When travelling in Europe, one often flits through countries. Often, valuable time is lost travelling from one destination to another. It will therefore come as good news to hear that Switzerland has just opened its much-anticipated Matterhorn Alpine Crossing, the highest three-string cable car in the Alps and the highest border crossing in Europe, connecting Switzerland and Italy in just under two hours.
For the first time ever, passengers of this cable-car crossing will ascend over 4,000 metres&mdashthe highest altitude difference in Europe&mdashand travel directly between the Matterhorn village of Zermatt in Switzerland and Breuil-Cervinia in Italy. At Europe&rsquos highest border crossing (3480 metres) near the Testa Grigia station, travellers can stand with one foot in Italy and the other in Switzerland.
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The Matterhorn Alpine Crossing extends the scope of the Matterhorn Summer Paradise. The new cableway will open up the Valle d&rsquoAosta region for visitors to explore its spectacular scenery and discover the quaint houses in typical Walliser (Valaisan) style. Activities on offer include riding, biking, hiking, and golf. On the Theodul glacier, close to the new Testa Grigia valley station, the Plateau Rosa SnowXperience World of Adventure is due to open in August 2023. It will offer winter sports beginners the chance to hire all the equipment they need and book ski instructors on the spot.
The Details
Each of the 35 luxurious cabins of the gondola is fitted out for maximum comfort and designed to offer unobstructed panoramic views of the majestic Matterhorn from different perspectives. The gondola will stop at nine mountain stations. The five stops on the Swiss side and four on the Italian side will offer a host of activities for passengers, ranging from SnowTubing, the SnowXperience beginner ski area, Glacier Palace, the cinema lounge, and photo points, to name a few.
At the highest mountain station in Europe, the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise, a spectacular view of the 38 peaks that make up the Swiss Alps, awaits passengers, subject to good weather conditions. Though the cable run from Zermatt to Cervinia takes 1.5 to two hours, passengers can take their time and experience different options along the way.
One can either buy a one-way ticket with an optional start in Cervinia (Italy) or Zermatt (Switzerland) or a return ticket and take a day trip to destinations in any of the two countries on either side of the Matterhorn.
Cover photo credit ActiMedia
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