St Gotthard Pass

After crossing the Lucendro bridge the road climbs in a series of sharp bends to the St Gotthard pass (2,108 m/6,916ft), a bare flat depression with a number of small lakes. To the left is Monte Prosa (2,471 m/8,107ft; 2.5 hours), to the right La Fibbia (2,742 m/8,997ft; 2.5 hours, with guide), sloping down sharply into Val Tremola. The St Gotthard group of mountains, forming a link between the Valais and the Grisons Alps, lies in the center of Switzerland - the core around which the Confederation grew up. Here the valleys carved out by the Reuss and the Ticino have prepared the way for this magnificent route over the central ridge of the Alps. 100 m/328ft beyond the pass is a fork at which the old road continues straight ahead and the new road bears right.