Church of St Kolumban

The chapel and later church of St. Columban in Andermatt dates back to the time when the Ursern Valley belonged to the domain of the Benedictine monastery of Disentis. It was built as a gift from the monastery to the settlement next to today's barracks. The church is located north of the village centre of Andermatt, slightly elevated on the slope of the Kirchberg, not far from the old path to the Schöllenen Gorge. Today it stands in the shadow of the military barracks to the south. The current building is thought to have been constructed around 1300. Its characteristic features include the unplastered natural stone façade and the slightly sloping church tower. The leaning of the tower is attributed to the insufficient depth of the foundations and its partial support on a boulder. St. Columban served as the parish church for the entire Ursern Valley until 1606. With the completion of the new parish church of St. Peter and Paul in the village centre, it lost this function and was henceforth referred to as the ‘Tal church’ (valley church). This also gave rise to the name of the Andermatt district of Altkirch. The building has remained largely unchanged since the 17th century, although structural safety measures have been necessary from time to time due to its hillside location.