All Roads lead to Ticino

Historic Alpine Routes

Reaching Ticino has always meant crossing the Alps, overcoming mountain passes that for centuries served as routes of exchange, trade and encounters between different cultures. Long before the advent of modern infrastructure, these Alpine passes were travelled by merchants, pilgrims, armies and wayfarers, forging essential links between Northern and Southern Europe.

 

St Gotthard Pass

For centuries, the St Gotthard Pass has been one of the most important routes across the Alps. As early as the Middle Ages it functioned as a strategic axis between Northern Europe and the Lombard territories. In the 13th century, the construction of the famous Devil’s Bridge in the Schöllenen Gorge made passage more regular. Here, in the heart of the Swiss Alps, four major rivers rise and flow in different directions: the Reuss to the north, the Rhine to the east, the Ticino to the south and the Rhône to the west. The historic Tremola road, with its cobbled hairpin bends on the southern side, still bears witness to the engineering ingenuity of the 19th century, prior to the opening of the railway tunnel.

 

San Bernardino Pass

For a long time, the San Bernardino Pass represented a vital alternative to the Gotthard, particularly when the latter was difficult to cross. Already in Roman and medieval times, the route through what is now the Grisons region was used to connect the Rhine basin with the Po Valley. The spectacular Viamala Gorge, crossed over the centuries by daring bridges and passages, impressed travellers of every era and was considered one of the most challenging stretches of the Alpine route.

 

Lukmanier Pass

The Lukmanier Pass is one of the oldest Alpine crossings in Switzerland. Already frequented in Roman times, it became an important route in the Middle Ages linking the Abbey of Disentis with the Blenio Valley. For centuries, the monastery played a central role in welcoming travellers and maintaining the pass. It was mainly used for transporting goods and livestock, contributing significantly to the economic development of the valleys it connects.

 

Nufenen Pass

Rising above 2,400 metres, the Nufenen Pass is one of the highest road passes in Switzerland. Although it was opened to traffic only in the second half of the 20th century, it follows ancient Alpine routes once used by shepherds and traders. Its historical role as a direct link between Valais and Ticino is relatively recent, yet it reflects the evolution of Alpine infrastructure in the modern era.

 

Simplon and Centovalli

The Simplon Pass is associated with one of the most famous episodes in Alpine history: in 1800 Napoleon Bonaparte crossed it with his troops to surprise the Austrian army. Shortly afterwards, he promoted its transformation into a carriage road, making it one of the first modern Alpine crossings. From here the route continues towards the Centovalli, a region historically shaped by emigration and cross-border connections, where railways and roads have linked Ticinese and Piedmontese communities for centuries.