Zermatt is a quaint alpine village cradled among the bedazzling Alps in Switzerland. Sitting at the foot of the Matterhorn, dubbed the most photographed mountain in the world, the village was discovered in the mid-1800s and until the mid 19^th century, was predominantly an agricultural community.

Every year, thousands of tourists descend on Zermatt perched at an altitude of 1,620m.

Zermatt is interesting not just because it boasts over 400km of ski slopes, some of which stay open throughout the year. Besides skiing, visitors are also attracted to the numerous marked hiking, cycling and mountain climbing trails, again, some of which are open the year round.

The real estate story of Zermatt, which has a footprint of a mere 2.5km by 1km, is just as intriguing. The landscape here is dramatic and refreshing, thanks to the panoramic views afforded. The building architecture employed is understated.

What is most interesting about Zermatt would be its no carbon-on-the-road policy. There are no regular vehicles plying the streets; only electric ones. Complementing these are the charming horse carts and bicycles.

Those headed for Zermatt, therefore, are required to leave their cars or buses at the neighbouring town of Tasch, where they can hop into taxies that will in turn take them to Zermatt, 5km away. Alternatively, visitors can reach Zermatt by the shuttle train from Tasch or the regular trains plying between international airports in Geneva, Zurich, Bern and others.

In a way, Zermatt is very much a “Green” village and this green policy was adopted way back in 1947, long before the global green debate was ignited, to go on to be one of the best-selling and value-added attributes of real estate around the world.

Read about this successful real estate story in the Feb 1, 2010 issue of City & Country, the property pullout of The Edge Malaysia.