Andermatt - Switzerland

Andermatt overview

Two hours south of Zurich, Andermatt lies in the Userntal Valley at the crossroads of Switzerland's North-South and East-West Alpine passes (this means loads of snow). The pistes reach up to nearly 3,000m giving great snow reliability, especially to the North Facing Gemsstock Mountain runs. Plus, the town has a lovely Swiss charm with narrow streets lined with traditional chalets and the trains, included in the lift pass, chugging up and down the valley to different parts of the ski area only add to the appealing charm.

All but forgotten about as a ski resort until the army left (recently) and Egyptian investor, Samih Sawiris, ploughed £1.2 billion in the area linking the slopes with nearby Sedrun creating the SkiArena Andermatt-Sedrun-Disentis with 180km of piste and doubling the size of the town. Six new lifts were introduced linking the high plateau at Oberalp and Sedrun. Visitors will be charmed by the Matterhorn Gotthard cog railway, which chugs skiers up to the area of Andermatt-Nätschen, where there are slopes more suitable for intermediates and families.

Apres ski isn't Andermatt's big draw but there's still plenty of lively spots including the Spycher bar and there's plenty of local dishes available at the Drei Konige or the Toutoune. The weekend's get more lively with skiers pouring in from nearby towns.

10 Reasons To Visit Andermatt Ski Resort

1. High snow-sure slopes up to nearly 3,000m
2. Excellent snow record
3. Largest ski area in Central Switzerland with 120km of piste
4. Charming town centre with narrow streets lined with traditional chalet-style buildings
5. Overlooked as a ski resort, you won't find hoards of Brits here - a welcome change
6. A great array of challenging skiing up on the Gemmstock mountain with a wide-open bowl with on and off piste options
7. The train around the ski area is included in the lift pass, so you can get up the mountain by a little red train as well as the ski lifts
8. £1.2 billion investment in recent years giving the resort a new lease of life
9. Great ski touring opportunities if you fancy trying this or expanding your skills
10. The brand new Chedi hotel brings a bit of luxury to the resort - part of a project bringing 6 hotels, a pool, 490 apartments and 25 chalets to Andermatt