Guided visits to the Bodio-Pollegio work site The Visitor Centre offers guided visits (reservation necessary) of approximately two hours for groups of 10 to 50 perso ns (visits for larger groups can be arranged on request). The accompanied visits are offered in the three national languages (Italian, French and German), in English and Spanish and may be combined with tourist packages in the Bellinzona and upper Tessin region . After an introduction to the project presented by the professional work site guides, the visitors are accompanied to the work area where they can closely observe the various aspects concerned in the construction and progress of the tunnel. Price for guided visit, adult: Fr. 12. -- Price for guided visit, children up to 16 years of age: Fr. 6.-- Guided visits to the Faido work site Infocentro AlpTransit offers guided visits of approximately three hours (reservation necessary) to the Faido multifunction station where visitors are taken to the inside of the tunnel. Visitors must be minimum 14 years of age and maximum 75 in good health (people with pacemakers and pregnant women are not permitted entry). The consumption of alcohol before the visit is forbidden. The accompanied visits are offered in the three national languages (Ita lian, French and German), in English and Spanish. After an introduction to the project presented by the professional work site guides at the Pollegio Visitor Centre, the visitors will receive equipment for the entry into the tunnel and will be accompanied to Faido where they can closely observe the excavations. Price for guided visit, per person : Fr. 40.-- Tourist Services There is an interesting exhibit on the ground floor of the centre. It presents information on tourism and the economy of the Ticino Canton. Informative tourist brochures and access to the Internet are available there. In addition, our Front Desk is available for information on general tourist offerings in the Canton and particularly in the Upper Ticino region. Besides tourist packages combined with the guided tours, the Infocentre team can take care of making re servations for hotels, public transportation, restaurants and pubs. Touring the AlpTransit Exhibit and Educational Pathway The first floor of the facility houses a multimedia and interactive exhibit covering all the various construction phases in the AlpTransit project. There is no charge for access to these display areas and t hey are open to the public daily, Tuesday to Sunday, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. , all day. The AlpTransit Gotthard Company has created an interesting pathway along the course of the construction site. Explanatory panels permit visitors to view and gain an under standing of the various aspects involved in the construction work zone. Snack Bar The Infocentre Snack Bar offers visitors the chance to take a break for a snack or for lunch. Upon request, aperitifs and appetisers can be offered for groups. In addition, visitors can use the outdoor terrace during the summer season. Conference Rooms The Infocentre features two conference rooms, one with a seating capacity of 50-70 persons, the other room seating 30 - 50 persons. There is also a smaller meeting room for 10 persons. These rooms can be rented upon request for corporate meetings or special events. Organisation of events Characterised by modern, essential lines, the facility is very well suited for the organisation of events, confere nces and work meetings. The Infocentre team is also available to satisfy your special needs and can guarantee a wide range of value-added services. As it is situated within the North-South road and railway network and in the vicinity of the Lugano and Mila n airports, the Infocentre offers an optimal location and it is easily reached by public or private transportation The Gotthard Sud Infocentre visitor centre is part of the overall project for the new Alpine AlpTransit railway tunnel, the large - scale project now in progress and aimed at the modernisation of public transportation infrastructures. The project is highly desired by the Swiss to protect the sensitive Alpine environment. Owing to this new transport network, the large influx of traffic, especially for goods, will be redirected off the roads for rail transport. The AlpTransit Gotthard Company has the task of completing the Gotthard Base Tunnel according to the planned work schedule and costs, but it is also called upon to inform the public as to the progress of these major works. Thanks to the new Pollegio visitor centre, all interested persons are offered the opportunity of learning about the various aspects involved in the construction of this important transportation network. The centre was designed by the architectural firm Bauzeit Architekten GmbH of Bienne, and the exhibits by the Oï firm of Bienne. The architecture and the displays are striking and innovative in terms of the concepts underlying the presentation and the "staging". The building was constructed with material extracted from the Gotthard Base Tunnel, in keeping with the principle adopted by the AlpTransit Gotthard Company, according to which most of the material extracted from the various tunnels will be re-utilised. The exhibits are marked by strong emotional impact, owing to the use of advanced audio - visual techniques. The information centre was officially opened in the month of April 2003. The centre is addressed to a vast public, emotionally and with highly sophisticated multimedia techniques that illustrate topics relating to the construction of the tunnels, aspects related to naturalistic factors and mineralogy, the environment and mobility. Space has also been dedicated to cultural and historical aspects, including the food and wines of St. Gotthard, the economy of the Belli nzona and Upper Ticino Region and the touring possibilities offered in the Region, and thus the Canton as well. This new facility definitely represents an important new element in terms of the content, means and the services marked by a high added value in terms of their expression. However, the facility is also important and innovative in terms of its architectural distinctiveness. In addition, with the establishment of the Infocentro Gottardo Sud SA company, the tourist agencies that are members of the Alto Ticino Pool have established a record in the Canton. In fact, they have joined together as the sole shareholders for the management of this ambitious and innovative project. By plane The Lugano-Agno, Zurich or Milano Malpensa and Milano Linat e airports Useful links : • Swiss International Air Lines : www.swiss.com • Collegamento Milano Malpensa – Lugano (Bus Express shuttle) www.busexpress.com/shuttle.asp Train/bus With the international railway line from Milano-Centrale via Como, Ticino can be reached from every part of Mediterranean Europe, by Intercity trains or the fast Cisalpino train. Departures from Milan to Ticino are guaranteed every hour. From the north, connections with major Swiss cities are ensured by the Swiss Federal Railways' San Gottardo line, with departures at regular intervals. • Bellinzona (or Biasca) Railway Station, Bellinzona-Airolo PostBus Line no. 6 25.09 • Pollegio / Alptransit Bus stop Useful links : • Swiss Federal Railways : www.ffs.ch • Railaway : www.railaway.ch • Ticino PostBus : www.autopostali.ch Private transport Ticino is easily reached by car: particularly from the South, by the autostrada dei Laghi from Milan to the Swiss Chiasso-Brogeda border, then by the A2 motorway going North, following sig ns for Gotthard and passing through Mendrisio, Lugano and Bellinzona. • Take the Biasca exit, towards Pollegio/St. Gotthard (70 km from the border). • Ticino can be reached from the North by taking the A2 (St. Gotthard) or A13 (San Bernardino) motorway, going South on both. Useful links : • Infostrada TCS (Swiss Touring Club motor-road information) (Tel. 163) • C Touring Club Switzerland : www.tcs.ch Tourism Touring Ticino www.ticino-tourism.ch Touring Leventina www.leventinaturismo.ch Tourist Office of Biasca and the Riviera Valley www.biascaturismo.ch Touring Blenio Valley www.blenio.com Touring Bellinzona and Surroundings www.bellinzonaturismo.ch Lake Maggiore Tourist Office www.maggiore.ch Touring Gambarogno www.gambarognoturismo.ch Touring Tenero and Verzasca Valley www.tenero-tourism.ch Touring Maggia Valley www.vallemaggia.ch Touring Lugano www.lugano-tourism.ch Malcantone Tourist Office www.malcantone.ch Touring Mendrisio www.mendrisiotourism.ch Partners Swiss www.swiss.ch Railaway www.railaway.ch Ticino PostBus www.autopostale.ch Fart www.rail-info.ch/FART/daten.en.html Autolinee Bleniesi SA (Bleniesi bus lines) www.autolinee.ch Barenco PostBus www.barenco.net/pagina_principale_italiano.htm Baumgartner Gallery www.galleriabaumgartner.ch Monte Generoso Railway www.montegeneroso.ch Public Agencies Federal Department of Environment www.uvek.admin.ch Federal Office of Transport www.bav.admin.ch/neat DSN, Delegation of Federal Council Members for the Supervision of the NRLA www.parlament.ch Federal Office of Transport - AlpTransit Section www.bav.admin.ch/ Canton of Ticino www.ti.ch Municipality of Pollegio www.pollegio.ch High-speed railway in Switzerland AlpTransit Gotthard Company www.alptransit.ch Lötschberg NRLA www.blsalptransit.ch Rail 2000 www.ffs.ch/bahn2000/i/index.htm Swiss Federal Railways www.ffs.ch European high-speed rail projects "Channel" (Calais-Folkestone) Eurotunnel www.eurotunnel.com/ Fixed link between Denmark and Sweden www.oresundskonsortiet.com/ The Austrian high-speed rail line www.hl-ag.com/main.html Companies operating at the Bodio-Pollegio construction site Engineering consortium www.tat-ti.ch Tunneling machinery supplier www.herrenknecht.com Miscellaneous Public transportation information service www.litra.ch PRO HELVETIA - Cultural project concerning the Gotthard and Lötschberg construction sites www.gallerie-ph.ch .