Winter season 2009/2010 is going to be history soon with spring rushing in. Only in some parts of Switzerland’s impressive alpine setting, the ski season seems to be never-ending. One of these locations is Andermatt, a small alpine village located in the “Ursern valley” which is a high mountain valley in the footsteps of the tremendous “Gotthardmassive”. The “Gotthardnmassive”, amongst others, is home to one of the Alps most important north-south routes with its Gotthard tunnel, connecting northern Switzerland (and Europe) with Ticino, the very southern part of Switzerland, but also with Italy and rest of southern Europe. Furthermore, right two of Europe’s biggest river, the Rhine and the Rhone, have their genesis in this high alpine environment. The fashion city of Milan and Switzerland’s metropolitan city of Zurich with its international airports are only 1.5 and 2 hours by car away what makes Andermatt Swiss Alps very convenient to reach.

This beautiful landscape is home to the new Andermatt Swiss Alps resort, a year-round retreat where you can enjoy skiing in winter times and play golf in the summer. There is also the fact that a new wellness and spa centre is going to be built where you can relax and get spoiled by distinguished treatments.

One of the goals of Andermatt Swiss Alps is to increase the quality of lifestyle to a maximum. Just one part of it will be the car fee village centre what reduces the noise level by far so you can purely enjoy the tranquility of the location. Restaurants, bars and shopping is only steps away and should you need your car you just take the elevator down to the garage which spans almost underneath the whole village centre with access to all residences and hotels.

A highlight of Andermatt Swiss Alps and also one of the first landmarks will be the new 5-star-superior-hotel – The Chedi Andermatt. The Chedi will offer hotel rooms, apartments, penthouses, residences, but also fine restaurants, bars and its own exclusive wellness and spa facility.

The ground breaking ceremony took place last year and with the development in good progress, the sale of the first two residences with 2.5 bedroom apartments up to 5.5 bedroom penthouses will start this April. Zurich will be home to the exclusive Andermatt Swiss Alps showroom where you can get a feel of the exclusive interior design strategy and all the architectural layouts of all different residences. Please feel free to contact us for more information on the stunning new development what will soon become a sought-after place for your holiday home in a breath taking alpine surrounding.

Posted By: Peter Rabitz

Andermatt Swiss Alps, a new upscale development in Andermatt by Samir Sawiris of Orascom, is on its track. The new resort will be positioned on a level with well known alpine ski resorts, offering the same standards and even beyond. Weeks ago, the resort celebrated its ground breaking ceremony and construction has begun. Andermatt is more or less known as a former military facility where many of the male Swiss citizens spent their military service. Exactly, these former military facilities are now used for the development which will feature 4* and 5* hotels, a 18 hole PGA golf course, sport facilities, an new commercial railroad station and a village like residential zone with apartments as well as villas. The developer is also investing in the ski resort what is one of the best free ride paradises in the Swiss Alps. All the current ski areas such as Gemstock, Nätschen, Gütsch, Oberalp and Sedrun will be connected with each other and upgraded in its infrastructure to become a well served and great winter sport destination.
Andermatt is ideally located only a short drive away from Zurich and Milan what makes it really interesting for city dweller and some foreigner who will appreciate the convenient connection of the location by plane, train or car. Representatives of the EREN group (European Real Estate Network), where Wetag Consulting is one of the founding members and has been represented by Ueli Schnorf (CEO of Wetag Consulting) and my humble self, were visiting the headquarter and construction site last Friday, the 23rd of October. We were introduced to the team of Orascom and the Andermatt Swiss Alps resort and got a sneak preview of the whole development, its design and architecture as well as its current state. One of the leading architects of the development, who is counseling the developer on the design selection procedure, showed us all the current 38 designs of the new apartment and hotel buildings. The architecture is overall surprisingly fresh, but still referring to the Swiss architecture of alpine buildings featuring traditional textures and designs, but in a modern context. We also got taken to the actual site where we got a nice overview of the whole development and with the previous presentation we could already imagine how everything will look like once it’s finished - at least we could obtain a sense where all the new facilities will be located and fit into the current surrounding. In my opinion, the Andermatt Swiss Alps resort will be a great addition to current alpine destinations and even more become one of the trend setters for Swiss tourism and activity/leisure destinations in the Alps. Not to forget to mention that it will be much easier to invest in real estate since the ever-present “Lex Koller” law will not apply for the resort. That means, foreigners are allowed to purchase a property without facing all the restrictions.

Posted By: Peter Rabitz

On Saturday, the 26th of September 2009, Sawiris officially launched construction for the new tourism-resort in Andermatt. Phase number one features a luxury hotel, a PGA golf course and all the infrastructure of the resort. The hotel is expected to open its doors in 2013 followed by more luxury hotels, apartments, villas, leisure and sport facilities. Andermatt, already known for some advanced skiing will be developed into a state-of-the-art ski, golf and wellness destination. A former military used area will be transformed into a jewel of alpine heaven featuring fine living and sporting beside of all amenities of a charming alpine village. With its close proximity to Zurich and Milan which are only a 2 hour drive away, Andermatt will become a meeting point for people living on both sides of the Alps. It will feature the luxury and uniqueness like St. Moritz, but on a more affordable level. Important to mention is the fact that interested buyers of apartments and/or villas can purchase their property without being effected by ‘Lex Koller’ law, what regulates the purchase by foreigners.

Posted By: Peter Rabitz

Living in southern Ticino, with its warm Mediterranean climate and lakeside breezes, does not mean you have to live without one of Switzerland’s most treasured pastimes—skiing. Ticino and its neighboring cantons offer plenty of wonderful ski resorts that are within easy reach of all the communities surrounding Lake Maggiore, Lake Lugano, and Lake Como. From the rustic, understated slopes of Nara and San Bernardino to the chic, internationally-famous St. Moritz resort, there is a Swiss ski resort for every mood and every skill level.

Andermatt
Just one hour north of Locarno and Ascona lays the beautiful Andermatt resort and village. Situated in the high Urserntal Valley at the heart of the Alps, the village Andermatt makes a perfect daytrip or Alpine weekend getaway location for those living near Lake Maggiore, Lake Lugano, or Italy’s Lake Como. Andermatt village is surrounded by thick forested areas and stunning panoramic mountain views, providing the perfect backdrop for all Andermatt recreation. In the summer season, Urserntal Valley is a playground for nearly every sport; hiking, cycling, golfing, mountain climbing, boating, fishing, and even paragliding can all be done here. But what Andermatt is most famous for is its ski slopes.
Skiing in Andermatt is what ski lovers’ dreams are made of. The resort is smaller than many of Switzerland’s other top ski destinations with only 82 km of groomed runs, but once you’re there, it is clear that Andermatt boasts quality, not quantity. At 1,500 meters above sea level, Andermatt has the advantage of great location and its slopes are guaranteed to have plenty of good snow from December to May. Andermatt’s Gemmstock Mountain, 3,000 meters high at its peak, offers unparalleled scenery of more than 600 summits and exhilarating runs that will leave your heart racing. Experts, novices, snowboarders, and off-piste skiers alike are all welcome in Andermatt.