Ticket
Ticket large tour of Sasso San Gottardo
Duration: 2 hours
4 Activities
Filter
Better than 4.5 stars
Better than 4 stars
Better than 3.5 stars
Better than 3 stars
No Rating
Ticket
Duration: 2 hours
Ticket
Duration: 45 minutes
Why book with Swiss Activities?
Ticket
Passports
booked 9 times
Ticket
Duration: 2 hours
Ticket
Duration: 45 minutes
Why book with Swiss Activities?
Ticket
Passports
booked 9 times
Already in the 13th century, the Gotthard Pass became one of the most important Alpine crossings. The Schöllenen Gorge was made accessible with the construction of the Devil's Bridge. Back then, it existed as a mule track, which was already three meters wide in some places. However, there were always bottlenecks and dangerous sections in other areas. At that time, around 12,000 people crossed the mule track each year. It was continuously expanded and improved.
At the top of the pass, at an altitude of 2,091 m above sea level, a chapel and a goods transfer point were built. Later, an inn and a refuge (hospice) followed. The Gotthard Pass continued to develop, first with post coaches, then the Gotthardbahn, and finally cars.
Today, the Gotthard Pass serves as a direct transportation route across a mountain ridge, connecting a series of mountain peaks of the Gotthard massif. These peaks are merely separated by mountain saddles and passes. The Gotthard Pass is 26 km long.
Between Andermatt and Airolo, you have the chance to take the postbus over the Gotthard Pass. The journey lasts about 1.5 hours, and the postbus on line 110 runs several times a day along this route. It’s worth getting off at the pass summit to visit the Sasso San Gottardo Museum or simply enjoy the nature and the view.
You can also take a 4-pass bus trip that takes you over the Grimsel, Nufenen, Gotthard, and Susten passes, climbing more than 10,366 meters in altitude.
On both sides of Gotthard Pass, you’ll find several lakes. A lovely hike takes you to five mountain lakes in about 4 hours and 30 minutes.
These are:
Another hike includes an additional lake. In the southern part of Gotthard Pass, you’ll discover some beautiful viewpoints like Punto Panoramico San Gottardo. You can see the winding Tremola street, and later on, you’ll have a direct view into the Bedretto Valley.
Hiking Trail | Length (km) | Duration (hrs) | Elevation Gain (m) | Difficulty | Route |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Lake Hike | 13.3 | 4:30 | 489↑ | medium | Gotthard Hospiz - Lago di Lucendro - Lago d'Orsino - Lago die Orsirora - two larger and several smaller lakes - back to Lago di Lucendro |
From Gotthard to Capanna Piansecco | 15.1 | 4:30 | 373 ↑ | medium | Galleria Banchi bus stop on the Gotthard Pass road - Alpe di Cavanna - Gotthard Pass road |
Gotthard Pass 6-Lake Hike | 13.2 | 4:10 | 643 ↑ | medium | Summit - Lago di Lucendro – Cassina della Gana (2232 m) – Laghetto – Laghi della Valletta (2468 and 2432 m) – Larghi d’Orsirora – Lago d’Orsino – Cassina di Giacobbe – Mottolone – Gotthard Pass |
Airolo - Hospental | 17.2 | 6:00 | 967↑ | hard | Airolo - Gotthard - Hospental |
Hospental - Gotthard Pass | 8.8 | 3:10 | 656↑ | medium | part of the old post coach road and ancient mule path |
At Lago della Piazza, you'll also find the entrance to the museum and the St. Gotthard Hospiz. If you want to stay a bit longer, you can grab a bite to eat or even spend the night at the hospiz.
Four springs originate at Gotthard and later form great rivers:
A five-day hike takes you to the five springs, starting from Oberalppass. The tour ends at the Rhône Glacier. Along the way, there are SAC huts where you can stay overnight.
Hiking Stage | from | to | Overnight | Distance (km) |
---|---|---|---|---|
first stage | Oberalppass | Rhine Spring | Vermigel Hut | 14.5 |
second stage | Rhine Spring | over Giübin to Gotthard Pass | Hospice, Albergo, and group accommodation | 13.0 |
third stage | Gotthard Pass | Reuss Spring | Piansecco Hut | 21.5 |
fourth stage | Reuss Spring | Ticino Spring Area | Hotels in Ulrichen or Obergesteln | 20.0 |
fifth stage | Ticino Spring Area | Rhône Spring | Hotel Glacier du Rhône in Gletsch | 17.0 |
In the once top-secret fort Sasso da Pigna, you'll find the Sasso San Gottardo Museum today. Built during World War II, this fort was primarily designed to protect against attacks from Italy. The kilometers of tunnels and caverns hide deep within the mountain. There are two sections here: the "historical fort" section and the "exhibitions" section.
The exhibitions section includes the following parts: |Exhibition| Special Feature| |--------------|---| |Caverna Grande with image machine 'Reduit' by Tullio Zanovello|Moving paintings tell the old legends and myths of the Gotthard for 30 minutes| |Giant Crystals |1.5 tons of pure, up to meter-high rock crystals | |Wonder Room| Exhibition about making jewelry with quartz crystals from the mountain cantons | |The Gotthard Myth| The different phases of the Gotthard myth: naming, Goethe's Gotthard myth, the Tell saga, to the Reduit of General Guisan, whose centerpiece was the Gotthard fort. | |Goethe at the Gotthard|Highlights of his travels through Switzerland; he traveled to the Gotthard three times; here Goethe intensely engaged with the Tell saga | |Light Show Watershed Gotthard|At 3025 m above sea level, there is a tabletop-sized rock slab. At this point, precipitation splits into three significant watercourses: the Rhine, the Rhone, and the Ticino.| |Energy Cavern|The original diesel generators produced the fortress's energy needs|
A special feature is the use of the rest tunnel. If you’ve booked a ticket for a small or large tour, you can enjoy the tranquility in the tunnel in a deck chair. You’re welcome to bring a sleeping bag and pillow.
You reach the Metro del Sasso through a long connecting tunnel. You cover the 80 m with an inclined lift. Previously, soldiers used a staircase with 475 steps. It takes you directly down to the "historical fort" section.
Deep inside the mountain, you can visit the former troop shelters, gun positions, and ammunition depots. Everything is preserved authentically. From here, a side tunnel leads you to a panoramic platform with a wonderful view.
You can reach the museum on foot, 300 m from the postbus stop "Gotthard Passhöhe". If you’re driving, there are free parking spaces at the entrance.
There are actually two Gotthard Tunnels: the Gotthard Base Tunnel and the Gotthard Road Tunnel.
The Gotthard Base Tunnel has been in operation since 2016. It partially replaced the 1882 railway summit tunnel. Its length is 57 km, making it the longest railway tunnel in the world. Up to 65 passenger trains and 200–260 freight trains pass through the tunnel daily.
The Gotthard Base Tunnel is part of the Gotthard railway and crosses the Alps in a north-south direction.
The Gotthard Panorama Express between Lucerne and Lugano does not go through the Gotthard Base Tunnel, but rather through the old mountain tunnel.
The Gotthard Road Tunnel is used by cars and trucks. It is 16.9 km long, making it the longest road tunnel in the Alps. Between 17,000 and 34,000 vehicles pass through it each day.
The Gotthard Massif is home to several mountain peaks. Here are the most notable ones listed from west to east: |Mountain Peak| Height (m a.s.l.) | |--------------|------| |Pizzo Gallina| 3061 | |Pizzo Rotondo| 3192 | |Pizzo Lucendro| 2963 | |Pizzo Centrale| 2999 | |Piz Blas| 3019 | |Piz Gannaretsch| 3040 | |Pizzo del Sol| 2773 |
You can reach the Gotthard Massif via several passes. From the west, you can access it over the Nufenen Pass or the Furka Pass. In the north, there's the Oberalp Pass, and to the east is the Lukmanier Pass. The Gotthard Pass crosses the Gotthard.
Pass | Location at Gotthard Massif | Height (m a.s.l.) |
---|---|---|
Nufenen Pass | Southwest | 2478 |
Furka Pass | Northwest | 2429 |
Oberalp Pass | North | 2044 |
Lukmanier Pass | Northeast | 1915 |
Gotthard Pass | Central (Airolo-Andermatt) | 2106 |