Parish church of St Peter and Paul

The Catholic parish church of St. Peter and Paul in Andermatt is the most important place of worship in the Ursern Valley. In 1606, it replaced the older church of St. Columban, which had previously served as the parish church for the valley.

The construction of the new church was prompted by a tragic event: in 1601, seven churchgoers were killed in an avalanche near St. Columban's Church. This accident led to the construction of a new, safer parish church in the centre of Andermatt. The foundation stone was laid in the same year, and by 1606 the church and tower were complete. A year later, the church was consecrated by Bishop Johann V. Flugi of Chur.

At the end of the 17th century, the church was extensively enlarged and redesigned by the Baroque architect Bartholomäus Schmid. This resulted in the new choir and the Baroque interior design, which still characterises the appearance of the church today.

The main altar comes from the workshop of the renowned Valais sculptor Johannes Ritz. The complex also includes the Baroque chapel of St. Michael, which was built in 1640 as an ossuary.

Over the centuries, the church has been renovated and expanded several times. Today, St. Peter and Paul is considered one of the most important churches in the canton of Uri and impresses with its particularly rich Baroque interior.