The village of Zermatt is the most important settlement of the valley, which is surrounded by many four-thousanders, including the Matterhorn.
The valley starts between the high summits south of Zermatt (Monte Rosa, Matterhorn) on the border with Italy.
The difference of height between the talweg and the summits on both side reaches over 3 km.
The villages of Grächen, Embd and Törbel are located above the valley.
Since 1930 the valley is directly connected to St. Moritz by the Glacier Express panoramic train.