Not everyone is willing to spend the majority of their winter in hibernation, and for those thrill seekers looking to challenge themselves, why not try one of the longest ski runs on the planet? Zermatt, a village in Switzerland, is home to the iconic Matterhorn, as well as the Klein Matterhorn, one of the longest cable car ride and ski trail on the planet.

This area, or canton, of Switzerland, boasts three world-class ski resorts, but the glacial slopes of the Klein Matterhorn, at 12,740 feet, tower above the rest. After you strap on your snowboard, or your skis, you can race down the more than eight miles of mountainside trail all the way to the village in the valley below.

If you really like to ski, you’ll know that means some serious, hardcore fun. With a vertical descent of 7, 218 feet drop, perhaps flying, or at least a controlled fall, better describes the type of exhilarating ski run that’s in store for you.

Extreme winter sports not your style? A ride in the cable car might do the trick and it clocks in as the highest in all of Europe. Once you pass through the glacier grotto, the breathtaking panoramas from the viewing platform span across the French, Italian and Swiss Alps, and encompass almost 40 peaks, many over 13,000 feet.

If you find yourself in Europe, or have ever dreamed of skiing in the shadow of the stunning Matterhorn, you should definitely make your way to this small hamlet, located in the canton of Valais, in mountainous Switzerland.

Klein Matterhorn
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Klein Matterhorn
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Klein Matterhorn
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Klein Matterhorn
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