La Claustra

By Philip de Bruin©

August 2006

During the summer of 2006 the weather forecast was often forecasted as: “Unsettled weather throughout the day with rain showers now and then.” So whenever a sunny day arrived, we dropped everything to go on a day trip.

The 25^th of August was such a day. By nine in the morning I was certain it was going to be a beautiful sunny day in the Alps. Although the forecast predicted rain on the northern side of St Gotthard, the webcam at Andermatt where I often ski showed a clear sky. Catrien and I headed for the St Gotthard pass and specifically to find something new that we read about in tourism brochures. “La Claustra”: a jewel of tourism as Ticino-Tourism put it.

The drive was pleasant, the views spectacular, but nowhere did we see any signage for La Claustra. At the top of the pass at St Gotthard we stopped to read again the directions: Follow the old cantonal road from St Gotthard to Hospental for 300 metres. We could see several entrances of bunkers in the Granite Alps, but still no signage. Then we spotted a lone flag at a bunker entrance that displayed the name La Claustra very discretely. Everything looked as formidable as a fortress and we were expecting the door to be locked. But when we tried it, it opened to reveal a small and very dark lobby with some snow clearing tools standing around. When our eyes grew accustomed to the dark we noticed an intercom beneath the name La Claustra in stylish script. Then we noticed that there was another door, a seriously solid steel door that would discourage any attempt to force it.

We pressed the bell and a friendly voice, although sounding a bit surprised, welcomed us. A buzzer sounded and the massive steel door could be pushed open. We found ourselves in the main entrance tunnel leading to a former Swiss artillery fortress, right in the heart of the Swiss Alps! We went through several, even more massive, steel doors and then approached an underground artillery bunker that would clearly, in times of trouble, be able to blast any attacking force that somehow got through those massive steel doors into oblivion. We finally rounded a corner and were greeted by the owner of the friendly voice, a very nice young lady, who held the final steel door open for us.

She explained to us that one should really book in advance. They discourage unannounced visits. We pushed our luck and asked if perhaps we could have lunch at La Claustra. It turned out that yes, they had a table free and yes, if we are prepared to wait until they served the large group that’s already at their table.

Apparently the Swiss military are selling former Alpine fortresses to private enterprise. La Claustra is one of the first of these enterprises and they target mainly the conferences and seminars market. The accommodation and meals, we thought, are pricey for private individuals. But the unique experience makes up for it. There are 17 bedrooms – clearly much more luxurious than the soldiers were used to – with the showers and toilets in a luxurious communal bathroom like in a hostel setting.

It must be popular. La Claustra is fully booked for September.

We were served a delicious four course meal with good wine and coffee. The service was Swiss-excellent and after the large group left, one of the young ladies took the time to tell us more about La Claustra.

You tend to forget that you are hundreds of metres inside the mountain. You tend to forget that outside the fortress some of the most spectacular Alpine scenery is to be seen!

The magnificent Swiss cows dozing contented in the meadow. Not even their melodious cow bells disturb the sun drenched silence.

Then the replica of the ancient post coach with three horses in front and two behind them comes past. Packed with paying travellers. Running from Andermatt over St Gotthard to Airolo. And back. As it has done for a hundred years. While the green tinted granite of the Alps, that has been there forever, keep watch.

We drove home in awe. Silent. Man might build a tunnel and a fortress in the Alps. Only God can build the Alps and bless us with a perfect summer’s day.