Saint Gotthard/San Gottardo is a mountain group, situated in the southern part of central Switzerland, serving as a water and climate barrier between northern and southern Europe. It is crossed by the Saint Gotthard Pass at 2.108m/6,916ft - one of the most important connecting links over and through the Alps.
The image shows the old cobbled pass road - into the Val Tremolo ("Valley of Trembling") - built in 1827-30 and leading down to Airolo in the Ticino canton. The language is Italian, the climate is Mediterranean and all rivers run south.
Classified as a post road, the Via Tremola was the main road on the south side of the pass, until the new paved road opened sometime during the end of 1960s - beginning of 1970s. Completion of the motorway tunnel in 1980 made year-round traffic possible.
When I passed here the first time - in 1964 - all transit traffic had to go up or down this meandering road. It was amazing to see - and especially hear - the heavy loaded trucks slowly working their way, loudly honking before every one of the fourteen hairpin bends...
