Hidden Gems of North-Central Connecticut

CANTON, CT — Learning about numerous aspects of a foreign country has never been as fun as it is at the subject of the latest installment of a periodic series on Patch sites in north-central Connecticut highlighting "hidden gems" throughout the region.

Matterhorn Mini Golf opened in 2015 at 10 Dyer Cemetery Road in Canton, adjacent to Route 44. The course is entirely Switzerland-themed, with each of the 18 tee areas contain little-known facts and information about the mountainous central European country.

Among the themed holes are Heidi, which contains small goat poop barriers; a bobsled track/ski moguls, which roll downhill at the base of a Swiss Alp; and "Roger That," a tribute to tennis great Roger Federer featuring tennis balls and rackets as obstacles on a player's way to the hole.

"Learn about cheese, chocolate and even the Hadron Collider as you putt your way through 18 holes of adventure in Switzerland," the course's web site declares. "Distant yodeling in the background fades in and out as you cover the half-acre course. Come meet our family of goats - each of which was painted by a local school or artist!"

The course has earned numerous accolades during its short period of existence, including being named among the 10 best miniature golf courses in America by USA Today in 2016.

Summer hours at Matterhorn are Monday-Thursday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday-Saturday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.; and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

(Matterhorn Mini Golf)

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This series features out-of-the-way mom and pop restaurants, small specialty stores you may have never heard of, little-known historical markers or beautiful nature spots that may be a bit off the beaten path. Do you have a favorite "hidden gem" in the area that you wish to see featured in this column? Email your ideas to tim.jensen@patch.com.

Other columns in this series:

• Wood Memorial Library & Museum
• Hastings Farm
• Liquid Nirvana
• Iwo Jima Survivors Memorial Park
• Academy Hall
• Southington Drive-In
• Little Theatre of Manchester at Cheney Hall
• Somersvillage Gifts & Gourmet Baskets
• New England Civil War Museum
• The Pinchot Sycamore
• Stafford Palace Theater
• Mansfield Hollow State Park
• Old Tolland County Jail and Museum
• Hill-Stead Museum
• Mark's Restaurant