- The Saint-Gotthard Massif is the meeting point for the four official languages of Switzerland, as it occupies territories of cantons Valais (French and German), Ticino (Italian), Uri (German) and Grisons (German, Italian and Romansh).
- Conquering the Saint-Gotthard Massif was extremely important for the development of Switzerland, as it connects the north to the south. The first pass dates from the 13th You can still cross the Gotthard Pass today. Just pay attention to the dates: it is closed from October until June.
- The Gotthard always played an important role for Swiss Military. Innumerous bunkers were built in the Massif during World War II and are still active nowadays. In 2001 Sasso da Pigna, one of the largest underground defensive fortifications in Switzerland, was declassified and opened to the public in 2012 under the name Sasso San Gottardo.
- The construction of the Gotthard Tunnel started in 1871, under the leadership of Swiss railway pioneer Alfred Escher. The tunnel was inaugurated in 1882 and allowed trains to cross the Massif from Göschenen (Uri) to Airolo (Ticino).
- The Gotthard Road Tunnel was inaugurated in 1980. The traffic flows through the tunnel in both directions, one lane for each. Therefore, a prerequisite to drive there is patience! On April I took a road trip from Lucerne to Locarno, you can check bellow a video from the trip with some extra curiosities regarding the Road Tunnel.
- In 2016, Switzerland shared with the world the Gotthard Base Tunnel. A wonder of engineering with 57.09 km, it is the longest railway tunnel in the world, and it took 17 years to be finished. Passenger trains cross the tunnel in impressive 20 minutes. This is only possible because the Gotthad Base Tunnel is flat!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39vUCIBxhQ4
