{"id":3033,"date":"2019-05-20T15:32:51","date_gmt":"2019-05-20T15:32:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ultimatesk2stg.wpengine.com\/ski-resorts\/switzerland\/andermatt"},"modified":"2026-03-13T15:02:17","modified_gmt":"2026-03-13T15:02:17","slug":"andermatt","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.ultimate-ski.com\/ski-resorts\/switzerland\/andermatt\/","title":{"rendered":"Andermatt"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the Ursern Valley, at the crossroads of Switzerland\u2019s North-South and East-West Alpine passes, Andermatt was once one of the traffic hubs of Europe. The opening of St Gotthard railway tunnel in 1882 and the road tunnel completion nearly a century later, however literally undermined Andermatt’s economy, turning a once thriving area into a dead end.<\/p>\n

Its lifeline was the Swiss army. From 1885 to the early 21st century, Andermatt was a garrison town and this military occupation choked off its development as a ski resort. Andermatt had a snowy mountain, high ski lifts reaching to nearly 3,000m and narrow streets lined with traditional chalets but it also had barracks full of soldiers and a heavy-arms firing range.<\/p>\n

Then the military left and into the void stepped an Egyptian-born destination developer, named Samih Sawiris and his Orascom company. He spent billions reinventing Andermatt as an upmarket year-round mountain resort. The town was transformed with new luxury hotels, apartments and chalets. New ski lifts linked Andermatt to the high plateau at Oberalp and then onto Dieni, a small lift station near Sedrun, creating the Andermatt-Sedrun SkiArena<\/strong> with over 120kms of pistes, making it a respectable mid-sized area for piste skiers.<\/p>\n

For freeride enthusiasts, however, the jewel in its crown of Andermatt’s skiing remains unchanged: it’s still the naturally snowy, north-facing, 2,961m high Gemsstock mountain on the other side of town, which is the home of the famous Bernhard Russi black run and legendary off-piste routes such as Giraffe and Geissberg.<\/p>\n

Andermatt has a wide range of accommodation options<\/a> including the quirky Sonne Hotel and The Old Coaching Inn, as well as the luxurious Chedi Andermatt<\/a>. The apr\u00e8s-ski is relatively tame but it’s a nice place to wander around in the evenings with plenty of restaurants.<\/p>\n

With its central location, Andermatt is easy to reach, and quick transfers from Zurich<\/a> airport make it a popular weekend destination. For those who stay longer, day trips to Engelberg<\/a>, another mecca for off-piste skiers, are possible but there is no lift-pass sharing arrangement.<\/p>\n

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Ultimate-Ski Guide to Andermatt<\/h3>\n