Andermatt

Andermatt sits at fourteen hundred and forty metres in the Urseren valley, where the Gotthard, Furka and Oberalp routes meet - a position that made it a strategic transit point for centuries and then a garrison town, with the Swiss army holding much of the surrounding land. When the military presence was scaled back the village faced decline, and from the late 2000s an Egyptian-backed developer built a large resort quarter with hotels, apartments and a golf course, changing the place fundamentally; opinions locally remain divided. The old village core survives beside it. The Schollenen gorge below, with its Devil's Bridge, carries the historic road to the Gotthard.

The main sights

• Three pass routes meeting - Gotthard, Furka and Oberalp.
• A large new resort quarter - built from the late 2000s beside the old core.
• The Schollenen gorge - the Devil's Bridge on the historic Gotthard road.
• The Glacier Express - the panoramic line passing through.

When to go

December to April, or June to September. Two days.

Before you go

The development divides opinion and the new quarter feels separate from the old village. Passes close in winter, leaving rail as the link. Prices have risen sharply since the redevelopment. Weather at the crossroads is harsh.

Nearby

The Schollenen gorge is below; the Furka and Oberalp passes climb either side.

Key facts