One of the most awe-inspiring mountains in Europe

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One of the most awe-inspiring mountains in Europe, a four-faced monolith with a distinctive rearing peak that gives it something of the appearance of a cobra about to strike.It also rises to 4,478m (14,693ft), which makes it a good few metres shorter than Mont Blanc (Europe's tallest mountain at 4,808m/15,774ft), but pretty tall nonetheless. In fact, so awe-inspiring is the Matterhorn that no climber visited its summit until 1865 – pretty late in Alpine terms. Mont Blanc was first conquered in 1786, while the Grossglockner (Austria's highest peak) was crested as early as 1800.Where: Right on the border between Switzerland and Italy, in the heart of the Alps. The mountain's south face looks down into the land of pasta, scooters and long-haired footballers, while the north face gazes onto the fabled Swiss ski resort of Zermatt.Why go? Because, in famous-peak terms at least, the Matterhorn is one of the great mountaineering challenges. Or, more realistically, because it makes for one of the finest backdrops to a day of skiing anywhere in the world. You can take ski lifts from Zermatt to Trockener Steg (changing at Furi station), an elevated spot (at 2,939ft) that sits almost in the mountain's huge shadow. From here, you can wend your way back downhill with the grand old rock towering gloriously above your shoulder.Random fact: The Matterhorn is something of a graveyard for climbers. Of the seven men who reached the summit in that first successful ascent of 1865, four met their maker on the way down, (dis)courtesy of a broken rope.