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The Gotthard Massif or Saint-Gotthard Massif (german: Gotthardmassiv or ; it, Massiccio del San Gottardo; rm, Massiv dal Gottard) is a
mountain range A mountain range or hill range is a series of mountains or hills arranged in a line and connected by high ground. A mountain system or mountain belt is a group of mountain ranges with similarity in form, structure, and alignment that have aris ...
in the
Alps The Alps () ; german: Alpen ; it, Alpi ; rm, Alps ; sl, Alpe . are the highest and most extensive mountain range system that lies entirely in Europe, stretching approximately across seven Alpine countries (from west to east): France, Swi ...
in
Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
, located at the border of four cantons:
Valais Valais ( , , ; frp, Valês; german: Wallis ), more formally the Canton of Valais,; german: Kanton Wallis; in other official Swiss languages outside Valais: it, (Canton) Vallese ; rm, (Chantun) Vallais. is one of the 26 cantons forming the Sw ...
,
Ticino Ticino (), sometimes Tessin (), officially the Republic and Canton of Ticino or less formally the Canton of Ticino,, informally ''Canton Ticino'' ; lmo, Canton Tesin ; german: Kanton Tessin ; french: Canton du Tessin ; rm, Chantun dal Tessin . ...
,
Uri Uri may refer to: Places * Canton of Uri, a canton in Switzerland * Úri, a village and commune in Hungary * Uri, Iran, a village in East Azerbaijan Province * Uri, Jammu and Kashmir, a town in India * Uri (island), an island off Malakula Isla ...
and Graubünden. It is delimited by the
Nufenen Pass Nufenen Pass (Italian: ''Passo della Novena'', German: ''Nufenenpass'') (el. 2478 m.) is the highest mountain pass with a paved road within Switzerland. It lies between the summits of Pizzo Gallina (north) and the Nufenenstock (south). The pass ...
on the west, by the Furka Pass and the
Oberalp Pass Oberalp Pass ( rm, Alpsu or ''Cuolm d'Ursera''; german: Oberalppass) (2044 meters above sea level) is a high mountain pass in the Swiss Alps connecting the cantons of Graubünden and Uri between Disentis/Mustér and Andermatt. Winter closure ...
on the north and by the Lukmanier Pass on the east. The eponymous
Gotthard Pass german: Gotthardpass , photo = File:Gotthardpass 2008.jpg , photo_caption = The area of the Gotthard Pass from the west , elevation_m = 2106 , elevation_ref = , traversed = National Road 2 Old paved road ( Tremola) Gotthard Rail Tunnel G ...
, lying at the heart of the massif, is the main route from north to south (excluding tunnels). The region of the Gotthard lies at the heart of the
Swiss Alps The Alpine region of Switzerland, conventionally referred to as the Swiss Alps (german: Schweizer Alpen, french: Alpes suisses, it, Alpi svizzere, rm, Alps svizras), represents a major natural feature of the country and is, along with the Swis ...
, often referred to as the "water tower of Europe". Three major rivers take their source in the Gotthard Massif: the Reuss,
Rhine ), Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland , source1_coordinates= , source1_elevation = , source2 = Rein Posteriur/Hinterrhein , source2_location = Paradies Glacier, Graubünden, Switzerland , source2_coordinates= , sour ...
and
Ticino Ticino (), sometimes Tessin (), officially the Republic and Canton of Ticino or less formally the Canton of Ticino,, informally ''Canton Ticino'' ; lmo, Canton Tesin ; german: Kanton Tessin ; french: Canton du Tessin ; rm, Chantun dal Tessin . ...
. A fourth river, the Rhône, takes its source in very close proximity of the massif, just north of the Furka Pass. A trekking itinerary, the Vier-Quellen-Weg ("four springs trail"), crosses the Gotthard Massif.


Peaks

The highest peaks of the massif are Pizzo Rotondo
Karl Baedeker Karl Ludwig Johannes Baedeker ( , ; 3 November 1801 – 4 October 1859) was a German publisher whose company, Baedeker, set the standard for authoritative guidebooks for tourists. Karl Baedeker was descended from a long line of printers, bo ...
, ''Switzerland and the Adjacent Portions of Italy, Savoy, and Tyrol'', 1911, p. 154
(3,192 m) in the southwest,
Pizzo Centrale Pizzo Centrale is a mountain in the Lepontine Alps, located on the border between the cantons of Uri and Ticino. At 2,999 metres above sea level, it is the highest summit overlooking Gotthard Pass german: Gotthardpass , photo = File:Gotthardpa ...
(2,999 m) near the centre and
Piz Gannaretsch Piz Gannaretsch is a mountain in the Lepontine Alps, overlooking Sedrun in Graubünden. At 3,040 metres above sea level, its summit is the highest point of the range lying between St Gotthard Pass german: Gotthardpass , photo = File:Gotthard ...
(3,040 m) in the northeast. There is no peak named ''Gotthard''.


Tunnels

There are three long tunnels traversing the Gotthard Massif: * Gotthard (Rail) Tunnel, railway culmination tunnel (1882, 15 km) * Gotthard Road Tunnel, motorway tunnel (1980, 17 km) *
Gotthard Base Tunnel , rm, Tunnel da basa dal Sogn Gottard , image = 20141120 gotthard-basistunnel02-wikipedia-hannes-ortlieb.jpg , image_size = 250 , caption = Turnout at Faido multifunction station , line = Gotthard Line , location = Switzerland (Uri, Grisons and ...
, railway lowest-level tunnel (2016, 57 km)


References

Mountain ranges of Switzerland Mountain ranges of Graubünden Landforms of Ticino Landforms of Valais Landforms of the canton of Uri Mountain ranges of the Alps Lepontine Alps {{Ticino-mountain-stub