From Montreux to Zermatt on the narrow-gauge network

From Montreux to Zermatt, the journey continues for about 2 hours and 40 minutes on the narrow-gauge network of the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn through Switzerland's deepest Nikolaus Valley to Zermatt. Before glimpsing the Matterhorn, the train has to overcome an altitude difference of over 900 metres, aided in part by the cogwheel system. And it is between Sion and Sierre that the natural underground lake of St Leonhard, Europe's largest, is hidden. Visitors can admire the magical world of the cave on board rowing boats. A stone's throw from fashionable Montreux, on the shores of Lake Geneva, lies Martigny. Founded two thousand years ago, this town in the Lower Valais gained importance as the gateway to the Great St Bernard and Forclaz Alpine passes. You then continue through the lush Rhone Valley towards Visp. The journey continues on the narrow-gauge line of the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn, through the Sankt Nikolaus Valley. Along Zermatt's Bahnhofstrasse, there are many cafés, restaurants and shops. What stands out is that, despite more than 100 hotels and many chalets, there is no large hotel complex in the resort. And in some hotels one can stop for a coffee or a drink. Among others, the 3-star Hôtel Tralala in Montreux, which was completely renovated in 2009 and furnished in the spirit of music and culture, is worth a stop.