LONDON — Imagine being trapped in paradise. Or winter wonderland. This was the situation 13,000 tourists found themselves in on Wednesday at the foot of the Matterhorn, Switzerland’s most famously photogenic mountain.

A combination of heavy snowfall and rain made access routes inaccessible this week, stranding visitors in Zermatt, a picturesque resort village sitting among glaciers that promise white slopes all year round.

Both road and rail access remained cut off for much of Wednesday as officials raced to clear the way for tourists and locals alike to reach the lower valley. The Glacier Express, whose carriages offer stunning views of some of the most spectacular peaks in the Alps, couldn’t reach Zermatt, either.