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Lepontine Alps
The Lepontine Alps (, , ) are a mountain range in the north-western part of the Alps. They are located in Switzerland (Valais, Ticino, Canton of Uri, Uri and Graubünden) and Italy (Piedmont and Lombardy). The Simplon Tunnel, Simplon rail tunnel (from Brig, Switzerland, Brig to Domodossola), the Gotthard Base Tunnel, Gotthard rail (from Erstfeld to Bodio) and Gotthard Road Tunnel, Gotthard road tunnels (from Andermatt to Airolo) and the San Bernardino (road tunnel), San Bernardino road tunnel are important transport arteries. The eastern portion of the Lepontine Alps, from the St Gotthard Pass to the Splügen Pass, is named the Adula Alps, while the western part is historically referred to as the Ticino Alps. Etymology The designation ''Lepontine Alps'', derived from the Latin name of the Valle Leventina, has long been somewhat vaguely applied to the Alpine ranges that enclose it, before being used for the whole range. Geography Following the line marking the division of the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Swisstopo
Swisstopo is the official name for the Swiss Federal Office of Topography, Switzerland's national mapping agency. The current name was made official in 2002. It had been used as the domain name for the homepage of the instituteswisstopo.admin.ch since 1997. Maps The main class of products produced by Swisstopo are topographical maps on seven different Scale (map), scales. Swiss maps have been praised for their accuracy and quality. Regular maps * 1:25.000. This is the most detailed map, useful for many purposes. Those are popular with tourists, especially for famous areas like Zermatt and St. Moritz. These maps cost CHF 13.50 each (2004). 208 maps on this scale are published at regular intervals. The first map published on this scale was ''1125 Chasseral'', in 1952. The last map published on this scale was ''1292 Maggia'', in 1972. Since 1956, composites have been published, starting with ''2501 St. Gallen''. They have the same information, but consist of several parts of re ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Alpine Orogeny
The Alpine orogeny, sometimes referred to as the Alpide orogeny, is an orogenic phase in the Late Mesozoic and the current Cenozoic which has formed the mountain ranges of the Alpide belt. Cause The Alpine orogeny was caused by the African continent, the Arabian Peninsula, the Indian subcontinent, and the Cimmerian plate colliding with Eurasia in the north. Convergent movements between the African, Arabian and Indian plates from the south, and the Eurasian plate and the Anatolian sub-plate from the north – as well as many smaller (micro)plates – had already begun during the early Cretaceous, but the major phases of mountain building began during the Paleocene to the Eocene. The process continues currently in some of the Alpide mountain ranges. The Alpine orogeny is considered one of the three major phases of orogeny in Europe that define the geology of that continent, along with the Caledonian orogeny that formed the Old Red Sandstone Continent when the continents ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Airolo
Airolo (''Airöö'' in Lombard, in ) is a municipality in the district of Leventina in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland. Geography Airolo is located in Leventina valley and the Lepontine Alps, on the southern flank of the St. Gotthard Pass. Both the Gotthard rail tunnel, on the important Gotthard railway linking northern and southern Europe, and the Gotthard road tunnel, on the A2 motorway, have their southern portal in Airolo. It is the largest municipality in the canton of Ticino, and consists of the village of Airolo and the hamlets of Valle, Madrano, Brugnasco, Nante and Fontana. The municipalities of Airolo and Quinto are considering a merger some time in the future into a new municipality which will be known as Airolo-Quinto.Amtliches Gemeindeverzeich ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Andermatt
Andermatt () is a mountain village and municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in the canton of Uri in Switzerland. At an elevation of above sea level, Andermatt is located at the center of the Saint-Gotthard Massif and the historical center cross of north-south and east-west traverses of Switzerland. It is some south of Altdorf, Uri, Altdorf, the capital of Uri. Geography Andermatt is in the Urseren valley, on the headwaters of the river Reuss (river), Reuss and surrounded by the Adula Alps. Immediately to the north of Andermatt, the Reuss flows through the steeply descending Schöllenen Gorge (or "the Schöllenen") to Göschenen and further down the Reuss Valley to the north. It then flows, near Altdorf, Uri, Altdorf, into the Urnersee, part of Lake Lucerne. In the other three directions, the valley is linked by three Alpine passes: the Oberalp Pass (6,706 ft; 2,044 m) to the east, the St Gotthard Pass (6,909 ft; 2,106 m) to the south and the Furka Pa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gotthard Road Tunnel
The Gotthard Road Tunnel in Switzerland runs from Göschenen in the canton of Uri at its northern portal, to Airolo in Ticino to the south, and is in length below the St Gotthard Pass, a major pass of the Alps. At time of construction, in 1980, it was the longest road tunnel in the world; it is currently the fifth-longest. Although it is a motorway tunnel, part of the A2 from Basel to Chiasso, it consists of only one bidirectional tube with two lanes. With a maximum elevation of at the tunnel's highest point, the A2 motorway has the lowest maximum elevation of any direct north-south road through the Alps. The tunnel rises from the northern portal at Göschenen () and the culminating point is reached after approximately . After from the northern portal there is the border between the cantons of Uri and Ticino; after another , the tunnel ends at the southern portal near Airolo (). The journey takes about 13 minutes by car, the maximum speed being . The Gotthard Road Tu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bodio
Bodio is a municipality in the district of Leventina in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland. History Bodio was first mentioned in 1227 as ''Boidi''. During the Middle Ages, Bodio and the now abandoned village of Simbra (or Saimola) formed a ''Degagna'' in the Giornico area. During the reign of the cathedral of Milan over the three '' Ambrosian Valleys'', in May and November the ''placita della Leventina'' meetings were held in Bodio. The ''Placita della Leventina'', was a meeting of the Leventina valley used to administer justice and to discuss local issues. Until the 16th century the village belonged to the parish of Giornico. It became a separate parish in 1567, and until 1602 Pollegio was part of the parish. The church of S. Stefano was first mentioned in 1227. Along with a large part of the village, it was destroyed by a landslide in the 15th century. The current parish church dates from the 19th century, the bell tower from 1779. The floods of 1817, 1829, 1834 and 1 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Erstfeld
Erstfeld is a municipality in the canton of Uri in Switzerland. History In 1962 a collection of four gold torques and three gold arm rings were discovered near Erstfeld. While the exact origin date is unknown, they are likely from the 4th century BC. The nearly pure gold rings were discovered under of land slide debris. The rings show Celtic motifs and designs and display a high level of skill. While their purpose is unknown, one theory is that they were offerings made to celebrate safely crossing the Alps. Erstfeld is first mentioned in 1258 as ''Ourzcvelt''. In 1638, it was listed under the Latin name ''in Protocampis''. In 1831, it was known as ''Hirschfelden''. Geography Erstfeld has an area, , of . Of this area, 11.7% is used for agricultural purposes, while 29.2% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 2.8% is settled (buildings or roads) and the remainder (56.2%) is non-productive (rivers, glaciers or mountains). , 19.8% of the total land area was heavily forested, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gotthard Base Tunnel
The Gotthard Base Tunnel (GBT; , , ) is a railway tunnel through the Alps in Switzerland. It opened in June 2016 and full service began the following December. With a route length of , it is the world's longest railway and deepest traffic tunnelThe world longest tunnel for transport of people is the Guangzhou Metro Line 3 in China (60 km). Reference: Nic Ulmi"Des trous suisses remplis d'imaginaire" nterview with André Ourednik '' Horizons'', magazine of the Swiss National Science Foundation and the Swiss Academies of Arts and Sciences, number 118, September 2018, pages 22-23. and the first flat, low-level route through the Alps. Located at the heart of the Gotthard axis, it is the third tunnel to connect the cantons of Uri and Ticino, after the Gotthard Tunnel and the Gotthard Road Tunnel. The GBT consists of a large complex with, at its core, two single-track tunnels connecting Erstfeld (Uri) with Bodio (Ticino) and passing below Sedrun (Grisons). It is part of the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Domodossola
Domodossola (; ) is a city and (municipality) in the Province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola, in the region of Piedmont, northern Italy. It was also known as Oscela, Oscella, Oscella dei Leponzi, Ossolo, Ossola Lepontiorum, and Domo d'Ossola (due to its position in the Ossola valley), or simply Domo. The Peruvian aviation pioneer, Jorge Chávez, died here in 1910 in an airplane crash. Geography Domodossola is situated at the confluence of the Bogna and Toce Rivers and is home to 18,300 people. The city is located at the foot of the Italian Alps and acts as a minor passenger-rail hub. Its strategic location accommodates Swiss rail passengers, and Domodossola railway station acts as an international stopping-point between Milan and Brig (a Swiss city of German language) through the Simplon Pass (Italian: ''Sempione''). The Domodossola–Locarno railway is a line to the east across the border to Locarno. History Domodossola was the chief town of the Lepontii when the Romans con ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Brig, Switzerland
Brig, known as Brig in German and Briga in Italian, is a town in the canton of Valais, in the commune of Brig-Glis. Toponymy The name Brig comes from the Celtic ''Briga'', meaning “hill fortress” or “height, then castle”. History Mentioned for the first time in 1215, Brigue was not recognized as a town until the 17th century. It underwent major development thanks to Kaspar Jodok von Stockalper (1609-1691), a shrewd businessman nicknamed “King of Simplon”. Brig’s thermal springs were already renowned during the Middle Ages. Ruined by a landslide in the 15th century, they were cleared in 1471 and annexed to the public baths. The Jesuit Collège du Saint-Esprit, built between 1673 and 1688, is a fine example of Baroque architecture. On January 25, 1913, Brig was the starting point for Juan Bielovucic's 28-minute monoplane flight across the Alps to Domodossola. On September 24, 1993, the town was partially devastated by flooding, following the overflow of the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Simplon Tunnel
The Simplon Tunnel (''Simplontunnel'', ''Traforo del Sempione'' or ''Galleria del Sempione'') is a railway tunnel on the Simplon railway that connects Brig, Switzerland, Brig, Switzerland and Domodossola, Italy, through the Alps, providing a shortcut under the Simplon Pass route. It is straight except for short curves at either end. It consists of two single-track tunnels built nearly 15 years apart. The first to be opened is long; the second is long, making it the List of longest tunnels, longest railway tunnel in the world for most of the twentieth century, from 1906 until 1982, when the Daishimizu Tunnel opened. Culminating at a height of only above sea level, the Simplon Tunnel was also the lowest direct Alpine crossing for 110 years, until the opening of the Gotthard Base Tunnel in 2016. The tunnel has a maximum rock overlay of approximately , also a world record at the time. Temperatures up to have been measured inside the tunnel. Work on the first tube of the Simplon T ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
