Andermatt: the back story

About Andermatt: the back story

By the ULTIMATE Ski Resorts Editorial Team

Editor-in-Chief: Jai Michael

Andermatt grew up at a crossroads: the Gotthard route from north to south, and the Oberalp and Furka passes from east to west. For centuries travellers came through the Schöllenen Gorge and over the Devil’s Bridge; today they come to ski the Gemsstock, eat at four MICHELIN-starred tables and hear concerts in a new hall.

A crossroads in the Ursern Valley

Andermatt lies at 1,444 metres in the Ursern Valley, at the heart of the Gotthard massif. Andermatt-Urserntal Tourism describes its history as shaped above all by its place on the north–south route: you see it in the old houses along the Gotthardstrasse, in the inns that served travellers, and in the legendary Schöllenen Gorge below the village, with its Devil’s Bridge.

Some of those inns still welcome guests. The River House, in a building more than 300 years old, mixes old wood and brick with modern design; up the valley in Hospental, the Hotel St. Gotthard occupies a baroque house built in 1723 and protected as a heritage building. The Hotel Sonne’s painted wooden façade, in the middle of the village, is one of the most photographed in Andermatt.

Andermatt has always been a place people passed through. Now they stay.

A new chapter

In 2013 The Chedi Andermatt opened, a five-star hotel that marries Alpine materials with Asian design. It was the first building of Andermatt Swiss Alps, the resort development that has since added Andermatt Reuss, a new quarter of apartments and hotels by the river, the Radisson Blu Hotel Reussen, a championship golf course and the Andermatt Concert Hall, with 650 seats and a stage for 75 musicians.

Food followed. The Japanese Restaurant at The Chedi and IGNIV by Andreas Caminada both hold two MICHELIN stars in the 2026 guide, and up on the Gütsch, at 2,344 metres, The Japanese at Gütsch and GÜTSCH by Markus Neff hold one star each.

One ski area, three villages

The lifts tell the same story of joining up. The Gemsstock, rising to 2,962 metres above the village, has long been a byword among freeriders. The Gütsch-Express and the Oberalp lifts now link Andermatt with Sedrun and Disentis in one ski area of 180 km and 33 lifts, the largest in Central Switzerland, and Andermatt is part of the Epic Pass.

Our advice: ski the Gemsstock early on a powder morning (with a guide if you leave the pistes), spend a day skiing over the Oberalp to Sedrun, and book the Gütsch restaurants well ahead: a lunch at 2,344 metres is one of the great Alpine tables.

Andermatt through the years

From Andermatt-Urserntal Tourism, Andermatt Swiss Alps, the hotels and the MICHELIN Guide, read October 2026.

Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with Andermatt: the back story before you go.