A giant “new” Swiss ski area has officially “opened” this winter after 10 years of design and construction and an investment of CHF130 million (about £103 million at time of writing).
flagship mountain, the Gemsstock, snow is stockpiled on the Gemsstock Glacier and St Anna Glacier. Thanks to constant snow farming, around 25,000m3 of topquality snow can be protected from melting at both locations, with around 10,000m2 of fleece being used for this purpose at the two locations.
Switzerland where every bit of land is already owned
GREAT MOUNTAIN DINING
and development strictly controlled isn’t going to
Food is seen as a big factor in the success of
happen, and the historic resorts of Andermatt and
the newly revamped ski area, which boasts eight
Sedrun are, well, already famous.
mountain restaurants overseen by restauranteur
Of course, creating an entirely new ski area in
Andermatt, in particular, is famous for its great skiing
Marco Però and his team, who place great importance
and deep powder snow, and the great Swiss skier
The big driving force behind this entire project (at
on using local and regional products. The cheese,
Bernhard Russi, a Winter Olympic gold medallist who
one point described as “the biggest building site in
fruits, sausages and herbs from the Andermatt region
has gone on to design the downhill courses at most of
Switzerland”) has been Egyptian billionaire Samih
help make the cuisine authentic and special. With
the Olympics for the past 30 years, was born here.
Sawiris (now also Chairman of the Board of lift
great attention to detail, specialities from Uri and
So what has actually happened is that the two ski areas
company Andermatt-Sedrun Sport AG), who has also
Grisons are served in a traditional style while also
have had their lifts and runs almost entirely renewed,
been developing a new year-round resort base, the
being freshly reinterpreted.
extensive snowmaking added and a new connection
Andermatt Swiss Alps destination, with a selection of
One nice feature is that the spring water from the
between them completed. In other words the ski area
properties and accommodation ranging right up to the
Gotthard Massif is of especially high quality, and so
has been almost entirely redeveloped, renewed, taken
luxurious 5 Chedi Hotel. A new Radisson Blu hotel is
the restaurants offer still and sparkling mountain
back to the drawing board and started from scratch.
the latest to open there this winter.
water for free. To ensure an environmentally friendly
Planning lasted from 2009 to 2014, and construction
The new gondola to Schneehüenerstock highlights the
resort, plastic bottles are not used in the SkiArena.
has been going on since 2015. The result is a ski area
significance of this new central hub to the whole area.
of 120km, the largest in central Switzerland, served by
Two ski lifts meet here between the two parts of the
22 lifts including state-of-the-art high-speed chair and
ski area at an elevation of 2,500m, and it is here too
gondola lifts to whisk you up the slopes.
that the three-way link to the Disentis ski area will be
The ski area has something for everyone with terrain
completed next winter.
ranging from the nearly 3,000m-high Gemsstock all the
“With this ski region we now have the type of first-class
way to Sedrun in the canton of Grisons. The new area
winter attraction we need for successful international
also links two Swiss cantons and two cultures.
marketing of the destination,” Mr Sawiris said at the
And although the new area officially opened just
official inauguration of the ski area.
before Christmas with the opening of the last key
Fortunately it’s a stunning spot worthy of such an
lift in the connection, the Schneehüenerstock-
important location at the heart of the new area. There
Express gondola, work is now underway on a second
are breathtaking views of the Ursern Valley, and a new
connection to another neighbouring ski area, Disentis.
mountain restaurant also opened there in December,
Due for completion next winter, 2019/20, this will
complete with a huge terrace, so it’s a great place to
enlarge the area further to 160km.
take a break and take it all in.
SNOW-SURE Andermatt has a reputation for its good, deep snow cover, and indeed at the time of writing in early winter the entire world – in any case it’s usually one of the
EASY ACCESS
deepest in the Alps all season.
Andermatt-Sedrun is just 90 minutes from Zurich Airport
As a result the ski season at SkiArena Andermatt-Sedrun
by road, and rail passengers can make the journey
lasts seven months from November to May. Besides
in two hours. The resort has been designed so that
that natural snow, there’s been heavy investment in
Andermatt’s rail station is both close to the Andermatt
snowmaking as well as snow farming equipment.
Swiss Alps destination and has a new gondola up to the
In order to enable an early season start on Andermatt’s
slopes departing from the station itself.
2018/19 it was posting the deepest snow base in
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