A luxurious and popular village located in the Uri canton, at the foot of the Gotthard, Andermatt is a skier’s paradise. People from all over the world have fallen in love with this traditional ski resort, which has been open for 81 years now. Not only does it have an outstanding snow record, it also boasts some serious black runs, off-piste terrain and ski-touring opportunities.
Andermatt is widely regarded as the snowiest area of Switzerland, and it is situated in the Ursen Valley, where the mountain passes of Oberalp, Furka, and Gotthard meet. The local winter sports area has an altitude at 1444 m at the base, reaching 2963 m at the summit. This means that there is a 1519 m vertical drop. There are 22 ski lifts here. Moreover, the terrain is split into the following: 17 per cent of expert runs, 53 per cent of advanced runs, and 30 per cent of intermediate runs. This is split across 47 runs in total with one terrain park and 120 km of pistes.
Living in Andermatt
Living in Andermatt is a delight. There are 1,408 people living here. The vast majority of the population speak German and there is a very low unemployment rate of 0.9%. The town features charming old houses along the main street. They run from the Gemsstock cable car all the way down to the central river bridge. There are then new developments on the margins of the village.
Due to its altitude During 2017, there was 723 cm of snowfall, with 45 days of snowfall in total, and the greatest snowfall was 100 cm. In terms of the weather, in the winter you can expect lows of -4 and highs of 5. During the summer, you can expect lows of 8 and highs of 17. Get the latest weather and snow updates with our Andermatt resort guide here.
Culture and things to do in Andermatt
Not only is Andermatt a place that offers plenty of skiing opportunities, but also there is a lot to see and things to do. The culture here has been shaped by the location and the North/South divide. Museums include Sasso San Gottardo, Nationales St. Gotthard and Talmuseum Ursern. Historical sites worth mentioning include Teufelsstein, Dampfbahn Furka Bergsrecke, and Suworow-Denkmal. Finally, there are lots of beautiful churches in the area as well. The following is a mere handful: Kirche St. Michael, Pfarrkirche Maria Himmelfahrt, Grotte Marines and Staubenkapelle.
Investment potential in Andermatt
Now is a great time to invest in Andermatt. The village has virtually doubled in size after a new village was constructed next to the original. Not only do people visit Andermatt for family ski holidays and trips with friends but also there are a lot of people that come for the weekend, so you also have the option of letting to the shorter rental market.
Plus, Andermatt attracts a new type of visitor – the rich and the famous. This is because Samih Sairis dedicated himself to turning Andermatt into an exclusive resort that is active throughout every month of the year. He founded Andermatt Suisse Alps and constructed a number of four and five-star hotels. This was a plan that was first developed in 2013. It saw a wealth of luxury apartments and hotels were built in the area. This plan, carried out by Orascom, resulted in over twice the amount of ski slopes, a new leisure centre, an 18-hole golf course, up to 30 new villas, just under 500 new apartments and six new hotels. There have also been new lifts unveiled, which link Andermatt with Sedrun. This is one of the most progressive ski resorts, making now the perfect time to invest.
Transport to Andermatt
The nearest airport to Andermatt is Zurich Airport (ZRH), which is 125 kilometres. It will take you around an hour and a half to reach Andermatt from Zurich Airport if you travel by car. You could also get a train, which takes around two and a half hours. The other option is to fly into Milan Airport, which is 195 kilometres away from the ski resort. It will take you around two hours to get to Andermatt via car from Milan Airport. Milan also has easy rail links to Andermatt, as does Geneva Airport, so it is a really easy and convenient ski resort to get to.