Gottardo Bike (SvizzeraMobile 65)

The Gottardo Bike route combines spectacular high-altitude landscapes with a great lesson in Swiss history. The San Gottardo pass has been one of the main north-south transit axes for centuries. The underground is a maze of bunkers, a testament to its military role during the Second World War; various sections of the route are old army access roads.

The contrast with the Val Piora further south could not be greater: here nature reigns. The pleasant plateau with its two alpine lakes lies in a harsh high mountain environment. Lake Cadagno also boasts a unique phenomenon in Europe – the lack of mixing of surface waters with deep waters – and is known to scientists worldwide.

The descent into the Blenio Valley takes place almost entirely along the old Lukmanier road. In the Middle Ages, until the rise of the Gottardo, the Lukmanier pass was the main north-south connection. Sparsely trafficked, it is one of the most beautiful Alpine passes in Switzerland. The section to Olivone passes through wide larch forests, very green plateaus, dense fir woods, and is considered one of the most beautiful in upper Ticino.