St. Gotthard Hospice Postal address: Albergo San Gottardo Ospizio CH-6780 Airolo

Tel. +41 91 869 12 35 Fax +41 91 869 18 11

At an altitude of 2108 m, this famous Alpine pass connects central Switzerland to Ticino from Göschenen to Airolo and for centuries was the main road connecting Germany to Italy through Switzerland and the Alps.

It was once the only road between Switzerland and the Po River plain, thus linking northern Europe to Italy and was therefore a trade route of primary importance.

Nowadays, a railway tunnel opened in 1882 and a road tunnel opened in 1980 avoid its 26km of high mountain road, but hiking enthusiasts and lovers of majestic Alpine scenery are sure to pass through the pass, at the top of which the old hospice still stands, with new buildings including a museum, hotel, restaurant and souvenir shop.

The Gotthard Pass is closely linked to Swiss history: the Confederation of the III Cantons formed at the end of the 13th century with the alliance of Uri, Schwyz and Unterwalden arose in part from the fact that the peasants of this region earned income from crossing the pass.

It was also these mountain farmers who maintained the road, under extreme conditions, while the Habsburgs of Austria, their overlords, were content to collect taxes... This inevitably led to a desire for emancipation from this tutelage!