Helen Seuckan - Shepherdess for Valais Blacknose Sheep

My favourite destination is…

Zermatt in the Swiss Alps because nowhere else in Europe are the mountains higher and the views more spectacular. The flora and fauna are so astonishingly well adapted to the harsh climate at high altitude and are therefore also unique. The whole thing is rounded off with top-quality services, as you’d expect in Switzerland.

The best thing about it is...

The breathtaking Matterhorn, which you simply have to see for yourself to understand the fascination.

Last time I was there…

I accompanied a flock of sheep in the mountains for several months and provided guests who visited the flock with interesting and authentic information about these very special animals, the native blacknose sheep. It’s a seasonal job, as the sheep go down to the town over winter.

If you go here make sure you…

Take a ride on the panoramic train to the Gornergrat. The beauty of nature, the views and the overall experience is stunning every time. It runs year round, including through the deep snow in winter. I love to eat at Petit Royal, which is the best coffee shop in Zermatt! Alexandra, who owns the shop, bakes amazing vegan cakes, cookies and offers oat and soya milk with coffee. I live plant-based, so where I’d go for vegan meals is my favourite Italian restaurant, Casa Mia Ristorante Pizzeria. Also the famous Zermatt Kitchen serves vegan and vegetarian. But if you want to eat meat, the blacknose sheep dishes are popular at Schäferstube. 

The hotel I always stay at is…

I usually try to book into one of the family-run, three or four-star hotels. There are many of them in Zermatt because the town is very geared to tourists. For me, The Tradition Julen Hotel is special as it has an incredibly warm atmosphere with two restaurants offering typical Swiss cuisine. I stayed there at Easter last year. I’ve travelled quite a lot, visiting five continents over the past eight years, and for me, the Julen competes with the best hotels in the world.

The best time of year to go to Zermatt is…

Any time. Unlike some other European Alpine destinations, it’s open 365 days a year. In winter there are mostly snow skiers. In summer you can hike and meet the sheep, and you might get lucky and see a native marmot. Fall (autumn) is beautiful too, and not so busy, so any time of year, there is something unique to do.

Picture: The Tradition Julen Hotel

Zermatt is perfect for…

Families, couples or solo travellers. It’s safe and accessible via bus or train (Switzerland has an excellent train network). The Meet the Sheep blacknose sheep flock is
becoming popular. Kids can walk to them too, and there have even been some marriage proposals made while visiting the sheep! A perfect thing to do is take a picnic, sit on the mountain and simply enjoy the breathtaking view.

You should pack…

Comfortable shoes. Zermatt is car-free and although the distances are not very great, there is a lot of walking. It is mostly steep uphill and downhill, so shoes with good grip on the bottom are an absolute must.

Last time I was there I…

Discovered Z’Mutt. It’s hundreds of years old and a typical old mountain village with basically-constructed small wooden homes. You can hike there from Zermatt in a few hours, across the most beautiful countryside, not far from some of the world’s great glaciers. At Z’Mutt, time seems to have stood still. You can sit on the terrace of a restaurant (which, by the way, was the forecourt of the chapel) and enjoy an apfelstrudel and a coffee.

Make sure you never…

Stay only one night. There’s so much to do in Zermatt any time of the year and it takes time to take it all in, so definitely plan to stay several days. It’s also a way you can cushion the risk of changeable weather. It is high in the mountains and the weather can change quickly from day to day or even hour to hour.