Zermatt is a village located (46°1N 7°45E) at the northern base of the Matterhorn in the German-speaking and predominantly Roman Catholic section of the Valais canton in southern Switzerland. It is 62 km southeast of Gstaad, and only about 10 km from the border with Italy.

Zermatt is famed as a ski resort and as a general tourist destination. Until the mid-19th century, it was predominantly an agricultural community — its name, as well as that of the Matterhorn itself, derives from the alpine meadows or matten in the valley. In the German language, the town is "Zur Matte", or "in the meadow", hence the name.