The location of Zermatt at the foot of the Matterhorn and in the middle of an enormous hiking and ski region makes it one of the world's most attractive vacation villages. The ski region encompasses 63 mountain railways and more than 300 kilometers of pistes. The region called "Matterhorn glacier paradise" is Europe's largest and highest lying summer skiing region. Numerous national ski teams train here in the summer.
The region is legendary amongst mountaineers: the Haute Route, a challenging international route that takes several days to complete, leads from Mont Blanc to Zermatt. Over 400 kilometers of hiking trails lead through and out of the Matter Valley, including the mule traders' trails, which date back to the 13th century (a part of these paths is paved).