The brakes of the Matterhorn Gotthard Railway grind to a halt. You look through the window in wonder. Is this the right place? Not many people seem to be getting on or off the train. The bright blue sign reads ‘St Niklas`. The village in the deepest valley of Switzerland. We’ve arrived. On the south side of the station an old man sits on a wobbly bench smoking his pipe. The roads leads down a steep hill. The wheels of our suitcases dance over the old cobblestones. A few meters on and we start to see people. We’re in the village square. On the terrace of the cute café people sit with their backpacks. Thirsty for cold beer, beads of condensation misting up the glasses. They return from tours, possibly Augstbordregion or maybe the Matterhorn village.

The sign reads Bistro des Alps. Check-in at the main lodge. The friendly staff member at the café hands over the room key and carefully goes through the main points. She leads you to the lodge 20 meters away. We see a beautiful, newly renovated house at the crossing of two paths. A touch of nostalgia, as if time has stood still, reflected by the magnificent village centre.