Ticino · Switzerland
Gotthard Pass
2Airolo to Hospental
A historic Alpine crossing above the cobbled Tremola.
The Gotthard Pass at 2,106 m is a grand historic Alpine crossing between Airolo and Andermatt, shadowing the cobbled Tremola up its wall of hairpins. Storied and scenic; mind the cobbles, the motorbikes, and weather that turns fast at the top.
Drop down the south side and the old road turns to the Tremola: cobbles rippling through hairpin after hairpin, carved straight out of the granite.
Why we picked it
On the road
The road runs from Airolo to Hospental. Out of Airolo, the modern road climbs through galleries and over bridges, built in stages between 1967 and 1977. Alongside it, the cobbled Tremola gains 300 metres in 2.5 miles (4 km) through 24 hairpins. Begun in 1827, it is the longest road monument in Switzerland. The Tremola has a 3.5 tonne weight limit.
At the summit, the hospice has a restaurant, and the National St Gotthard Museum stands beside it among several small lakes. The Sasso San Gottardo fortress is also up here. Near the top is an equestrian statue of the Russian general Suvorov, unveiled in 1999. It marks his army’s crossing of the pass in 1799. Lower down on the Ticino side, there is a viewpoint over the Val Bedretto.
The pass shuts for about six months each winter, usually from mid November to mid May, depending on snow. Until 2032, repairs run every May to October between Motto Bartola and the hospice. Traffic lights and staff control alternating one-way traffic there, though the lights come off on the busiest holiday and summer weekends. Lorries with trailers and articulated lorries are banned between Hospental and the summit.
Gotthard Pass on the map13.9 mi · point to point
Navigate to the start: Apple Maps · Google Maps
Character
Corners
busiest around mile 2Elevation
under 4%4 to 8%over 8%1,167 to 2,108 mFrom the road
Points of interest3 stops
- Punto Panoramico della Val BedrettoViewpoint5.9 mi in
- Passo del San GottardoViewpoint9.2 mi in
- General Alexander SuvorovLandmark8.9 mi in
Hazards
- Cobbled, uneven surface
- Motorbikes in numbers
- Fast-changing summit weather
Sources
“On the south side, the historic Tremola awaits you with 24 curves on cobblestones, the section is considered the longest architectural monument in Switzerland.”
Route traced from OpenStreetMap, with its stats measured from that line. How the roads are mapped
Routes for iPhone carries Gotthard Pass offline, with live weather and a 7 day forecast.
Nearby roads
The closest great drives to Gotthard Pass.
