The new building housing the restaurant, and its modern Swiss interior

Two of Europe’s highest restaurants have opened amid contemporary chic architecture, high above Andermatt, Switzerland

Hold onto your chopsticks. A pair of new high altitude dining outposts is open 2,300m above sea level, on top of a ski slope in the heart of Switzerland. Far from being a place for humble beer and fondue, Andermatt Swiss Alps (ASA) has brought high-level dining of another kind to the slopes by opening a pair of destination gourmet restaurants with the aim of being among the most celebrated in the Alps.

Overlooking the peaceful village of Andermatt and facing the famous Gemsstock ski mountain, they are located in a newly constructed timber building. Designed by London’s Studio Seilern Architects, the structure was pre-fabricated off-site and then lifted into place by crane, ready for its stone façade to be put in place.

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Following the success of The Chedi Andermatt’s Michelin-starred The Japanese Restaurant, a second branch has opened on the Gütsch within Studio Seilern’s building in December 2019. Complete with feature fireplaces and views of the Gotthard mountains, The Japanese by The Chedi Andermatt has 44 seats inside and 45 outside on the terrace, where diners can feast al fresco on sea scallop sashimi and Kombu-Jime mountain trout on a south-facing, high altitude sun-trap. Headed up by executive chef Dietmar Sawyere, there are high hopes that this restaurant, too, can win a Michelin star. “We don’t carry it over,” says Sawyere. “But we will certainly be the highest Japanese restaurant in Europe.”

Chef Markus Neff with the team running Gütsch (at centre wearing black) and at work (below)

The Japanese is alongside a second restaurant called Gütsch by Markus Neff, on the ground floor of the new landmark in contemporary architecture. Welcoming skiers for lunch in the day and guests for private parties in the evening, the venue seats 66 people indoors and another 145 outdoors across two terraces. Neff is running it with a team of three other people who also worked with him at the Fletschhorn in Saas-Fee near Zermatt, which was awarded 18 Gault&Millau points until 2018. So, it’s in good hands.

“We want to make a restaurant that is unlike any of the others around here – something special, something new,” Neff says. “You won’t see sausage and rosti here, for example. It is not a mountain hut where people eat in 15 or 20 minutes. We’re a high-class, fine-dining Swiss-French restaurant where we make it all from scratch, from handmade pasta to bread. People will come for three or four courses chosen from our à-la-carte menu.” Gütsch is building on the concept of mountain-top restaurant Spielboden in Saas-Fee, where Neff and his team also worked.

Gütsch offers a Swiss-French fine dining experience

Gütsch offers a Swiss-French fine dining experience

Unlike traditional Swiss lodges and cabins, Studio Seilern’s new project is something far more cutting edge and ambitious. Christina Seilern, principle of the firm, says: “Due to the extreme weather conditions in winter, there was only a short time frame that allowed for construction. For this reason, it had to be built in two summers.” Seilern says that it was also a challenge to create a design that catered for two different restaurants. Inspiration came from the idea of a Swiss hamlet, known as a hameau, “where a collection of smaller buildings creates a harmonious whole”, says Seilern. Inside, there are exposed timber beams and wood panelling, while The Japanese also has an open kitchen and sushi bar.

Read more: Francis Alÿs receives Whitechapel Gallery’s Art Icon Prize 2020

What can visitors eat when they visit The Japanese? It isn’t all raw fish. Chef Sawyere explains that people forget that Japan is a mountainous country that has a lot of snow, especially in the north, so their cuisine, which is distinctly seasonal, reflects this. “They have very hearty, warm, winter dishes, too”, he says. As a multi-course kaiseki restaurant, its diners can sample four to 12 courses, but for those who don’t want to take so long eating, there are also bento boxes that hold six to eight small dishes. Sawyere says: “There might be a couple of pieces of sushi, a piece of tempura, a braised dish, a sashimi dish and a grill. I think it will be popular.”

Chef Dietmar Sawyere preparing a dish at The Japanese restaurant

The restaurant imports its seafood from suppliers in France, Spain and even Australia, while specialist ingredients such as Kobe beef (at £270 a kilo) need to be flown in from Japan, but they have also managed to locate a supplier in Basel that has started farming prawns. “Previously it was impossible to buy fresh prawns in Switzerland,” says Sawyere. He is also excited to be working with a local farmer who is rearing cattle for Japanese-style wagyu beef. “It’s been three years in the making and in February we will have our first taste,” he says.

Sake also plays a big part at The Japanese, benefitting from the fact that The Chedi Andermatt has the largest collection of Japanese rice wine in Switzerland. The mountain restaurant has 60 to 70 different labels on the menu – and there is even a sake glühwein (mulled wine), which makes a warming welcome for people when coming in out of the cold.

Read more: Luxury in the wilderness at SUJÁN Sher Bagh, Rajasthan, India

Thanks to developer ASA’s unprecedented transformation of the village, Andermatt has become a desirable place to visit the whole year round. Not only does it have incredible hotels such as the five-star The Chedi Andermatt but also an 18-hole, Scottish-style golf course, and the SkiArena, which is the largest and most up-to-date ski area in Central Switzerland, with 180km of pistes stretching as far as Sedrun and Disentis in the next canton. Just 90 minutes’ drive from Zurich and just over two hours from Milan, each of the buildings in ASA’s development has been designed by a top architect, thus creating a consistently beautiful resort that looks particularly magical under snow. And now, visitors can have a dining experience in the sky to match the very best in any Alpine valley or European resort.

Renders of new apartment blocks Enzian (here) and Arve (below, left) to be built in Andermatt

Rare new properties for sale

In 2020, the building of two new residential properties will commence for those who are looking to own in Andermatt Reuss, located between Andermatt’s Alpine golf course and the village. Apartment House Enzian has 12 high-spec apartments (from 62 to 136sq m), some featuring fireplaces and saunas, as well as private roof terraces and gardens. Apartment House Arve has 17 apartments for sale, in a building clad with horizontal wooden boards reminiscent of traditional chalets. Inside there will be common areas for skis and bikes, as well as stylish open-plan homes looking out over the mountains. All are eligible for foreign ownership.

Find out more: andermatt-swissalps.ch

Jenny Southan

This article was originally published in the Spring 2020 Issue

The Fann Mountains in western Tajikistan

From jagged-peak mountain ranges to glacial lakes and towering valleys, LUX Editor-at-Large Gauhar Kapparova explores Tajikistan’s incredible landscapes – perfect for thrill-seeking adventurers

Think of the world’s most iconic highways and what springs to mind? The Great Ocean Road in Australia perhaps, or Route 66 from Illinois to California in the US. What probably won’t feature on the list is the little-visited but spectacular Pamir Highway – the unofficial name for the Soviet-constructed M41 – in Tajikistan. It’s a wild, remote stretch that was once part of the ancient Silk Road and connects the country’s capital Dushanbe to Khorog, the largest town in the Pamir Mountains, and beyond that, with the Kyrgyzstan city of Osh.

Sometimes referred to as The Roof of the World because of its high altitude (up to 4,655metres at the Ak-Baital Pass, which makes it the second-highest road anywhere), the Pamir Highway weaves through the autonomous eastern region Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast, and a landscape that veers from lush river valleys and pristine lakes one minute to snow-capped mountain peaks the next. In other words, this is the stuff of hardy adventurers’ dreams.

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“Tajikistan is probably the least known of all the central Asian ‘stan’ countries – and that’s saying something,” says Marc Leaderman, product and operations director at Wild Frontiers, an expert tour operator that offers tailor-made trips here. “If you look through history and the area that it occupies it has always played a frontier role. It was the southernmost extremity in Tsarist Russia during the Soviet Union; then when the Soviet Union collapsed, many of the central Asian states fell into a bad way. Tajikistan has come a long way since then, but I think that’s one of the reasons it’s not so well known – which is an exciting thing in this day and age.”

Yashikul Lake

The country’s main draw is the Pamir Highway, and for good reason. “The Pamirs are one of the least-known mountain ranges in the world; the high plateaus are extraordinary,” continues Leaderman, who has visited the country a handful of times in the past nine years. “The highway is dirt track and washed away in places, so it’s a real adventure travelling through the region. People come for the mountain scenery, to go trekking and to meet the Tajik people who draw their heritage from Persia and speak a language that closely resembles Farsi.”

From the stark Bartang Valley where friendly villagers are known for their hospitality, to Karakul, set on the eastern side of vast Karakul Lake, where life carries on as it has for centuries (women collect water from the well, men work in the fields and tend livestock), this is a raw, otherworldly route with epic surroundings that often feels like it has been preserved from the past. In Murghab, the region’s largest town and trade centre, there’s a small mosque and a makeshift bazaar operating out of old metal shipping containers where you can buy everything from fresh vegetables to mobile phones. In Rangkul, there is a salt lake and giant sand dunes that you can explore on camels. And in Bulunkul, a settlement known for being one of the coldest places in Central Asia, you can hike up a hill to glimpse the shimmering blue waters of Yashilkul Lake.

Dushanbe’s fountains and independence monument

The starting point for most travellers visiting this landlocked country – it is surrounded by Afghanistan, China, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan – is the delightful city of Dushanbe (meaning ‘Monday’ after the weekly market that was once held here), which has the grand tree-lined Rudaki Avenue and the River Varzob cutting through its centre. It is a city in flux, with new skyscrapers and malls under construction to replace the Soviet-era buildings as part of a new-look urban development plan. This is one of the best places for shopping: try the Noor Art Gallery at the Hyatt Regency hotel for locally made textiles, funky jewellery and beautiful carpets.

Must-visit sites include leafy Rudaki Park, with its statue of revered Persian poet Rudaki in the rose garden; the gold-decorated monument of Ismoil Somoni, built to commemorate the founder of the Samanid dynasty (the Tajik national currency, the somoni is named after him); and hilltop Victory Park with panoramic views of the city below. There is also a trio of museums: the National Museum, the National Museum of Antiquities (don’t miss the 13-metre sleeping Buddha) and the Ethnography Museum, featuring a collection of traditional Tajikistan clothing. All three offer fascinating insights into the country’s cultural heritage.

Wildflowers in the Pamir Botanical Gardens

There is another museum to be found in Khorog – the second, smaller town at the other end of the Tajikistan section of the Pamir Highway. The Museum of Khorog, which houses the first piano in the Pamirs (the story goes that 10 Russian soldiers spent two months carrying it over the mountains from Osh in the early 20th century). The town’s other highlights include the Pamir Botanical Garden; the City Park, which features a pond and tea house; and the Khorog bazaar, a morning market in a central building that spills out into small kiosks by the river, where you can buy souvenirs such as traditional woollen socks and velvet Pamir hats.

Read more: We test drive the Maserati GranTurismo MC on a road-trip through France

From there, many visitors take a detour to the Wakhan Valley Corridor, a land of pretty villages, hot springs and impressive fortresses (the Bibi Fatima spring, just above the Yamchun Fortress is perhaps the most famous) and with views of the Hindu Kush, the mountains that mark the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.

A golden monument to Ismoil Somoni in Dushanbe

Cities aside, the other place worth visiting is the Fann Mountains, where the peaks soar to more than 5,000 metres. Not far from Dushanbe and more accessible than the Pamir Highway, the Fann Mountains are known for their series of seven lakes. The jewel in the crown is glacial Iskanderkul Lake (60 percent of the water resources in Central Asia originate from glaciers in Tajikistan) named after Alexander the Great during his campaign to defeat the Persian Empire in 334 BC. Several folklore legends are connected to the lake: the first is that during the campaign against the regions of Sogdiana and Bactria the late conqueror faced resistance in the mountain villages so ordered to change the flow of the river to drown the disobedient – and this is how the lake was formed. Another goes that this is where his horse Bucephalus drowned during battle so, at midnight under a full moon, locals can hear the horse neigh.

Read more: 5 exhibitions to see in London this month + 1 to miss

There are many treks across the mountains, all of different lengths and aimed at different capabilities. On a rare piece of flat ground is the city of Penjikent, often labelled the ‘Pompeii of Central Asia’ for its archaeological significance – it contains the ruins of an ancient town that was once a city on the Silk Road. From here, it’s a hop over the newly opened border to Uzbekistan.

Yamchun Fortress was once an important point on the ancient Silk Road

“What’s really exciting is that this year, the border has opened for the first time in about five years,” says Leaderman. “It means that there is now the chance to combine visiting these two great countries easily. The Uzbek city of Samarkand is only an hour’s drive from Tajikistan and a real highlight. It’s great for culture but quite flat and scenically not so exciting, but together with the amazing mountain ranges in Tajikistan, it makes for a wonderful trip.”

Where to stay: Hyatt Regency Dushanbe

Base yourself at the Hyatt Regency Dushanbe

Within the grounds of City Park and adjacent to Lake Komsomolsee, the Hyatt Regency Dushanbe is the smartest hotel in the capital. Contemporary rooms come with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the lake, mountains or presidential palace, and grey marble bathrooms with heated floors. There is a lobby bar and lounge with an outside terrace, a pastry shop for sweet treats and the Focaccia Grill, which features a mix of international and Mediterranean dishes on the menu (watch as chefs at various stations prepare the daily specials). The 24-hour concierge is on hand to help plan what to see and do in the city and beyond; then when you return, the indoor heated swimming pool, sauna and spa is the perfect place to relax. Other services and amenities on offer include a gym and a fully-staffed business centre.

hyatt.com

Somon Air is Tajikistan’s national carrier

How to get there: Somon Air

The national airline operates regular flights to and from Germany, Turkey, China and Russia.

somonair.com

This article was originally published in the Autumn 2018 issue. View more content from The Beauty Issue

The sinuous curves leading up to the St Gotthard pass

The St Gotthard, Oberalp and Furka are three of the most spectacular mountain passes in Europe. And the new Holiday Village Andermatt Reuss is the perfect base from which to explore them, discovers Emma Love

Anyone who has watched the car chase scene in the James Bond film Goldfinger will be familiar with the Furka Pass. As Sean Connery sped round the hairpin bends of one of Switzerland’s oldest passes in his Aston Martin DB5, surrounded by dramatic mountains on one side and the Rhône glacier on the other, it wasn’t just the slick driving that gripped viewers attention but the stunning Alpine landscape, too. One of Andermatt’s ‘big three’ passes – the other two are the St Gotthard Pass and the Oberalp Pass – the Furka is a must for any thrill-seeking adventurers looking to explore the Swiss Alps, whether in a classic car (albeit at a more leisurely pace than Bond) or on two wheels.

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Mike Cotty, who specialises in endurance cycling and is behind The Col Collective, an online resource for cyclists wanting to tackle the world’s greatest mountain passes, believes that these are some of the greatest peaks in Europe for mountain bikers. He recently set himself a 105km cycling challenge that featured a trio of three of the toughest climbs in Europe: Furka, Nufenen and St Gotthard (Furka alone has an average 7.3 per cent gradient and an altitude of 2436m). “The way the peaks are positioned in this area makes it an exciting prospect to link up two or three mountains in a loop like this,” says Cotty, who also hosts cycling tours around the world. “With three mountain passes above 2,000m elevation, the sheer amount of climbing is what makes this route a toughie and on a par with some of the premier mountain stages of the Tour de France.”

To this end, he advises any cyclists thinking of tackling the route to have some mountain experience. His highlight, he says, was summitting the Furka and seeing the valley ahead. “The road to the Grimsel Pass looks like it snakes off to heaven, which is pretty surreal, as are the cobblestones of the old Tremola Road at the end of the ride. How the road was built all those years ago, and the history that has gone before it, is hard to comprehend. It’s a very special place.” Unsurprisingly perhaps, the Furka Pass is included on the Ultimate Drives ‘Greatest Driving Roads’ app (it’s described as “a stunning pass, with an amazing combination of sweepers, tight switchbacks, dramatic views and a drag straight at the end”), which was launched last year by Mark Heather.

Andermatt’s new Apartment House Alpenrose

Heather is also behind Ultimate Drives, a Zurich-based company that rents sports cars and supercars, and provides personally tested driving tour itineraries. “The Furka is so dramatic because it’s a mountain road that is driven entirely above the tree line. For most people, they never get this high unless they are skiing, and then the valleys are covered in snow. These lunar like landscapes are something really special,” he says, adding that these are the roads that cars such as a Porsche 911 4S Cabriolet or Mercedes AMG Roadster were designed to be driven on: “Smooth tarmac and sweeping corners, combined with the most dramatic, jaw-dropping backgrounds of the peaks of the Alps. Add to this the soundtrack of a V8 engine reverberating off the valley walls, and the stunning performance and handling of these cars, and it’s really something you have to experience to believe.”

Read more: Is the Waldhaus Sils the most spiritual hotel in the Alps?

Someone else who has vast experience of these roads is Jan Baedeker, Editor-in-Chief of Classic Driver magazine and editor of several books on the subject, including Porsche Drive: 15 Passes in 4 Days. “The diversity of this region is just incredible. In just one day behind the wheel, or a couple of days on your bicycle, you can experience some of the world’s most exciting roads through breathtaking landscapes,” he says. He advises anyone thinking of driving here to start early to avoid the crowds. “The Gotthard Pass is one of the most dramatic and important historic alpine crossings and it’s still my favourite pass in Switzerland.”

Whether you’re behind the wheel of a classic car, on a mountain bike or a Harley Davidson, experiencing these legendary Alpine passes is a Swiss summer must.

A new luxury base for exploring the three big passes in the heart of Switzerland

When it is completed this winter, the latest addition to Andermatt’s Piazza Gottardo, Apartment House Alpenrose, will have 20 exclusive apartments. The exterior matches the architectural style of the Holiday Village Andermatt Reuss; inside the apartments range from those with one- to three-bedroom maisonettes (the largest are 146sq m, but for anyone wanting even more space, two flats can be converted into a single unit on request).

Apartment interiors can be bespoke fitted

The joy of the design is that each one can be customised; buyers can choose from two looks (‘modern rustic’ and ‘modern light’) or opt for a bespoke build-out. Most of the apartments come with a corner picture window looking out onto the mountains while all the rooftop maisonettes have their own sauna. Other benefits include use of the fitness studio, spa and swimming pool in the nearby Radisson Blu hotel, and an excellent concierge service which can help with anything from travel plans to stocking the fridge and car hire, making Apartment House Alpenrose an ideal all-year holiday base. And non-Swiss nationals need not worry about the real estate purchasing laws. Andermatt Swiss Alps is exempt, so international buyers can purchase here without special permits (and sell with no minimum holding time).

For more information visit andermatt-swissalps.ch or andermatt-alpenrose.ch

The Ritz-Carlton Almaty has a spectacular panorama of the Tien Shan mountains

Why should I go now?

It’s mid-winter in Kazakhstan, a spectacular time to see the biggest and most historic city in this huge and dynamic former Soviet republic straddling Siberia and the Tien Shan mountains – effectively the northernmost edge of the Himalayas.

What’s the lowdown?

Arrive at night, like we did, and you are ushered effortlessly to your room by the staff – they behave as welcomingly as Ritz Carlton staff anywhere in the world, but if it’s a first visit to the country, the Kazakhs looks impossibly exotic, beautifully coiffed, tall, slim, a striking blend of Slavic and Asiatic.

In the morning, draw the curtains expecting to see just another big Asian city, and you are blown backwards by the view from the picture windows in the bedroom. Before you stretch a vast array of peaks, rising to more than 5000m – higher than the Alps, deep frozen in snow, dwarfing any view from Milan, Geneva or Munich. Right in front of the hotel is an Olympic-style ski jump.

Dinner with a view at the VISTA restaurant

You could spend all your time in the Ritz and the uber-luxe Esentai Mall that adjoins it; the lobby, bar and restaurants are all on the 28th floor, with an excellent sushi bar. The aptly-named VISTA hosts a Sunday jazz brunch, with live band, straight out of the Upper West Side: we dined here with old friends, a sad and poignant occasion for very private reasons. The food was pure Manhattan bar & grill, with a little Osteria thrown in (particularly in the wine list, which was a heaven for Italophiles).

It would be a shame, though, not to go and explore Almaty: we enjoyed a night time trudge through deep snow to a couple of luxury fashion boutiques, including gorgeous MaxMara and Armani stores, with staff and clientele seemingly lifted directly from the Via Montenapoleone. And in contrast, in winter, a short drive takes you to the high-altitude ski resort of Shymbulak; skiing at nearly 4000m on the northernmost edge of the Himalayas is one of the world’s more spectacular experiences, and the snow is usually cold and dry (and the runs well groomed, and quite easy).

Getting Horizontal

There’s a beautiful pool and a Six Senses spa to revive yourself ahead of your next round of business conversations. Kazakhstan is a country on the go, and we found its leaders very open to inspiring conversations about developing its future. As for the bedroom, think Ritz modern luxury, with that matchless view thrown in.

An executive suite with a breathtaking view to the south

Nitpicking

This has to be the best luxury spot between Moscow and Beijing. If we had to be critical, we’d say we’re mystified as to why Kazakhstan doesn’t do a better job of selling itself. President Nazarbayev – call on LUX if you need inspiration, because your country is too much of a secret.

Rates: From 90 000 kzt ( approx. £200 / $300 /€250)

Darius Sanai

ritzcarlton.com/en/hotels/kazakhstan/almaty