In the tracks of Bond

Sushi, skiing and Swiss hospitality: Adam Hay-Nicholls swoops into the newly flourishing resort of Andermatt to find out how they did it

UNTIL recently, the ski resort of Andermatt in Switzerland was best known for the time that James Bond arrived by Aston Martin in Goldfinger. Now, there’s another man in town with the Midas touch. He’s turning Andermatt into the mountains’ fastest-growing playground and, since 2010, property prices have more than tripled. Egyptian businessman Samih Sawiris, 67, first visited Andermatt in 2005 when it was a simple military garrison town, albeit with two excellent ski peaks: the ‘steep and deep’ Gemsstock, which is north facing and exceptionally reliable for snow, and, on the opposite side of the Ursern Valley, the sunnier and gentler Nätschen ski area. The former offers advanced skiers some of the most rewarding black and red runs in all of Europe, whereas the latter is ideal for intermediates and…

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Country Life (Digital) - 1 Issue, February 5, 2025

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