Church of St Kolumban

The chapel and later church of St Kolumban 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 late Romanesque church is characterised by its unrendered natural stone façade and the slightly inclined church tower. The building has remained largely unchanged since the 17th century, although construction work was repeatedly required due to the hillside location. St. Kolumban served as the parish church for the entire Ursern Valley until 1606, before the new parish church of St. Peter and Paul was completed in the village centre of Andermatt. St. Kolumban then became the ‘valley church’, which earned the Andermatt district the name ‘Altkirch’.