The spectacular crossing of the main watershed in the Alps, from Andermatt to Biasca. The Gottardo Bike tour includes the famous Saint Gotthard pass, the solitary plateau of Piora and the sunny Blenio Valley. The Gottardo Bike tour combines spectacular high altitude landscapes with a beautiful lesson in Swiss history. The Gotthard pass has been one of the major north-south transit axes for centuries. The subsoil is a labyrinth of bunkers, evidence of its military role during the Second World War; various sections of the route are old army access routes. The contrast with the Val Piora further south could not be greater: here nature reigns. The pleasant plateau with its two alpine lakes is set in a harsh high mountain environment. Lake Cadagno also boasts a phenomenon, unique in Europe – the non-mixing of surface waters with deep waters – and is known to scientists from all over the world. The descent into the Blenio Valley takes place almost entirely on the old Lukmanier road. In the Middle Ages, until the Gotthard pass became well established, the Lukmanier pass was the main north-south connection. Not very popular, it is one of the most beautiful Alpine passes in Switzerland. The stretch to Olivone crosses large larch forests, very green plains, dense fir forests, and is considered one of the most beautiful in upper Ticino. The route then continues on the slopes of the west side of the Valley of the Sun, crossing the wide basin of the Nara area and then descending towards the plain through the old nucleus of Selvapiana and the ruins of the Serravalle Castle.
(Source: svizzeramobile.ch)
