The Matter Valley (German: Mattertal, or sometimes Nikolaital) is located in southwestern Switzerland , south of the Rhône valley in the canton of Valais . The village of Zermatt is the most important settlement of the valley, which is surrounded by many four-thousanders, including the Matterhorn .

Located in the Pennine Alps , the Matter Valley is drained by the Matter Vispa, a tributary of the Rhone. The valley itself ends at Stalden where it meets the Saas Valley. The resulting Visp Valley continues for a few kilometres until it reaches the town of Visp on the young river Rhone. The valley starts between the high summits south of Zermatt (Monte Rosa , Matterhorn) on the border with Italy.