The St Gotthard Pass in Switzerland a few days after reopening, following a long snowy winter

Welcome to my film of the St Gotthard Pass in Switzerland. My aim in these movies is to reveal to my viewers the amazing beauty of the landscape of Switzerland, and at the same time to give helpful information to potential visitors who might be thinking of taking a trip, in winter or summer, to this part of Europe.
I hope you find the information useful and enjoy the journey.

The St Gotthard Pass has been a route across the Alps linking north (German-speaking) and south (Italian-speaking) Switzerland since the 13th Century. For hundreds of years the road was only passable in summer but now travellers have the choice of road (the National Road 2) and rail routes, along with the following tunnels, constructed in this order:
The St Gotthard Tunnel: a 15km rail tunnel, amazingly built in 1882
The Gotthard Road Tunnel: carrying the A2 for 17km, opened in 1980
The St Gotthard Base Tunnel: at 58km the longest, deepest railway tunnel in the world, opened in 2016.
There are other tunnels at the pass which you can visit on foot: these were a military fortress or redoubt originally, but are now a tourist attraction called Sasso San Gottardo. The tunnels are advertised as a unique museum, and a way of escaping from the overcrowding in the road tunnel. There is an underground cable car called the metro del Sasso, and a visit lasts an hour. (Children under 15 go free.)

The pass itself is still closed in winter – and it’s a long winter in the Alps, from October to May: my film was taken a few days after the road over the pass (as opposed to through the tunnel) was reopened in May 2019, when there was still a lot of snow about. Switzerland spends a lot of money and deploys a lot of heavy equipment to keep roads clear of snow as much as possible.
Two kinds of bikers enjoy the challenge of the road over the pass: motorcyclists like to test their skills as riders by riding, often in convoy or at least in twos and threes, over the high Alps’ roads. But much greater determination is required by cyclists who set off from either side to complete the crossing, and a series of hairpin bends awaits them: that is not necessarily the end, however, for mountain bike trails start at the pass.
The closest towns connected by the St Gotthard Pass are Hospental and Andermatt on the German-speaking side, and Airolo on the Italian side. Larger and more distant cities served by the 2106m (6,909feet) pass are Lucerne, Basel and Zürich in the north, and Bellinzona to the south. Most accommodation in the area is in Andermatt, but slightly nearer to the pass is Hospental. The pass is open from June to October and during the open season you can stay at the pass itself in the luxury Hospice San Gottardo, which has been putting travellers up since 1237, and is probably a bit more comfortable now! Rooms at the Hospice were renovated in 2010 and have private bathrooms. An alternative is the Albergo San Gottardo, which scores 9.4/10 for its location and views, but be aware that the basic rooms in this hotel have shared bathrooms. Also on the site is the highest museum in Switzerland, the National Museum of Swiss History and Culture. Hiking trails start from the pass. Then there are two monuments that you shouldn’t miss: the Guex Monument, constructed in 1928, is a memorial to the famous Swiss aviator Adrien Guex, who gave his life in the service of the Motherland; and there is a statue of a guide leading a horse ridden by a traveller, symbolising the way travellers crossed the pass in the old days. Finally, there are three restaurants at the Albergo offering traditional Swiss cuisine.
As usual, if you can’t get there right now, watch the film, and please “Like” it or subscribe.

Видео The St Gotthard Pass in Switzerland a few days after reopening, following a long snowy winter канала Dudo Erny