Above the Gotthard

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

ABOVE THE GOTTHARD 8AM BREAKFAST IN ANDERMATT To start the day right, devour a typical Alpine-style breakfast in Andermatt: Birchermüesli, crusty bread and a few pieces of the local mountain cheese. Try Baumann’s Bakery for an authentic version of this fortifying breakfast. 10AM PASS SUMMIT The Gotthard Pass is one of the oldest and most important routes that traverses the Alps. From the summit, you can hike to Lago di Lucendro, about a 30-minute hike. From the reservoir, there are numerous trails, including a five hour trail which crosses the Passo di Lucendro. 3PM GOTTHARD HOSPICE Back at the summit, take a quick break for a snack and try a mixed Ticino platter and a cold drink. For those interested, it’s worth taking a tour of the Hospice, a European Heritage site which was renovated a few years ago. Goethe, Wagner and numerous other travelers have stayed overnight here. 4PM SASSO SAN GOTTARDO Around the time of WWII, the Swiss army dug fortresses deep inside the Alps. One of the bunker complexes is now a museum where you can see the biggest rock crystals ever discovered, or take the underground cable car to the former barracks and the old artillery placements built to defend the pass. 6PM THE TREMOLA ROAD The serpentine curves of this cobbled road date back to 1830. This narrow bottleneck used to be the only road over the pass, until the Gotthard Tunnel opened in 1980, leaving this road free for leisure travelers. For a truly bone-shaking experience, travel to Airolo by bike or in a vintage car. 7PM THE CASEIFICIO SHOW DAIRY Caseificio del Gottardo is both a working show dairy and a museum, where the history and techniques of cheesemaking in the region are revealed. Observe the cheesemakers at work before shopping for some delicious regional cheese specialities to take home with you. MAKERS OF THE ORIGINAL SWISS ARMY KNIFE | ESTABLISHED 1884 .

Copy Link

Recommended publications

Transalpine Pass Routes in the Swiss Central Alps and the Strategic Use of Topographic Resources
Preistoria Alpina, 42 (2007): 109-118 ISSN 09-0157 © Museo Tridentino di Scienze Naturali, Trento 2007 Transalpine pass routes in the Swiss Central Alps and the strategic use of topographic resources Philippe DELLA CASA Department of Pre-/Protohistory, University of Zurich, Karl-Schmid-Str. ��4, 8006 Zurich, Switzerland E-mail: [email protected] SUMMARY - Transalpine pass routes in the Swiss Central Alps and the strategic use of topographic resources - Using examples from the San Bernardino and the St. Gotthard passes in the Swiss Central Alps, this paper discusses how the existence of transalpine high altitude pass routes can be inferred, even though there is a lack physical evidence, from specific Bronze and Iron Age settlement patterns in access valleys. Particular attention is given to the effect of topography within the territorial and economic organizational area on transalpine tracks and traffic routes. A set of recurring patterns, such as strategic position, natural and/or artificial protection, presence of “foreign” materials, can help identifying (settlement) sites with particular functions as regards traffic and trade within the systems of territorial organization. Moreover, the paper also addresses socio-dynamic issues of the problem of transalpine pass routes. RIASSUNTO - Passi transalpini nelle Alpi Centrali Svizzere e uso strategico di risorse topografiche -Usando esempi dal Passo di San Bernardino e dal Passo del San Gottardo nelle Alpi Centrali Svizzere, il presente contributo discute come l’esistenza di vie di transito transalpine d’alta quota possa essere dedotta, anche mancando evidenze fisiche, da specifici modelli insediativi dell’età del Bronzo e del Ferro presenti nelle valli di accesso.
[Show full text]
A Hydrographic Approach to the Alps
• • 330 A HYDROGRAPHIC APPROACH TO THE ALPS A HYDROGRAPHIC APPROACH TO THE ALPS • • • PART III BY E. CODDINGTON SUB-SYSTEMS OF (ADRIATIC .W. NORTH SEA] BASIC SYSTEM ' • HIS is the only Basic System whose watershed does not penetrate beyond the Alps, so it is immaterial whether it be traced·from W. to E. as [Adriatic .w. North Sea], or from E. toW. as [North Sea . w. Adriatic]. The Basic Watershed, which also answers to the title [Po ~ w. Rhine], is short arid for purposes of practical convenience scarcely requires subdivision, but the distinction between the Aar basin (actually Reuss, and Limmat) and that of the Rhine itself, is of too great significance to be overlooked, to say nothing of the magnitude and importance of the Major Branch System involved. This gives two Basic Sections of very unequal dimensions, but the ., Alps being of natural origin cannot be expected to fall into more or less equal com partments. Two rather less unbalanced sections could be obtained by differentiating Ticino.- and Adda-drainage on the Po-side, but this would exhibit both hydrographic and Alpine inferiority. (1) BASIC SECTION SYSTEM (Po .W. AAR]. This System happens to be synonymous with (Po .w. Reuss] and with [Ticino .w. Reuss]. · The Watershed From .Wyttenwasserstock (E) the Basic Watershed runs generally E.N.E. to the Hiihnerstock, Passo Cavanna, Pizzo Luceridro, St. Gotthard Pass, and Pizzo Centrale; thence S.E. to the Giubing and Unteralp Pass, and finally E.N.E., to end in the otherwise not very notable Piz Alv .1 Offshoot in the Po ( Ticino) basin A spur runs W.S.W.
[Show full text]
Under the Alps: the Gotthard Base Tunnel
Under the Alps: The Gotthard Base Tunnel February 15, 2011 TEAM ALPHA Blake Carlton, Michael Cox, Gary Daigle Damon Ritter, Shanna Simmons, Lana Wilson Overview • Background • Specifications • Technology • Construction •Safety •Cost • Current State • Road Ahead • References http://engineeringworks.tamu.edu/2010/11/ Background • Route over Gotthard Pass is one of the most important passages through the Alps • Traffic has increased more than 10x since 1980 • Existing road and rail tunnels are at their limits • Need to provide faster and flatter passage through the Swiss Alps http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/11/Teufelsbr%C3%BCcke01.jpg Background • Longest tunnel • Drilling began in 1996 • Between Switzerland and Italy • Largest engineering project since the Panama Canal (yellow: major tunnels, red: existing main tracks, numbers: year of completion) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:NEAT_GBT_engl.png Specifications • Two tunnels, each 35 miles long • 31 feet in diameter • Max overburden – 1.5 miles http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5f/Nrla_scheme.png Specifications • 26.5 million metric tons of excavated rock • 200-250 trains/day • 8 drilling machines • 130 ft/day of drilling http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5f/Nrla_scheme.png Technology Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) • 9.7m Diameter • Power: 3,500 kW (5000 hp) • Torque: 8500 kNm (6.2 million ft-lbf) http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5f/Nrla_scheme.png Technology Electronic Cab Signaling • Allows constant monitoring • Signals are always
[Show full text]
Andermatt Swiss Alps
ANDERMATT SWISS ALPS editorial The first time I visited Andermatt, I encountered something special: the unadulterated natural beauty of a Swiss moun- tain village in the heart of the Alps. And I was inspired – not only by the village of Andermatt, but by the whole valley. This expansive high-mountain valley, the Ursern Valley, with its wild and romantic natural landscape, inspired my vision of Andermatt Swiss Alps. Even then, it was clear to me that the soul of this region is the untouched nature. And I intend to preserve this. I see sustainability as a cornerstone upon which the develop- ment of Andermatt is based. I warmly invite you to discover the charm of the Swiss Alps. Step into a world that is closer than you think. Welcome to Andermatt Swiss Alps! Samih Sawiris Sawiris’ vision has since become reality, in the form of the new hotels, apartment buildings and chalets of Ander matt Swiss Alps, the unique golf course and the multifaceted SkiArena. The properties next to the Reuss offer guests a range of modern residential options and are sought-after investment assets as well. The portfolio rang- es from practical studios to spacious apartments and penthouses. Streets and walks in Andermatt are short – and it should stay that way: The village area next to the Reuss is car- free; an underground garage provides ample parking space. The mountain cableway terminals, shops, restau- rants and public facilities are easily accessible by foot in every season and are integrated into the village life of Andermatt. The central Piazza Gottardo also contributes to this.
[Show full text]
Canton Ticino and the Italian Swiss Immigration to California
Swiss American Historical Society Review Volume 56 Number 1 Article 7 2020 Canton Ticino And The Italian Swiss Immigration To California Tony Quinn Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/sahs_review Part of the European History Commons, and the European Languages and Societies Commons Recommended Citation Quinn, Tony (2020) "Canton Ticino And The Italian Swiss Immigration To California," Swiss American Historical Society Review: Vol. 56 : No. 1 , Article 7. Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/sahs_review/vol56/iss1/7 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by BYU ScholarsArchive. It has been accepted for inclusion in Swiss American Historical Society Review by an authorized editor of BYU ScholarsArchive. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. Quinn: Canton Ticino And The Italian Swiss Immigration To California Canton Ticino and the Italian Swiss Immigration to California by Tony Quinn “The southernmost of Switzerland’s twenty-six cantons, the Ticino, may speak Italian, sing Italian, eat Italian, drink Italian and rival any Italian region in scenic beauty—but it isn’t Italy,” so writes author Paul Hofmann1 describing the one Swiss canton where Italian is the required language and the cultural tie is to Italy to the south, not to the rest of Switzerland to the north. Unlike the German and French speaking parts of Switzerland with an identity distinct from Germany and France, Italian Switzerland, which accounts for only five percent of the country, clings strongly to its Italian heritage. But at the same time, the Ticinese2 are fully Swiss, very proud of being part of Switzerland, and with an air of disapproval of Italy’s ever present government crises and its tie to the European Union and the Euro zone, neither of which Ticino has the slightest interest in joining.
[Show full text]
Weather Patterns and Hydro-Climatological Precursors Of
Meteorologische Zeitschrift, Vol. 21, No. 6, 531–550 (December 2012) Open Access Article Ó by Gebru¨der Borntraeger 2012 Weather patterns and hydro-climatological precursors of extreme floods in Switzerland since 1868 Peter Stucki1,*, Ralph Rickli1, Stefan Bro¨nnimann1,2, Olivia Martius1,2, Heinz Wanner1,2, Dietmar Grebner3 and Ju¨rg Luterbacher4 1Institute of Geography, University of Bern, Switzerland 2Oeschger Centre, University of Bern, Switzerland 3Institute for Atmospheric and Climate Science, ETH Zurich, Switzerland 4Department of Geography, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Germany (Manuscript received February 21, 2012; in revised form October 30, 2012; accepted October 31, 2012) Abstract The generation of 24 extreme floods in large catchments of the central Alps is analyzed from instrumental and documentary data, newly digitized observations of precipitation (DigiHom) and 20th Century Reanalysis (20CR) data. Extreme floods are determined by the 95th percentile of differences between an annual flood and a defined contemporary flood. For a selection of six events between 1868 and 1910, we describe preconditioning elements such as precipitation, temperature, and snow cover anomalies. Specific weather patterns are assessed through a subjective analysis of three-dimensional atmospheric circulation. A focus is placed on synoptic-scale features including mid-tropospheric ascent, low-level moisture transport, propagation of cyclones, and temperature anomalies. We propose a hydro-meteorological classification of all 24 investigated events according to flood-generating weather conditions. Key elements of the upper-level synoptic-scale flow are summarized by five types: (i) pivoting cut-off lows, (ii) elongated cut-off lows, (iii) elongated troughs, (iv) waves (with a kink), and (v) approximately zonal flow over the Alpine region.
[Show full text]
Old Overhead Line Over the Gotthard Pass to Be Relocated to the New Road Tunnel Bundling of Infrastructures Frees up the Alpine Landscape
Media release Swissgrid Media Service 2 June 2021 Bleichemattstrasse 31 P.O. Box 5001 Aarau Switzerland T +41 58 580 31 00 [email protected] www.swissgrid.ch Old overhead line over the Gotthard Pass to be relocated to the new road tunnel Bundling of infrastructures frees up the Alpine landscape The extra-high-voltage line over the Gotthard Pass is being relocated to a special service duct as part of the construction of the second road tunnel. The Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) has given Swissgrid confirmation that no sectoral plan procedure needs to be carried out for this project. Several agreements have been concluded with the Federal Roads Office (FEDRO) in connection with the service duct. Over the next few years, Swissgrid will prepare the cabling of the extra-high-voltage line on the Gotthard Pass between Airolo and Göschenen. Measuring around 18 kilometres in length, this will be the longest cabled extra-high-voltage line in Switzerland. In future, the Airolo – Mettlen 220 kV extra-high-voltage line will be laid underground in the Gotthard road tunnel between Airolo and Göschenen over a distance of approximately 18 kilometres. This is possible thanks to synergies created by the construction of the second Gotthard road tunnel by the Federal Roads Office (FEDRO). The cables of the line will be laid in a separate service duct (WELK HS) beneath the hard shoulder. The new line is expected to go live in 2028. The line between Airolo and Mettlen is a vital part of the north-south connection for the electricity supply in Switzerland and Europe.
[Show full text]
All Roads Lead to Ticino.Pdf
All roads lead to Ticino! ticino.ch/wege-ins-tessin The itinerary becomes part of the holiday: discover the best one for an exciting trip! “It’s marvelously rich and beautiful and there is everything, from the alpine landscapes to the Mediterranean ones” with these words the Nobel prize winner Hermann Hesse described Ticino, his adoptive homeland. Glaciers and palm trees, lakes and mountains, ancient churches and modern architecture, silent valleys and vibrating cities generate an harmonic ambiance. As various as Ticino’s attitudes are, as various are the ways to reach the region: it doesn’t matter whether you come by plane, car, train, bus, bicycle or on foot. Myriad of roads lead you to the sunny South of Switzerland: Ticino. Your journey begins only a stone’s throw away from you home. By train. Travelling by train in Switzerland is comfortable and very reliable; thanks to the world’s best rail system. Numerous international trains arrive in Ticino every hour from the gateways Basel und Zurich, stopping in Bellinzona, Lugano, Mendrisio and Locarno. The TILO-train offers connections within the main cities in Ticino every 20 minutes. By car. Ticino is easily accessible by car. The shortest way from the North to the South of the Alps is through the Gotthard road tunnel or the alpine pass. A modern and efficient motorway runs through all Ticino (A2). The Gotthard tunnel (17 kilometers) allows travellers to avoid climbing the majestic alpine passes. It is for 125 years that this tunnel has been linking the North with the South. By plane.
[Show full text]
The Advent of Swiss Traveling Coaches and Carriages
The Advent of Swiss Traveling Coaches and Carriages ! The Advent of Swiss Traveling Coa- ches and Carriages The following work is based on a paper given in 2010 to the Andres Furger Carriage Association of America in Williamsburg, Virginia. Copyright Translation Susan Niederberger by Andres Furger 9 rue verte F-68480 Oltingue France [email protected] www.andresfurger.ch Oltingue 2014 A. A BRIEF GEOGRAPHIC AND FISCAL HISTORY OF SWITZERLAND was not a rich nation relying on its agriculture for income, but rapid industrialization increased the country’s wealth. However, tourism and traffic in transit have always played a large part in the Swiss economy and will continue to do so. Fig. 1 A map of Europe showing the location of Switzerland in Europe as it is today: Topography of Switzerland with the Jura in the north, the Alps in the south and the lowlands in the centre from an English travelling Fig. 2 map dating from 1838. The pass over the Umbrail c. 1900. Federal Archives of Monument Conservation: Eidgenössisches Archiv für Denkmalpflege Switzerland lies in the very heart of Europe, bordered by Germany, France, Italy and Austria. This small country is made up of three very different geographical landscapes: the Fig. 2 shows a light travelling carriage on the Umbrail Pass c.1900. The pass road can be mountainous Jura of the north, the flatlands of central Switzerland and the Swiss Alps in seen leading off into the horizon, framed by a magnificent mountain range. the south. This country is the source of two great rivers, the Rhine and the Rhone (Fig 1.), As a cultural historian, I need to set the subject of travel in Switzerland within the relevant and includes part of the European Alps, which divide north and south Europe.
[Show full text]
Under French Rule (1798-1815)
Federal Department of Foreign Affairs FDFA General Secretariat GS-FDFA Presence Switzerland Under French Rule (1798-1815) The French Revolution and the subsequent Napoleonic Wars altered the face of Europe. Switzerland, too, was not able to escape these changes. However, the legal equality that was being demanded primarily by the rural subject territories in opposition to the old elite was only established when in 1798 French troops marched in and the political system of the thirteen-canton Confederation collapsed, to be replaced by the centralised unitary state of the Helvetic Republic. By 1803, Napoleon had passed the Act of Mediation to transform this crisis-ridden entity into a federal state, lending the cantons a geographic form that they retained after he was overthrown in 1814/1815. The French Revolution The Lion Monument in Lucerne was erected in 1820-21 in honour of the Swiss Guards who lost their lives during the assault on the Tuileries in Paris in 1792. The monument was designed by Danish artist Bertel Thorvaldsen and co-financed by various European Royal households. At the time, not everyone was pleased that a monument was being built to Swiss citizens serving a foreign monarchy. A number of liberals even planned to saw off one of the lion’s paws in protest. © www.picswiss France and Switzerland had had close political and above all economic ties since the 16th century. In return for trade privileges, the cantons sent hundreds of thousands of mercenaries to France. It was therefore no coincidence that some 760 Swiss Guards died during the assault on the Tuileries in 1792 as they tried to prevent angry crowds from storming the palace and making their way through to the royal family.
[Show full text]
Cinque Terre Discovery the Essentials Tailor
Cinque Terre Discovery From £749 per person // 7 days Travel to Italy via the spectacular Rhine Gorge and Gotthard Pass routes then spend three full days exploring the Ligurian coastline and Cinque Terre region. The Essentials What's included Take a journey down the Rhine Valley and stop over in Standard Class rail travel with seat reservations Freiburg on the edge of the Black Forest 6 nights’ handpicked hotel accommodation with breakfast Travel over the Swiss Alps at the Gotthard Pass City maps and comprehensive directions to your hotels Spend 4 nights in Rapallo, on the beautiful Ligurian coast Clearly-presented wallets for your rail tickets, hotel Return via the Côte d’Azur with a night in Cannes vouchers and other documentation All credit card surcharges and complimentary delivery of your travel documents Tailor make your holiday Decide when you would like to travel Adapt the route to suit your plans Upgrade hotels and rail journeys Add extra nights, destinations and/or tours - Suggested Itinerary - Day 1 - London To Freiburg Via The Rhine Gorge Take the Eurostar this morning from London or Ebbsfleet to Brussels Midi. Here, connect onto a train to Cologne, where you transfer onto the service that runs south through the beautiful Rhine Gorge. Watch castles and steep-sided vineyards, and admire the working barges that travel up and down the waterway. In the evening, arrive into the gateway to the Black Forest, Freiburg im Breisgau, where you check into the Novotel am Konzerthaus (or similar), just next to the station. Day 2 - Freiburg To Rapallo Via The Gotthard Pass After breakfast, depart from Freiburg’s main station and take a comfortable German ICE train to Zurich.
[Show full text]
Gotthard Base Tunnel - Mastering Surface Deformations in the Area of Two Concrete Arch Dams - Innovative Solutions
Gotthard Base Tunnel - Mastering surface deformations in the area of two concrete arch dams - innovative solutions Ehrbar, H. 1, Bremen, R. 2, Otto, B. 3 1) AlpTransit Gotthard Ltd, Lucerne, Switzerland 2) Lombardi Ltd., Minusio, Switzerland 3) AXPO Ltd., Baden, Switzerland ABSTRACT The Gotthard Base Tunnel with a total length of 57 kilometres will be the longest railway tunnel of the world when the commercial operation starts in 2016. The tunnel system consists of two single-track tubes with an excavated diameter of 9.40 m. The excavation of the tunnel has been completed in March 2011. From 2005 to 2011 water saturated jointed rock masses close to two more than 100 m high concrete arch dams had to be excavated in the central Swiss Alps. The Nalps arch dam had to be passed by in a horizontal distance of 600 metres and the Santa Maria arch dam in a distance of 2 kilometres. The vertical distance in both cases was 1’400 metres. Tunnel excavation in water saturated jointed rock masses causes dewatering of the rock mass around the cavity. The dewatering effects on a large scale can cause measurable deformations at the surface even in the case of deep tunnels. Experiences with these effects have been made 1978 with the damage event of the Zeuzier arch dam in Switzerland and after the opening of the Gotthard road tunnel in 1980. In both cases deformations in the range of 10 centimetres and more have been observed at surface level several hundred meters above the tunnel axis. In the case of the Gotthard Base Tunnel a sophisticated topographical monitoring system allowed to observe the ground deformations since the earliest beginning of the tunnel excavation in the year 2002 throughout the whole year, also during strong winter times.
[Show full text]