Zermatt 2024 Day 12: Lilium martagon

After several days of good weather, the forecast for our penultimate day was less promising, and heavy rain was due to set in late in the morning, and continue for the rest of the day.Having been tantalized every time we went up the Gornergrat railway by a little meadow full of Lilium martagon on the outskirts of town, we decided to try to locate it on foot, as we had only encountered solitary specimens of the lily so far.

Goats

Because of the forecast, we set out a little earlier than usual, and encountered the herd of goats making its morning parade along the main street.  Helen was delighted – she missed them when I saw them earlier in the holiday.

Wildflower bank

We had spent a long time poring over the town map, trying to work out where it was we wanted to go.  Soon we turned off one of the town roads onto a side track next to the railway.  There was a big sign with German writing on it.  Helen photographed it using her phone with Google Lens on and it translated it.  Essentially, it said “private footpath, use at your own risk”.

Verbascum lychnitis and Echium vulgare

Between us and the railway was a bank covered in wild flowers.  Two of the most prominent were Verbascum lychnitis and Echium vulgare (Viper’s Bugloss).

Cerastium tomentosum and Campanula

On this bank, there was a big clump of Cerastium tomentosum with a Campanula growing in its midst.

Lathyrus pratensis

The Meadow Vetchling, Lathyrus pratensis, was twining among the taller plants.

Achillea millefolium

Pink and white forms of Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) added to the display.

Cirsium helenioides

Below the path was a stand of Melancholy Thistle (Cirsium helenioides).

Sempervivum arachnoideum

Between the stones of the railway embankment, Sempervivum arachnoideum was flowering well.

Lilium martagon

As we moved towards where the path crossed the railway line, we could see our goal on the other side of the tracks.

This small, scrubby plot of land, on a steep slope, was home to hundreds of Martagon lilies.  We were delighted to have found this little patch of paradise.

From here, we had excellent views back across the town to where the Edelweiss Hotel and Restaurant clung to the side of the gorge carved by the Triftbach.

Descurainia sophia

Walking back down to the river, we came across a garden full of a yellow crucifer I didn’t recognise, with small flowers and characteristic feathery foliage.  This is apparently Flixweed (Descurainia sophia), which is native to the UK and Europe, and an invasive weed in North America.

Lupins

Next door was a garden full of a magnificent planting of lupins.  It made me wish I could grow them, but the slugs always find and demolish them here.

Philadelphus cultivar

Looking on, a lovely Philadelphus cultivar.

Soon we were back across the river, walking past the church of St Mauritius, and the cemetery, and looking up at the Edelweiss restaurant above.  I was rather taken by this gravestone to a mountaineer, decorated with (plastic) edelweiss and gentians.

We turned down towards the Old Town, past a bed of Iceland poppies, and a commemorative water trough, as well as a modern statue of an ibex outside one of the hotels.

The old town is a jumble of old wooden buildings crowding along narrow streets, with roofs made of large slates.

Eventually we came back out onto the main street, and walked back past the big hotels.

We were intrigued by a shop selling pot plants, and by its prices:

• Gentiana (scabra) 19 francs (small) or 28 francs (large)
• Edelweiss 13 francs (small) or 24 francs (large)
• Sempervivum 6 francs (single rosette) or 12 francs (larger)

Slowly we made our way back down the main street, passing a rather upmarket branch of Macdonalds.

Before long we were back at the Hotel Alex.  There were still only odd drips of rain, so we wandered a little up the lane past the hotel.

Just past the hotel, we came across a meadow full of flowers, and the start of a footpath which led down the side of the valley to Tasch.  We had hoped to take that the following day, but there was a sign up saying the path was closed as it had been washed away further down the valley after the recent floods.

In this meadow, within 100m of the hotel, we found many familiar meadow flowers including: Salvia pratensis, Achillea millefolium, Medicago sativa (lucerne), Vicia sepium, and an attractive Centaurea species.

At this point the rain started to come on more heavily, so we retired to the hotel, while it proceeded to rain solidly for the rest of the day.  It didn’t bode well for our last day.

One last picture – a view across Zermatt from the path by our hotel to the plot where we found the lilies.

I can’t help wondering what will happen to this little pocket of land, surrounded by chalets and hotels.  It seems likely that the current owner must be opposed to development, and deliberately preserving this oasis.  But how long will it be before the generations turn, and the land is sold and built on ?