Old House Zermatt

The structures here are identifiable by their darkened, sun-weathered larch wood and the heavy granite slabs that cap their roofs. These buildings form the Hinterdorf, or rear village, which represents the historic heart of Zermatt. Unlike the modern resort architecture found elsewhere, these dwellings were constructed between the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries by mountain farmers. The wood’s deep color comes from centuries of exposure to high-altitude sun, wind, and snow, a process that also helps the timber absorb and retain heat during cold mountain winters.