Global Seminars: Zermatt and Gruyere

Sunday, June 4, 2017

Zermatt and Gruyere

After a busy Friday and Saturday, we spent the morning shopping and exploring in the adorable town of Zermatt, including a taste of Gruyere cheese and a visit to the cheese's namesake Castle of Gruyères.


After a busy Friday and Saturday, we spent the morning shopping and exploring in the adorable town of Zermatt (unfortunately, the weather wasn’t clear enough for us to climb up and get a stellar view of the Matterhorn, but spending money on food and souvenirs did provide some comfort). Interesting fact about Zermatt: it is the highest and largest all-round ski area in the world. You can see snow in the mountains 365 days of the year (great for year-round skiing!), and the cable car system to the Matterhorn is the highest cableway in Europe -- 3,880 meters / 12,700 ft above sea level.


After a fun-filled morning, we hopped back on the coach bus towards Winterthur. To experience a quality lunch filled with Gruyere cheese, we stopped in this milk product’s namesake/hometown. Castle of Gruyères, built between 1270 and 1282, happened to be having a festival that day, so amidst our mission to find lunch, we also heard music from the traditionally dressed Swiss men playing Alp horns.

After a delicious lunch that involved Gruyere cheese in one way or another, we hopped back on the bus to our home base, Winterthur. It was a wonderful weekend, that involved a lot of sleeping on the bus, eating a hefty amount of cheese, and experiencing some of Switzerland’s most beautiful places.