An Andermatt family ski break turns out to be one of Switzerland’s more unusual winter holidays and, according to Mike MacEacheran and his family, it’s as impressive as it is surprising.
Andermatt, Switzerland
Soaring skywards into the mist on the Gütsch-Express cable car, we didn’t know quite what to expect from our Andermatt family ski break, as most of our others had been in tried-and-tested resorts, yet here we were in the Alps’ latest millionaire’s playground and a town most famous for its appearance in a James Bond film. Sean Connery, as 007 in Goldfinger, pulls into sharp focus on screen in a glam Aston Martin DB5. We turned up in a crammed Kia Picanto, shaken and stirred from the kids’ relentless, “Are we there yet?” whining. Suddenly, the whole plan felt like a very bad idea.
Why an Andermatt family ski break delivers the unexpected
But I’m getting a little ahead of myself. First let me introduce Andermatt properly. Dating back to around 1200, Andermatt was recently that rarest of places in the Swiss Alps: a handsome mountain town set in a dreamlike valley and completely bypassed by tourism. In 1882, the opening of the St. Gotthard railway tunnel diverted visitors away and then, just three years later, the valley was chosen as the headquarters of the Swiss Federal Army. Eventually hotels closed and, despite its quintessential pastoral nature, the town almost became the anti-St Moritz or Zermatt.
All that changed with the arrival of Samih Sawiris, a member of the richest family in Egypt and developer of some 35 resorts and real estate projects from Egypt to Montenegro. So taken was the billionaire businessman when he first visited Andermatt 20 years ago, that he set in motion the town’s astonishing £890 million transformation. And locals haven’t glanced back once.
These days, an Andermatt family ski break gives you five-star The Chedi Andermatt, as well as two Michelin-starred restaurants, a Radisson Blu and a party-piece concert hall, which has seen the likes of the Swiss Orchestra and Berlin Philharmonic parachute in since opening. The ski terrain has been expanded, links forged with neighbouring town Sedrun, and the developer has partnered with Vail Resorts: the world’s largest ski resort operator. That Lebanese haute fashion designer Elie Saab will open his first hotel in the coming years is yet another flag planted in the ground. For locals, and the entire Swiss Alps, Andermatt only means business.
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Snow Sport School, Andermatt family ski break ©Valentin Luthiger
The Matti Kids Arena is a plus point for families
Having first visited in 2010, I wondered how the town had changed and whether this far-from regular ski area would make our Andermatt family ski break more, or less, memorable.
It got off to a tricky start. Spread out over two main areas set on either side of the valley, Andermatt’s terrain of gnarly runs lacks those easy-going plateaus and confidence-building pistes you’d find in so many other resorts. Indeed, the Gemsstock is nothing but a steep face of black and red run squiggles, so beginners should be aware.
A plus point is the Matti Kids Arena beside the Gütsch-Express, with magic carpets, wide beginner slopes as well as a family restaurant with an indoor playground. But if your family can’t handle red pistes yet, the ski map is limited. To forge any deeper to the Oberalpass, you’ll need to ride the Schneehüenerstock-Express cable car both up and down. Still, there are definitely some perks to this. When my wife and kids descended in the cable car, I raced against time, full Super G style, to beat them down.
Leuchtturm Rheinquelle, Andermatt
This might be the only Alpine resort with a lighthouse in play
On the day we visited the pass, the surrounding mountains ghosted in and out of view through the mist. We sat for lunch at Berggasthaus Piz Calmot, overlooking the frozen Oberalpsee and tracks of the Glacier Express: the ultimate expression of Swiss rail tourism and a journey which connects moneyed Zermatt with the champagne air of St Moritz.
While the kids built a snow fort, I was more taken by the strange appearance of a cherry-red lighthouse that loomed through the haze. Maybe the last thing you expect on an Andermatt family ski break, but it is here, at the source of the Rhine River at 2,046 m, where you’ll find the Leuchtturm Rheinquelle, the world’s highest lighthouse and a replica of the beacon at the Hoek van Holland, where the river meets the North Sea. What is even weirder, you can buy a door key from £90, giving lifetime access to the light tower and membership of a truly bizarre Alpine club.
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The Chedi Andermatt, Andermatt family ski break, Switzerland
Base your Andermatt family ski break at The Chedi Andermatt
Our hotel was also unlike any mountain hotel we’d stayed in before. Over-the-top luxurious, The Chedi Andermatt is all Asian design principles, Buddhist sculpture and ryokan-like latticework, and as expensive as the Alps gets. Still, no matter the size of your family, there are flexible room options to boot, from loft-style apartments with bunk beds to sofa bed possibilities in every suite, and the colossal spa was brilliant, letting my wife escape family responsibilities for an hour or two. The kids in the indoor pool also seemed understandably happy with their lot.
A short walk away, we spent our second evening in Andermatt Reuss, the town’s latest megabucks development and home to an as-yet-unfinished basecamp precinct of shops and restaurants. Swiss Army knife manufacturer Victorinox has bought into the idea, as has Michelin three-star chef Andreas Caminada, who has opened IGNIV by Andreas Caminada. There are others in Bad Ragaz, Zurich and Bangkok, and we found it delightfully quiet, with chef Valentin Sträuli preparing our dishes using flowers and herbs foraged from around the surrounding valleys. Frankly, it was a masterclass of meat and veg, and yet another reminder of how far the valley has come, even if it is all a bit sophisticated for younger kids. Though, the help-yourself candy counter by the door, piled high with caramels, sugar-coated jellies and macarons, turned out to be a hit.
If this is the future of family ski breaks, we’re game
On the last morning of our Andermatt family ski break, we felt we’d had the best of everything and done more than enough to justify such a short trip. The sun had appeared, and the mountain was crowded with locals and curious visitors like us. There was an expectant buzz with the change in the weather and, after a final few downhills, our journey into the bold future of the Swiss Alps was over. We packed our ski boots into the car and ended almost as we’d started. But this time the kids were asleep and didn’t say a word.
Make It Happen
How to get there
Direct UK flights to Zurich from 1 hour, 35 minutes
Zurich to Andermatt from 1 hour, 28 minutes
Where to stay
The Chedi Andermatt, Deluxe Room (2 adults, 2 children) B&B from £752 per night
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