In the Swiss Alps, a little village with two very big ski mountains is the perfect winter playground.
It is risky going back to somewhere you really loved.
And what if the place itself has been unfaithful to the memory, growing apart from the cherished ideal?
Skiers descend the Schneehüenerstock summit above Andermatt.Matthieu Gafsou
The ancient houses were topped with huge mounds of snow, rising from the eaves like out-of-control souffles.
Modern life seemed erased by a white tide road signs obscured, and cars turned into amorphous blobs.
It kept snowing much of the week.
A street scene in downtown Andermatt.Matthieu Gafsou
Up on the Gemsstock, the north-facing peak that looms above the village, the skiing was incredible.
And then, everything began to change.
Apres-ski had changed; perhaps everything had.
Right: Ski guide Dan Loutrel stands outside the Ursern Valley Museum, in Andermatt.Matthieu Gafsou
It was time to go back.
Despite the soaring ceilings, the aesthetic was cosseting, low-lit, and intimate.
Hard to imagine that, before the Chedi opened, Andermatt didn’t have a single swimming pool.
The Chedi Andermatt.Matthieu Gafsou
“So has anyone been here before?”
he asked as our newly formed group made slightly awkward introductions.
Loutrel said with a smile.
Andermatt illuminated, with the Alps in the background.Matthieu Gafsou
“The golden age.”
“I think I could hear the angels singing,” Loutrel said when I pulled up beside him.
We stopped for lunch at the Gadabar, a restaurant in an old cattle shed halfway up the mountain.
The Chedi Andermatt hotel’s indoor pool.Matthieu Gafsou
Inside, sheepskin-covered chairs had been arranged around a fire.
The ceiling, floor, walls, and even the menus were made of wood.
“It means the date the bull came to pay a visit,” said the waitress, blushing.
The interior of the 650-seat Andermatt Concert Hall.Matthieu Gafsou
So was he really mourning the golden age?
“It was definitely a special time but it was not sustainable.”
“And to be honest, it really hasn’t changed that much up here on the mountain.”
Pumpkin soup with scallops, miso foam, and bacon at the Chedi’s fine-dining restaurant.Matthieu Gafsou
During our last run of the day, Loutrel led us into an empty valley.
The village itself may be edging upmarket, but on the mountain, things still felt very wild.
Turner, and even Queen Victoria.
Cross-country skiers on the outskirts of town.Matthieu Gafsou
What a beautiful country it is!
How poor and shrunken, beside it, is Italy in its brightest aspect."
Feel damn fine."
A street scene in downtown Andermatt.Matthieu Gafsou
He tried to make himself stay, “but I could not.
The whole place was so terribly raw.”
“My price was dinner.
I chose the wine and he paid the bill,” Sawiris said.
He made his report and thought nothing more of it until months later.
In a referendum, 96 percent of locals backed the plan.
I wanted to check out the expanded ski area on the opposite side of the village from the Gemsstock.
As I explored the new trail system, it soon became clear that this was no generic ski area.
I’ve never done a day’s skiing quite like it.
I took the easy way home, catching the train for one of Europe’s most spectacular rail journeys.
As the steward poured me a white wine, the carriages rattled and swayed around the switchbacks.
The ornamental bottles behind the bar, he assured me, were glued down.
In Andermatt that night, I took a stroll through the cobblestoned streets.
Gentrification can sometimes smooth away the idiosyncrasies in favor of a luxurious monotony.
There are concerns about rising property prices, which could displace locals, and the scale of expansion.
The most visible difference from my last visit was the people.
Every bar was full, and the dining room at the Hotel Sonne was humming with cheerful family groups.
Driving north back to Zurich, I felt something like relief.
For all the changes, Andermatt was safe on its pedestal, unique as it ever was.
Where to Stay
Andermatt Chalet: This six-person rental was artfully refurbished by British architect Jonathan Tuckey.
Chedi Andermatt:This contemporary, high-style property put Andermatt back on the map.
Hotel Sonne: A simple, classic stay that’s full of history.
Vinothek 1620: Get cozy in this funky wine bar, set in a house built in 1620.
What to Do
Andermatt Guides: Serious skiers should head out with Dan Loutrel’s company.
Oxford Ski: Set up a weeklong ski package with this trusted outfitter.
Sport Imholz: Head here for the latest backcountry and on-piste skis.
Swiss Snowsport School: Individual lessons for all ages and abilities.
