How a Military Town in the Swiss Alps Became a Freeskiing Mecca

Photographer Mattias Fredriksson visited Andermatt, Switzerland for the first time in the late 1990s. Back then, Andermatt was still just an old military town. “You went for the skiing in those days, not for the town,” recalls Fredriksson. “There weren’t many lifts, but incredible opportunity, especially if you had skins.”

But much has changed in the area in recent years. Egyptian billionaire Samih Sawiris saw opportunity in the area and brought an influx of capital and new developments. Fredriksson was eager to revisit the area and see what that change was like. “They were careful with the growth,” says Fredriksson. “The old vibe remains.”

Topping out at over 9,700 feet, Andermatt’s Gemsstock cable car has always accessed big terrain and long descents, but new lifts installed in the years Fredriksson was away now connect skiers to resorts you used to only be able to access by train, making the access that much more expansive. And the town, once full of old bunkers and military facilities, is now bustling with new hotels and restaurants. “When you go out in the backcountry, it’s the same rad, wild place,” Fredriksson explains, “But now you end with amazing food and comforts when you get back to town.”

Here, Fredriksson shares impressions from Andermatt that showcase both the amazing backcountry skiing to be found, as well as the town’s transformation.