Italy & Switzerland: On the Rooftop of Europe

After passing through the heavily industrial Po Valley you will reach Lago Maggiore near Verbania. From there the route follows the western shore of the lake through sleepy Italian villages hardly touched by tourism to the Swiss border.

The short stretch along the Strada del Gottardo to St. Gotthard Pass will give you an impression of the arduous journey this once was for traders crossing the Alps. The hospice just behind the pass was built in the 14th century and restored in the 19th century. The Gotthard Museum on the same site contains exhibits on the history of the pass, which has been one of the most important trading routes across the Alps since the Middle Ages.

The route follows the River Rhine as it begins its long descent into the valley. In the town of Disentis the Benedictine Abbey, founded in 720, is worth a stop. For those wishing to stretch their legs, numerous hiking trails of various length begin at the Abbey. Another interesting town along the route is Chur. Considered the oldest settlement in Switzerland, the 5,000-year-old city has a well-preserved medieval old town.

The panoramic drive along the little-used pass from east to west offers some of the most sensational views in the Alps. On the Swiss side of the route you will pass through a fascinating national park in which nature has been left undisturbed since 1909. Today the Swiss National Park is home to over 5,000 animal species. After crossing the magnificent Stelvio Pass at the foot of Mt. Ortler you will reach Italy.

You will leave the main motorway at Trento and take a side road along the idyllic western shore of Lake Garda.

This panoramic stretch leads around the southern tip of the Alps. You will soon enter the Milan metropolitan area, where traffic jams are common.