Sexten & Zermatt – two alpine destinations, one passion

How Sexten and Zermatt became twin villages

The twinning began in 2002
The official twinning agreement, sealed in October 2002 in Sexten with 50 invited guests from Zermatt, was initiated by the then mayors Wilhelm Rainer and Robert Gutern.

On the same wavelength Whether it's similarity or difference, there are various reasons that lead to town twinning. Sexten and Zermatt have much in common: Both are considered a mecca for mountaineers. And both are situated on ancient trade routes along the German-Italian language border. Furthermore, their shared cultural identity is rooted in mountain agriculture and many customs shaped by the Baroque and Counter-Reformation periods.

Sexten and the Three Peaks of Lavaredo

„The Tre Cime di Lavaredo and the Matterhorn also contribute to the unity of the two villages. The Sexten Sundial, with its peaks of the Nine, Ten, Eleven, Twelve, and One, practically invites a numerical play with the Matterhorn: there, the One, the undivided divine primal will, towers skyward, and yet, with the three ridge lines visible from the village, 'the Trinity in Unity' is revealed„
– Ernesto Perren from Zermatt.

The Matterhorn is 4,478 m high, making it 1,479 m higher than the Cima Grande. The Matterhorn was first climbed in 1865, an expedition organized by the Englishman Edward Whymper and led by the Swiss mountain guides Trenkwalder, father and son.

The Cima Grande was first climbed in 1869, organized by the Viennese Paul Grohmann and led by the Sexten mountain guide Franz Innerkofler and Peter Salcher from Luggau. The Matterhorn's spectacular nature likely lies in its size, its freestanding imposing presence, and its almost perfect pyramid shape, rather than in its mountaineering difficulties and seemingly insurmountable faces. The Matterhorn's four ridges—the Hörnli Ridge (the easiest and standard route), the Italian Lion Ridge, the Zmutt Ridge, and the most difficult Furggen Ridge—were all climbed within 24 hours for the first time in 1966, and today the record time is under 8 hours.

The Matterhorn is arguably one of the most iconic mountains of the Alps and, besides being a landmark of Zermatt and Valais, is also a symbol of quality and Swiss origin of food and everything else – from chocolate to condoms.

The spectacular nature of the Tre Cime di Lavaredo (2,999 m high) lies in their striking presence and their freestanding elegance and beauty. This trio of peaks can only be viewed from a few select locations, and from the valley floor, only from one vantage point, and even then, only from the side. With standard routes barely exceeding the level of grade III alpine ridge, the true mountaineering challenge lies in the north faces.

The climbs on the north faces of the Tre Cime are among the most difficult and spectacular the mountains have to offer. All the great mountaineers of the ages have strived to conquer these north faces. The Tre Cime are immortalized in the coat of arms of the municipality of Sexten and are the symbol of the entire Dolomites. The Tre Cime also lend their name and symbol to all sorts of souvenirs, from chocolate to cheese.