Sustainable skiing: a low-impact, high-fun train trip to Andermatt

Sign up to Simon Calder’s free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calder’s Travel email Get Simon Calder’s Travel email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy “We don’t want to become like Disneyland, of course – but it’s important to be open to new ideas, to bring new life to the village.” Bänz Simmen, a local guide with an irrepressible energy and staggering depth of knowledge about Andermatt and the surrounding area, relays this at the end of our 90-minute tour around the Swiss Alpine village. As part of its development into an upscale destination that can compete with Europe’s plentiful ski playgrounds, Andermatt now has two new major hotels – ultra-luxe five-star The Chedi and the more modest but still pretty slick Radisson Blu Hotel Reussen, where I’m staying – with several more planned, alongside a number of quality restaurants. The team has called the initiative to keep the resort on track “Andermatt Responsible”, laying out its mission in a mandate: “Specifically, by 2030 the Andermatt Swiss Alps Group wants its operations to be carbon neutral, to increase the diversity of its employees, and to achieve sustainable profitability.” open image in gallery Lunch with a view at GÜTSCH by Markus Neff I’ve already arrived here by sustainable means; since I’m no longer flying amid the climate crisis, one of Andermatt’s biggest draws is that it can be reached entirely by train. open image in gallery Andermatt still offers a small village atmosphere despite development The only thing that could improve a day like this is a bougie lunch at altitude – and it doesn’t get more bougie than GÜTSCH by Markus Neff, the Michelin-starred restaurant helmed by the lauded Swiss chef of the same name.