this. She laughs and says the grass is always greener, ‘when you’re Swiss you think Scotland is wonderful and when you’re Scottish you think Switzerland is wonderful’. I laugh politely all while thinking that while I love Scotland and our mountains, they’re not quite like this.

      Budget firmly drained, I begin the descent. I hop down a station on the train to find the trailhead and then after topping up with suncream it’s down we go. The hike takes me down facing the Matterhorn most of the way, with the odd detour to see lakes, flanked once again with the Matterhorn. The route is absolutely gorgeous, the weather is perfect and I’m fairly sure I smile all the way. What should have been an hour and a half’s hike turns into hours as I can barely move 100m without wanting to take another photo. Eventually though I make it down to the station I need to get to and hop on the last section of the train down to Zermatt and fall straight into bed.
      Read more

    • Day 82

      My Amazing Wife

      July 16, 2022 in Switzerland ⋅ ☀️ 54 °F

      We have had such a fantastic trip. 12 weeks, 14 countries, 23 destinations, and it was all planned and executed by my amazing wife!

      She managed all of our transportation, accommodations, activities and still had such a great spirit of adventure. It was infectious! This trip took many months to plan, but it went so smoothly. I'm truly in awe of her abilities.

      These are a few photos I captured at various places along our journey. Some of them are candid shots of her leading us on our trails, making us laugh and taking the photos for us to remember.

      I'm just so thankful that I have such a beautiful, intelligent and fun wife. I love you Amy Dent Beebe! - Sean
      Read more

    • Day 83

      Matterhorn Trail Run

      July 17, 2022 in Switzerland ⋅ ☀️ 46 °F

      I've had some great runs on this trip, but this was without a doubt the most spectacular. I took the gondolas up to the Schwarzsee station at 8,474 feet. Then I followed the trail up towards Trockener Steg, a "minor prominence" at 9,642 feet, in the area between the Matterhorn and the Breithorn. We had visited Trockener Steg yesterday by gondola and there were several beautiful lakes at the foot of a glacier.

      I didn't have enough time to make it all the way up, so I did an out and back instead. I ran where I could but most of the first mile was a hike up a steep incline. At altitude it was a great workout.

      The family met me back at Schwarzsee and I got some extra running in with Eowyn. Overall it was a fantastic experience and I hope to come back someday for more hiking and trail running. - Sean
      Read more

    • Day 82

      Hängebrücke

      July 16, 2022 in Switzerland ⋅ ☀️ 57 °F

      We hiked up to the suspension bridge (hangebrucke) just for fun of crossing it. There was an ultra race was happening at the same time and many runners were coming down. Willow skipped out since the trail was through grass.Read more

    • Day 63

      Zermatt Switzerland Matterhorn Hike

      July 10, 2022 in Switzerland ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C

      Today we got up early and hit the trail not long after sunrise to tackle the Zermatt Edelweiss Hohbalmen hike. It's a grueling 20km loop trail that rewarded us with great views of the Swiss Alps, Zermatt, wildflowers and Matterhorn along the turns. We stopped at a few huts for their homebrewed cold tea which was a berry and mint tea. We even rewarded ourselves with homemade apple strudel once we made it past the first sharp incline. It was beautiful out, with fresh mountain air, scenic waterfalls and even a mountain goat we spotted way up high.Read more

    • Day 3

      Die Eroberung des Whirlpools

      April 11, 2022 in Switzerland ⋅ ☀️ 2 °C

      Nach einem ausführlichen Frühstück waren wir noch nicht ganz sicher, was wir mit dem Tag anfangen sollen. Nachdem der Whirlpool gestern dauerbesetzt war, fiel die Entscheidung aber dann doch recht leicht...ab in den Wellnessbereich und rein in den Pool - wir waren ganz alleine unten, das restliche Hotel war wohl auf der Skipiste - gut so...steh ja nach wie vor nicht so auf Menschen!

      Nachdem wir ganz durchgegart und schrumpelig waren, machten wir uns ausgehfein. Vorher noch einen kurzen Abstecher in den Hotelshop und das Shoppingbudget in eine weiße Softshelljacke investiert - sowas braucht man unbedingt und weiß ist irre praktisch 🙈 naja wir gönnen uns ja sonst nix

      (glatt gelogen, wir gönnen uns ständig - aber klingt halt gut )

      Also einmal die Shoppingmeile rauf und runter, paar Souvenirs geschossen (ohne Mitbringsel verlässt Rainer keinen Urlaubsort) und auf dem Rückweg noch in den Hinterhöfen und Nebenstraßen Zermatts verlaufen und uns an der Frage aufgehängt, wie die da oben am Berg in ihre Hotels kommen ohne das Sherpas denen die Koffer da raufschleppen...

      Nachtrag: Es gibt da tatsächlich Tunnel und Aufzüge, die das regeln!

      Sonnenbrand im Gesicht gab es gratis dazu ☀️
      Read more

    • Day 3

      Abendessen

      April 11, 2022 in Switzerland ⋅ ☁️ 0 °C

      Das Abendessen bekommt jetzt hier einen extra Platz - einfach um noch einmal hervorzuheben, wie genial es ist, sich richtig geiles Essen frisch gekocht aufs Zimmer bringen zu lassen. Ich feier das einfach, weil - naja wir müssen nicht nochmal über mein gespaltenes Verhältnis zu Menschen und ihrer Anwesenheit reden 😅 Guten Appetit 🍽🍷Read more

    • Day 112

      Fantastic travel day

      July 11, 2022 in Switzerland ⋅ ⛅ 63 °F

      Miles: 2.5 Steps: 6238
      Flights stairs: 14

      We were up early this morning to start a long day of train travel - three separate trains. With each leg we were supposed to have plenty of time between them, but each time the train we were on was running late .. so we had to run thru the stations to just barely make each one. Just part of the experience!

      The first leg was a high speed train from Munich to Winterthur, Switzerland - Then Winterthur to Visp. And then the last leg was a very slow hour long scenic climb from Visp to Zermatt, It was AMAZING!! We saw so many great Mountain views - and we ended up getting off the train at the base of the Matterhorn!!! We’re staying at a hostel on a hill, with a GREAT view of it! Everyday I’m amazed I’m able to do all this.
      Read more

    You might also know this place by the following names:

    Visp District, Bezirk Visp

    Join us:

    FindPenguins for iOSFindPenguins for Android