Impressions of Switzerland, Part 2: Over the Saint Gotthard mountain

Last week, I took a trip to one of my favorite parts of the country, the Ticino, the southern and Italian part of the country. You can get there by train or car. The train takes you through a 9-mile (15 km) tunnel underneath the Swiss Alps from Göschenen on the Swiss German side to Airolo on the Swiss Italian side. A new railway tunnel is being constructed at the moment and expected to be finished in 2016. It will be the longest railway tunnel in the world with a total length (including tunnels, shafts, and passages) of 94.3 miles (151.84 km). By car you can either drive through the road tunnel (with its 10.5 miles or 16.9 km, it is the third longest car tunnel in the world) or you can cross the St. Gotthard Pass (6909 ft., 2106 m high), the mountain that divides and connects the German and the Italian part of the country.

My favorite way to get from north to south or vice versa is either by train, or, if the weather permits, by car over the St. Gotthard Pass (the mountain is closed during winter due to heavy snow). Named after Saint Gotthard, the Bishop of Hildesheim, this mountain has fascinated me since childhood, when my father drove my mother and me over the pass for the first time in his small VW bug. The history of Saint Gotthard and its importance as a route that connects the north and south of the continent dates back to Roman times. For those who are interested, here is a link to a short overview of its history.

St. Gotthard is a rough and, to me, mysterious, mountain. Even during the hottest days in summer, a cold breeze blows on top and if you get caught in a rain or snow storm, beware! The landscape is rocky, full of granite and gneiss. There is a museum, a chapel, a couple of modest but good restaurants and, in summer, a stand with barbecued sausages next to a beautiful lake.

I drove across the pass to the south of the country during a gorgeous, sunny day and the mountain showed its friendly face. Here are a few pictures.  

A cup of coffee and a snack to prepare for the drive through
the lengthy tunnel or over the mountain

View from the northern side

 The drive up the narrow and curvy mountain road.

Wild mountain stream

Wild flowers
 



The highpoint of my drive over the mountain: this was the first time I saw the old Gotthard stagecoach that used to bring the mail and passengers across the mountain. Nowadays, it's a tourist attraction and can be rented for a fun ride and a time travel experience.

 

Clean, clear but oh, so cold, water!

A monument at the top commemorating an airman who
crashed while on military service in 1928.


 

The simple but lovely mountain inn. It also houses a museum and a souvenir store

 

And, of course, after the drive to the top of the mountain, you need a hearty meal and an espresso.

 



And now, it's time for the drive down the southern face of the mountain toward the lovely canton Ticino.

 

 

 

 

 

Here, the grapes are already ripening, getting ready to be transformed into the delicious local wine: Merlot del Ticino or Nostrano!

 

 



 

I arrive in Biasca, a town in the northern part of the Ticino, where I spend a week with my dear friends and hosts Silvia and Curzio. And dinner at the grotto, the traditional Ticinese inn, is, of course, a must!

 

 

 

Here the wine is served in the typical small cup, tazzino.

Yummy prosciutto, salami, and other delicacies, tasty bread, and a cup of Nostrano. What else could one wish for? A good meal and great company to end a marvelous day.

 

More next time!