|
Riffelalp Resort
Riffelalp is a hamlet in the municipality of Zermatt in the canton of Valais. It is located at a height of above sea level, just above the tree line, approximately halfway between the town of Zermatt and the Gornergrat mountain. Once the site of the prestigious Riffelalp Grand Hotel, today Riffelalp mainly consists of a large hotel complex, the Riffelalp Resort 2222m, and a chapel. Riffelalp is connected to Zermatt by the Gornergrat railway, although Riffelalp railway station is located some distance from the resort. The long Riffelalp tram links the two together. History The famous Zermatt hotelier Alexander Seiler first spotted the potential of the Riffelalp meadow, with its view of the Matterhorn, in 1856, when he purchased his first parcel of land there. It wasn't, however, until 1878 that construction of the Riffelalp Grand Hotel got underway, and the hotel opened in 1884. In 1898, the Gornergrat railway The Gornergrat Railway (; GGB) is a mountain rack railway, loca ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Switzerland
Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland is geographically divided among the Swiss Plateau, the Swiss Alps, Alps and the Jura Mountains, Jura; the Alps occupy the greater part of the territory, whereas most of the country's Demographics of Switzerland, 9 million people are concentrated on the plateau, which hosts List of cities in Switzerland, its largest cities and economic centres, including Zurich, Geneva, and Lausanne. Switzerland is a federal republic composed of Cantons of Switzerland, 26 cantons, with federal authorities based in Bern. It has four main linguistic and cultural regions: German, French, Italian and Romansh language, Romansh. Although most Swiss are German-speaking, national identity is fairly cohesive, being rooted in a common historical background, shared ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Valais
Valais ( , ; ), more formally, the Canton of Valais or Wallis, is one of the cantons of Switzerland, 26 cantons forming the Switzerland, Swiss Confederation. It is composed of thirteen districts and its capital and largest city is Sion, Switzerland, Sion. Valais is situated in the southwestern part of the country. It borders the cantons of Canton of Vaud, Vaud and Canton of Bern, Bern to the north, the cantons of Canton of Uri, Uri and Ticino to the east, as well as Italy to the south and France to the west. It is one of the three large southern Alps, Alpine cantons, along with Ticino and Grisons. It is a bilingual canton, French and German being its two official languages. Traditionally, the canton is divided into Lower, Central, and Upper Valais, the latter region constituting the German-speaking minority. Valais is essentially coextensive with the valley of the Rhône from its headwaters to Lake Geneva, separating the Pennine Alps from the Bernese Alps, the two largest mount ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Zermatt
Zermatt (, ) is a Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in the district of Visp (district), Visp in the German language, German-speaking section of the canton of Valais in Switzerland. It has a year-round population of about 5,800 and is classified as a List of cities in Switzerland, town by the Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO). It lies at the upper end of Mattertal at an elevation of , at the foot of Switzerland's highest peaks. It lies about from the over high Theodul Pass bordering Italy. Zermatt is the southernmost commune of the German language, German ''Sprachraum''. Zermatt is famed as a mountaineering and ski resort of the Swiss Alps. Until the mid-19th century, it was predominantly an agricultural community; the First ascent of the Matterhorn, first and tragic ascent of the Matterhorn in 1865 was followed by a rush on the mountains surrounding the village, leading to the construction of many tourist facilities. The year-round population () is , though there ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gornergrat
The Gornergrat (; ) is a rocky ridge of the Pennine Alps, overlooking the Gorner Glacier south-east of Zermatt in Switzerland. It can be reached from Zermatt by the Gornergrat rack railway (GGB), the highest open-air railway in Europe. Between the Gornergrat railway station () and the summit is the Kulm Hotel (). In the late 1960s two astronomical observatories were installed in the two towers of the Kulmhotel Gornergrat. The projec“Stellarium Gornergrat”is hosted in the Gornergrat South Observatory. Overview It is located about three kilometers east of Zermatt in the Swiss canton of Valais. The Gornergrat is located between the Gornergletscher and Findelgletscher and offers panoramic views of 29 mountains above 4,000 m (13,123 ft), whose highest are Dufourspitze (in the large Monte Rosa massif), Liskamm, Matterhorn The , ; ; ; or ; ; . is a mountain of the Alps, straddling the Main chain of the Alps, main watershed and border between Italy and Switzerland. It ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gornergrat Railway
The Gornergrat Railway (; GGB) is a mountain rack railway, located in the Switzerland, Swiss Valais, canton of Valais. It links the Zermatt, resort village of Zermatt, situated at above mean sea level, to the summit of the Gornergrat. The Gornergrat railway station is situated at an altitude of , which makes the Gornergrat Railway the List of highest railways in Europe, second highest railway in Europe after the Jungfrau railway, Jungfrau, and the highest open-air railway of the continent. The line opened in 1898, and was the first electric rack railway to be built in Switzerland. The Gornergrat is a starting point for many hikes, as it lies surrounded by 29 peaks rising above in the Alps and several glaciers, including the Gornergletscher, Gorner Glacier (which is billed as the second longest glacier in the Alps). At the end of the line on Gornergrat, the Matterhorn is visible on a clear day. It is also a popular skiing, skiing area. The Gornergrat Railway Ltd (''Gornergrat ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Riffelalp Railway Station
Riffelalp is a railway station on the Gornergrat railway, a rack railway which links the resort of Zermatt with the summit of the Gornergrat. The station is situated west of the Gornergrat, in the Swiss municipality of Zermatt and canton of Valais, at an altitude of above mean sea level. The station is linked to the five-star Riffelalp Resort by the long Riffelalp tram, making Riffelalp the highest location in Europe where two distinct railways meet. Services the following services stop at Riffelalp: * Service every 24 minutes between and . * Service every 24 minutes to Riffelalp, Hotel. Gallery File:2012-08-17 14-47-42 Switzerland Canton du Valais Blatten.JPG, The station looking up the Gornergrat railway File:2012-08-17 15-28-18 Switzerland Canton du Valais Blatten.JPG, A Gornergrat bound train leaving the station File:Trams du Riffelalp (Suisse)(1).jpg, The Riffelalp tram at the station See also * List of highest railway stations in Switzerland This is a list ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Riffelalp Tram
The Riffelalp tram (, RiT) is a high altitude tramway line located in the Swiss canton of Valais near the resort of Zermatt. The line links the Riffelalp Resort to Riffelalp station, on the Gornergrat railway, and via that line to Zermatt and beyond. The Riffelalp tram is the highest tram line in Europe. History The Riffelalp Grand Hotel, the predecessor of today's Riffelalp Resort, was opened by Alexander Seiler in 1884. In 1898, the Gornergrat railway was opened, linking Zermatt to the summit of the Gornergrat. The line included a station called Riffelalp, but this was situated some distance from the resort. In order to provide better access to the station, the hotel built the Riffelalp tram. The line opened on 13 July 1899, one year after the opening of the Gornergrat railway. The original track was long and electrified, using a twin overhead line carrying a three-phase ac supply at 550 volts. The tram operated in the summer months only. During the night of 14 Febru ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Alexander Seiler
Alexander () is a male name of Greek origin. The most prominent bearer of the name is Alexander the Great, the king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia who created one of the largest empires in ancient history. Variants listed here are Aleksandar, Aleksander, Oleksandr, Oleksander, Aleksandr, and Alekzandr. Related names and diminutives include Iskandar, Alec, Alek, Alex, Alexsander, Alexandre, Aleks, Aleksa, Aleksandre, Alejandro, Alessandro, Alasdair, Sasha, Sandy, Sandro, Sikandar, Skander, Sander and Xander; feminine forms include Alexandra, Alexandria, and Sasha. Etymology The name ''Alexander'' originates from the (; 'defending men' or 'protector of men'). It is a compound of the verb (; 'to ward off, avert, defend') and the noun (, genitive: , ; meaning 'man'). The earliest attested form of the name, is the Mycenaean Greek feminine anthroponym , , (/Alexandra/), written in the Linear B syllabic script. Alaksandu, alternatively called ''Alakasandu'' or ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Matterhorn
The , ; ; ; or ; ; . is a mountain of the Alps, straddling the Main chain of the Alps, main watershed and border between Italy and Switzerland. It is a large, near-symmetric pyramidal peak in the extended Monte Rosa area of the Pennine Alps, whose summit is above sea level, making it List of Alpine four-thousanders, one of the highest summits in the Alps and Europe.Considering summits with at least 300 metres prominence, it is the 6th highest in the Alps and Europe outside the Caucasus Mountains. The four steep faces, rising above the surrounding glaciers, face the four compass points and are split by the ''Hörnli'', ''Furggen'', ''Leone''/''Lion'', and ''Zmutt'' ridges. The mountain overlooks the Swiss town of Zermatt, in the canton of Valais, to the northeast; and the Italian town of Breuil-Cervinia in the Aosta Valley to the south. Just east of the Matterhorn is Theodul Pass, the main passage between the two valleys on its north and south sides, which has been a trade rou ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
