A serene Alpine lake at Innerthal
Naturally I’m back in Switzerland, staying in Zürich for as
long as the authorities (and my family!) allow. The weather before New Year’s
Day had been mild, but in mid-January the snow and cold of a real winter
arrived.
We decided to take a day trip to the Swiss Alpine town of Andermatt,
one of the lesser-known ski resorts, certainly not as famous as Zermatt,
Gstaad, or Davos, but just as gorgeous. Andermatt,
in the heart of the St Gotthard Massif, lies at an altitude of over 4700 feet on
a crossroads between the mountain passes of St Gotthard, the Oberalp, the
Furka, and The Göschenertal. This Alpine valley in the Canton Uri is the source
of both the Rhine River, which flows into the North Sea, and the Rhone River,
which flows into the Mediterranean.
St Michael Chapel in Andermatt, with an ancient Gothic baptismal font inside
Driving through the 10.5 mile long St Gotthard Road Tunnel,
which opened in 1980, is a radical switch from the German Swiss to the Italian
Swiss. One enters the north portal of the tunnel at the town of Göschenen, in
the Canton Uri, and exits the southern end at Airolo in the Italian speaking Canton
Ticino. As with many tunnels through mountain passes (such as the Eisenhower
Tunnel in Colorado) the weather at one portal can be entirely different from
the other, that is, one can enter during a blizzard, and exit into the
sunshine.
Andermatt had always been an important staging post on the ancient
St Gotthard Pass, resulting in the development of several hotels and transport
services. In the 19th century a Swiss Federal Army barracks was
located in Andermatt, further expanding the local economy. But with the opening
of the St Gotthard Road Tunnel in 1980, which bypassed Andermatt, many hotel
businesses closed or were converted to barracks for the remaining army training
functions. However, Andermatt is well worth a detour if driving from Zurich to
Lugano, or as its own destination, as it is an easy hour’s drive from
Zurich. And what breathtaking scenery!
Skiers and snowboarders at dusk
Of course, the two ski areas above Andermatt have ski lifts
running up from the village, and the public transportation serves the lifts
from the several hotels. This village is an authentic ski town, what the ski
resorts of Vail and Aspen in Colorado were designed to emulate.
The Chedi Andermatt
Andermatt is undergoing significant upgrades with the recent
addition of The Chedi Andermatt, a 5-Star hotel, conference center and spa. The
Chedi opened in 2013 to some controversy, as introducing such a world-class
attraction, even if a boost to the tourist industry, may cause excessive strain
on a delicate alpine environment.
However, the developers made a great effort to create a facility with
minimum environmental impact, and employ an architectural style that melds the
traditional alpine ski chalet look with ultra-modern 5-star amenities.
Cozy time for aperitifs!
We had lunch in one of the many dining rooms, and after
taking a walk around Andermatt, returned to The Chedi for aperitifs in front of
one of the several roaring fireplaces. What luxury! From the windows we could watch the sunset on
the snowy peaks surrounding Andermatt, a joy to behold.
Breathtaking sunset
If planning to visit Andermatt, check out the village website: www.andermatt.ch,
and for a luxury lunch, try The Chedi Andermatt
at www.ghmhotels.com
