I visited Andermatt for three days in mid December 2023 as I got a last minute ticket and jumped on a plane to chase one of the many Alps-region snow storms this season. As an Epic pass holder Andermatt became an easy option, but I also wanted to experience the town before it changed too much. Let’s address that right away: There’s clearly big change happening in Andermatt. The “old town” part of Andermatt still has a lot of original charm and character. But the many cranes, real estate development projects, and the recently built Radisson luxury hotel give proof of what’s to come. I stayed at Hotel Schlussel, an old school classic Alpine hotel with a great breakfast, very helpful hotel manager, and it was also very reasonably priced. To my pleasant surprise I found that mid-December is still early ski-season in the Alps. Whereas the US resorts rush to open as early as they can, only the Gemsstock part of Andermatt was open when I visited. And given the winter the Alps have had so far it was certainly not for the lack of snow that the rest of the resort was not open. My review is therefore based on skiing the Gemsstock part of the resort. Sedrun and Desantis were also closed when I was there.
I was super fortunate with the snow. It snowed heavily the day I got there, and the snow continued for the next two days. Snow quality was superb from the Gemsstock mid-station and up (~800m vert), although it got a tad heavier towards the bottom near the town of Andermatt. Let’s just get this out of the way: Andermatt is a freeride paradise! The freeride options off Gemsstock seem endless, both down the Gurschen glacier and sunny side of Gemsstock. Crowds were also non-existent. From speaking with the locals, this is an early season phenomenon, and also a weekday phenomenon. But who was I to complain..? I skied Wednesday through Friday. The first two days I just about literally had the mountain to myself. The Friday got a bit more crowded, but nowhere near the crowds were used to from the US. And fresh powder was found all day also on the Friday. The first two days were foggy and visibility was at times non-existent. Chris, the owner of the local ski and coffee shop Made In called Andermatt a bad-weather ski resort. I certainly got that the first two days. It also doesn’t help that there’s no trees on the Gemsstock side so conditions quickly become complete whiteout when it fogs up. And the unforgiving visibility is probably my biggest issue with Andermatt too. At times I was forced to stay on the groomer and ski from marker to marker just to make it down from the mountain. I even got seasick (no kidding) while skiing down once due to the total whiteout. But once a window of visibility opened and I was able to freeride all of that was forgotten. With the superb snow and lack of crowds I had some of the best freeriding of my life. Sun came out the third day I was there, and I also hired a private guide from Andermatt Guides that day. It was more money than I’d ever thought I’d spend, but it was totally worth it as he showed me some of the hike-to terrain and other secret stashes of the mountain that I would have not discovered on my own.
Groomers on the Gemsstock side quickly became boring, but fortunately I did not spend much time on those. Gemsstock is about freeriding, and when snow and weather allows it is some of the finest freeriding available.
I had lunch every day at the Gurschen restaurant, a bit high priced, but food was superb. Apres ski starting at the igloo by Gurschen and then continuing to Gadabar before skiing back to Andermatt was also a fun vibe. Apres was very sub-par when I was there due to the lack of crowds, but that paid solid dividends in terms of having the powder to myself.
The town has plenty of pubs, bars, and restaurants. With it’s close proximity to Italy, pizza and pasta dishes are plentiful and also quite good. Best pizza and atmosphere I found was at Spycher.
They of course also have traditional Swiss alpine places. Food and drinks at Bar Di Alt Apothek was also very good.
Given that it was early season and only Gemsstock was open my review is therefore somewhat limited. And I almost feel like I shouldn’t spill the secret, but if you can get to Andermatt early season when snow is great you may just have some of the best skiing you’ve ever had.
Also check out the video for a quick recap!
See our video here

We said 5 years ago that it was time to visit Andermatt before the masses descended, and we were right. The resort is now noticeably busier, but weirdly, only during the day. The upper mountain restaurants and piste trails either side of Oberalppass have way more traffic than in past seasons. Given the vast lift & ski trail changes of the last few years, that was always going to happen, particularly as much of the new terrain is intermediate in nature. Plus, unlike the Gemsstock, the new lifts & terrain are almost all in the sun! What was once an off-piste freeriders wet dream is now a ski resort for everyone - not such a bad thing.

Having said that, Andermatt is noticeably busier, there is still so much to love about it though, and that increase in patronage has probably contributed to improving several aspects of the resort that were lacking in the past.

After Vail Resorts purchased our ‘home’ ski hill (as they are want to do!), we possess Epic Passes. For us then, a delightful improvement at Andermatt is showing your Epic Pass & getting free lift tickets from the cash desk. An easy process, despite what some may say. And because we start early, we had the entire Gemsstock to ourselves for several hours in early February. Doing long 1,500m vertical top to bottom groomers with no one else in sight is pretty special. However (and probably due to the vail Resorts purchase of the ski lifts) there are noticeably more North American visitors to the resort than we noted in the past. This will probably impact the resort more and more over time.

The restaurant, cafe & bar offerings in Andermatt have exponentially improved. The cost of a few places is 'extravagant', but this is Switzerland, and if you don’t like paying lots for food, go to Italy or shop at the supermarket and do some cooking! The new high-end restaurants up on the mountain at Gütsch (Bergrestaurant Gütsch) are out of reach for most visitors, but who cares! If a Michelin restaurant experience in the mountains is your ski holiday proclivity, now you can do it in Andermatt (bookings are essential). If, like us, it’s not your thing, there are plenty of affordable options nearby (and now there are also a host of self-contained apartments in town for holiday rental to allow self-catering!). The traditional Wachthuus mountain hut serves amazing rösti, pasta and other dishes for a fraction of the cost of its neighbours, and in a true Swiss alpine atmosphere.

In the centre of town the classics are still classic and approachable. Italian influences are everywhere, none more noticeable than in the new bar next to Shell petrol station called Emporium(253). Perfect negroni, spritz and other delights from south of the border. Nearby, it’s hard to beat an Andermatt Spritz(!) and pasta from Il Fermento. Waxing lyrical with the effervescent host is a highlight. The cafe at the Gemsstock mid-station has been very pleasantly renovated, although the coffee (as with most of Switzerland) is ridiculously priced and not worth it. At the end of the ski day, sliding down the road into town the Himalaya Bar has views over town, whilst further along, the Biber Bar still rocks out great tunes on the deck as the Glacier Express from St Moritz rolls past. Of course traditional Swiss cuisine is easily found throughout, so if you need a cheese fix you wont have to look too hard for a fondue.

After dark though, the village goes strangely quiet, and fairly quickly. It has always been the case, but I was surprised that it was still the case. There is little in the way of true 'nightlife' (Spycher & Pinte have music 'til late). That's fine with me, but eves-dropping in on some Nth American visitors, they found the lack of mid-week, nighttime entertainment particularly galling. Perhaps if there was 30cm of fresh every morning their outlook may have been different?

Even with a leaner than normal snowpack, all piste trails were open, perfectly groomed and fun. We could still ski down the full Oberalppass road back into town from Nätschen, although we were disappointed to find the black groomed piste that once ran straight down under the lift line is no longer there and is instead now an ungroomed ski route (climate change in action?). We skied directly into town from the Gemsstock home trails as well. The wide runs into Sedrun’s Dieni base were particularly busy. Way busier than in previous visits. The off-piste was cruddy so we largely avoided it except when the sun softened it after lunch around Oberalppass (but we still rate it 5/5 for its scope). We explored the off-piste steeps under the Calmut-Flyer chair for the first time and enjoyed it.

Accommodation in Andermatt can still be got for a reasonable price in the old village. Numerous guesthouses (gasthaus) and other options provide as a good a value lodgings as in any major ski resort in the world. We stayed in the classic 'old school' Gasthaus zum Sternan. Centre of town, breakfast included, nighttime restaurant, short walk from the train station and to the ski lifts, nearly ski-in from the Gemsstock (to 30 metres away just across the bridge). Perfect.

In the end, for us, Andermatt is about taking the train to a lovely snowy village and riding the off-piste powder until your legs liquefy. The Gemsstock cable car limits the amount of people skiing its 1,500m of freeride awesomeness on a powder day. That run alone is worthy of the visit. As Andermatt itself gets a little busier, heading a little further afield to Disentis could be the thing to do. We have done it via the early train ..... and that's why we love Andermatt. Whilst some long-time lovers of Andermatt may despair at the changes of the last 7 years, we can see the positives and will always return. Trains, powder, fun, atmosphere and getting free lift passes. Aah Switzerland.

If you have an Epic Pass and are thinking of visiting Switzerland, why wouldn't you spend a few days at Andermatt?

See our video here

Well what a difference 15 years makes.....we had an amazing time then but in 2023??

The resort has been bought out by " BIG" capital. It is definitely not a niche powder place - there is a Michelin restaurant at the top of a hill -- and a 5 star hotel in the town - there are some massive self catering blocks being built which must have increased the accommodation by about 4 times the orignal town. The expansion is in reds and blues along the railway line.

So categorically not UNCROWDED - the OFFPISTE is packed and the value -- ha ha its Switzerland -- when we went to give in our lift pass with a 10 suisse franc deposit on we were offered a bag of sweets or the 20 Francs - how immoral is that if you were handing the pass in with kids but how much more dosh does the lift pass company make.
See our video here

Some excellent trails and off piste, especially Gemstock, but one gets bored of the short link style runs at Andermatt to Sedrun. Sedrun is more crowded with less demanding terrain.
See our video here

Andermatt is stunning.
The natural features are diverse and beautiful with options for everyone regardless of skiing abilities.
The town is gorgeous and a good size with a range of accommodation options from historical to modern.
Food and drink excellent.
Snow quality really good & dry, despite no fresh for days.
Off piste limited only by snow fall & cover.
See our video here

The town of Andermatt is easy to reach by highway, just about an hour drive from Lugano. There is plenty of parking space near the Gemsstock cable car. The Gemsstock slopes are amazing and the snow quality is great most of the times. Then you have the slopes on the Gütsch, which can't be reach by skiing from the Gemsstock, but you can take a bus that stops right on the slope descending to the cable car. One think I noticed is that snowboarders might have a hard time going from the Schneehüenerstock back to the Gütsch since the slope is blue and pretty flat.
See our video here

Great snow, easy to get to and great off-piste runs.
Andermatt has gone through a lot in the last few years but Sedrun and Disentis still hold all of their charm.
See our video here

Super stoked with Andermatt. The Gensstock was steep & deep as promised. Some lift lines for the cable car but needed the rest anyway, so no problemo. A few long flat exits from the backside were a bummer but worth every aching minute. Town has enough bars to fully continue the stoke. Super couloirs - yes. Super snow - yes, Coming back - yes.
See our video here

Andermatt Sedrun has finally made it into the ranks of the world’s great ski resorts. The transformation has been years in the making & one of the biggest in Europe. We have been observing first hand over the past few years.

In season 2018/19 the resort’s main meal for powder hunters, the Gemsstock, had the deepest snowpack in the world for much of the season (until it pewked snow in western USA for several weeks in late February!). That’s not unusual & is a great starting point for a ski destination. But whilst Andermatt has always been an objective for serious freeriders, it was never been truly approachable to the masses, until now.

So, what has changed. New & replaced lifts, new piste trails, new dynamic lift ticketing system, new restaurants, new hotels & apartments, new shopping precinct, integration of ski resort facilities with the train station & most importantly, a new psyche which includes full active partnership POW (Protect Our Winters), plus little touches like free water at all the mountain restaurants (unusual in Europe).

The immense ski lift & terrain expansion, full interlinking with Sedrun’s Dieni lift base & train station, plus an increase in bed numbers with the creation of quality hotel & apartment options like the Chedi & Radisson Blu Hotel Reussen, has seen Andermatt transformed. In the ‘old town’ there has even been a subtle increase in style & quality of bar & restaurant offerings too – not a bad thing.

The expansion in piste trails is obvious all the way to Oberalppass. Whilst many of them are a touch too off-camber & short for our liking, intermediate skiers & snowboarders can now go on a rollicking ski journey on groomed runs all the way to Dieni near Sedrun. The journey can take as long or quick as you like, but an insider’s choice is do a warm up down the new advanced piste back down into Andermatt from the Nätschen gondola mid station first thing in the morning & then move on! Lovers of wide open long intermediate piste trails should not skimp on spending time at Sedrun’s Dieni. Lunch at the new highest lifted point on this sunny side of the resort (2600m) is worthwhile at Schneehüenerstock. Note & use the free water & reusable mugs. Bravo Andermatt!

From a local resident & skier’s point of view, we wonder how they feel about all this development in their little piece of alpine paradise. Hopefully they reap some positives out of it. Several that I spoke to were initially concerned but that appears to have evaporated. Replacing old banger double chairs with modern gondolas will tend to do that, no matter how ‘hard’ you are! We have previously lamented the limiting nature of the Gemsstock cable cars on a busy day. With the benefit of further experience in the resort, we are now of the view that the limitation is a small price to pay for the better ski experience smaller numbers of skiers alighting at the summit brings.

Certainly, from a Powderhounds point of view, developments like what has occurred at Andermatt can be detrimental to the pursuit of untracked powder. The lift expansion to Oberalppass has already pushed freeriders into the nearby backcountry earlier in any powder snow phase. But the reality is Andermatt’s topography allows it to cope & cope well. We experienced deep untracked powder on the Gemsstock within a 5min traverse from the top of the cable car, 10 days after the last significant snowfall (see photos with this review). And the easily accessible backcountry up to the Rossbodenstock from Oberalppass had vast swathes of untracked snow on its north facing terrain as well.

A secret to visiting Andermatt for the first time & scoring that powder, days after a snowfall, is to cough up for a guide. The Gemsstock can be a wicked beast of a mountain that guards its secrets well. Unlike many of Switzerland’s best freeride locations (i.e. Engelberg, Verbier), one cannot see most of the terrain on the Gemsstock. You can spend an inordinate amount of time & energy cluing it out for yourself, seeking the treasure. Better to just get a guide, even if just for one day, & safely enjoy this amazing mountain.

A few raucous après drinks are always on the cards in Andermatt, more so than most Swiss ski resorts. Try the Biber Bar near the gondola base & the Jodlerwirt Bar near the cable car base. In the centre of town, the River House’s Bar Di Alt Apothek & the Spycher provide wonderful libations.

Restaurant dining in Andermatt has gone up a few notches. In town, the lovely Enoteca 1620 is a perfect pre-dinner starter. The new Biselli restaurant in the Reussen complex across from the Radisson Blu Hotel is brilliant. Cheaper eats are still accessible with burgers, pizza & simple meals at all the aforementioned bars.

We had the privilege of staying at the Radisson Blu Hotel Reussen Andermatt on this journey. Considering it had only be open for less than a month & despite the lower levels still being in a construction phase, we struggled to fault it. It is a true 4-star but aspiring to be better. Exceptionally attentive guest services & bar staff set the tone & it continues into the beautifully appointed, contemporary hotel rooms.

The swimming pool may be hard to find & even harder to remember how to get out, but it is sensational. Underwater loungers with integrated water jets & a glorious outlook across the snowy landscape to the peaks continue the ‘better than 4-star’ theme.

From a skier’s point of view, the hotel is well designed for snow sports. Skis, boards, boots & helmets can be stored in the cavernous ground level ski locker room. The lockers have excellent heated helmet & boot dryers within each locker. A shuttle bus to the gondola & train station departs the same level as the ski room & is on a constant rotation during the day. Or one can just walk. It’s about 5min.

The hotel’s Restaurant “Spun” is simply superb for breakfast but was still finding its feet at dinner. Some of the dinner courses, whilst visually impressive, were underwhelming in the flavour department. Wait staff were nervous (hope it wasn’t because of lil ol’ me!!). Both issues have no doubt been dealt with since. The main hotel bar is beautiful & a delightful spot for meeting all & sundry. A better dinner option across from the hotel is the aforementioned “Biselli” - delicious.

Vast underground parking is available at the hotel, but is irrelevant, because of course, like me, you will do the right thing & catch the train to Andermatt.

One of the great quirks of Andermatt used to be skiing & walking across train lines throughout the day. Sadly, these crossings have largely disappeared, replaced instead with safe, integrated underground links. Cursed progress…….!

Powderhounds now rates Andermatt an absolutely world class ski resort in just about all aspects. Visit soon, bring some friends, stay at the Radisson Blu, bring your climbing skins & avi-safety gear, get a guide for a day, don’t pinch your pennies too much & enjoy Andermatt.

See our video here

We visited Andermatt Sedrun for the second time in 2018. The ongoing development of the ski resort saw some massive changes to lift infrastructure and the establishment of a dedicated children's area.

The new gondola from near the train station is a quantum leap over the old Natschen chairlift and extends for a full 900m vertical on the'sunny side'of the resort. Sadly, the classic ski crossing of the railway line at Natschen has been replaced with an underpass removing one of skiing's great icons.
Andermatt had a bumper snow pack again during our visit, but avalanche dangers were high.

The new online dynamic lift ticketing system meant that we had some very cheap skiing (10euro) for the day, but were locked in to the day regardless of the weather, which wasn't great. Crowds were reasonably thick on the ground and we expect them to continue to grow and the lift and hotel developments reach their conclusion next year.

Still a great ski resort. We will check in on Andermatt Sedrun again next season
See our video here