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St. Gotthard Pass
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| Switzerland’s St. Gotthard Pass links German-speaking Andermatt in Canton Uri with Italian-speaking Airolo in Canton Ticino and the route to Milan. Its pass summit is at 2091m altitude. The road as we know it today bears no resemblance to the extremely dangerous track of many centuries ago, when the narrow steep-sided Schoellen Gorge had to be negotiated. Many people drowned attempting to ford the turbulent waters as the snow thawed in spring and summer. A bridge was planned, but as in so many other parts of the world – according to legend – the Devil lent a hand. He would build the “Devil’s Bridge” if the first person to cross was surrendered to him. However once the bridge was built, the Devil was tricked out of his victim. He was so enraged that he tried to smash the bridge with a huge rock. But an old woman thwarted the Devil’s plan by drawing a cross on the rock so that the he couldn’t lift it. The rock remained until it was removed in 1977 to make way for the new Gotthard road tunnel. However, the pass road is without doubt a more dramatic drive! |
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