Alpines Museum

On the ground- floor, just after entering, the visitor finds a unique collection of documents which bears witness to the heroic first ascents of the mountains around Zermatt beginning with the Klein Matterhorn which was first climbed by the scientist H.B. de Saussure from Geneva in 1792, and ending with the triumphal and tragic first ascent of the Matterhorn on 14th July 1865. It is only thanks to the fore- sight of the hotelier family Seiler that we can still see today authentic pieces of equipment of those pioneers and moving relices of the victims off mountain tragedy. Viewing these exhibits the visitor will become enchanted by the history of mountaineering in Zermatt.
Further exhibits on the ground floor draw the visitor's attention to the fact that few places in the Alps have such a rich variety of different rock types in such a small area as Zermatt. This section, devoted to natural history, also has a wonderful collection of butterflies found in the local area, and representations and exhibits of alpine flora and fauna.
Particularly interesting exhibits are two relief models, to scale, made by Xaver Imfeld. One is of the Matterhorn and its surroundings, the other of the complete mountain system around Zermatt.

No visitor to Zermatt should fail to visit the Alpine Museum.

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Contact Information

Alpines Museum
Tempel 6
3920 Zermatt

Tel. +41279674100
zermatt@wallis.ch
http://www.zermatt.ch