Valley of Trembling

(Local Name: Val Tremola) Beyond the St Gotthard Hospice/ hotel the road descends the slopes of the wild Val Tremola ("Valley of Trembling") in 38 well-engineered bends, some of them supported on retaining walls. In 5.5km/3mi it comes to the Cantoniera Val Tremola (1,695 m/5,561ft), from which the view down into the Val Bedretto and the Valle Leventina opens up. The new road, 7.8km/5mi long, bypasses the Val Tremola on the west, with some remarkable examples of road engineering (three tunnels). It then crosses the old road and later joins it. Continuing down in 13 sharp bends, the road comes to Airolo.