Gotthard Pass
The Tremola — the old cobbled road from Airolo to 2,055 m
Overview
The Gotthard Pass over the old road — the Tremola — is one of cycling's great pilgrimages: the finest cobble-and-hairpin combination in the Alps. Where the motorway dives into its tunnel and the modern pass carries the traffic, the old Via Tremola is left almost to cyclists alone, snaking up the Val Tremola from Airolo as a pale ribbon of granite setts. It is Switzerland's longest road monument, and its last four kilometres climb 300 m through 24 named cobbled hairpins, each with its own kilometre stone. At 893 m of gain over 12.9 km at a steady 6.9%, it is not the steepest climb of the Furka–Nufenen–Gotthard loop, but on the cobbles — beautifully maintained though they are — every percent is felt twice. The road is gloriously quiet: nearly all cars take the tunnel or the new pass, and there are very few motorbikes.
Key info:
- Total distance: 12.9 km
- Area: Val Tremola / Leventina (Airolo–Hospental)
- Recommended for: Intermediate
- Appeal: The world's finest cobbled climb — the historic Tremola road, Switzerland's longest road monument, up 24 named granite-cobble hairpins to the 2,055 m Gotthard col, on a road so quiet the traffic all takes the tunnel
- Water & fuel: A fountain right at the start — at the T-junction out of Airolo go left for the climb, but a quick detour right reaches the fountain to fill bottles. After that there's little until the top, where the summit ospizio and museum offer food and drink
- Time of year: June–September
- Road: The old Tremola — granite cobbles, beautifully maintained. The first half alternates paved and cobbled sections; the second half is all cobbles. The modern Gotthard road (used for the descent) is smooth tarmac
Ascent
The climb starts on the edge of Airolo at around 1,170 m. Right at the bottom there's a T-junction: you go left for the Tremola, but a quick detour right reaches a fountain where you can fill bottles — worth it, because there is little water until the summit. The first kilometre or so is gentle, then the road settles into a remarkably steady 7–9% that it holds almost unbroken all the way to the col. The lower half alternates between paved stretches and cobbled ramps — an appetiser for what's coming — while the second half is cobbles the whole way, the granite setts laid in the pale, tightly-drawn hairpins that make the Tremola famous. The last 4 km are the showpiece: 24 named switchbacks stacked up the valley wall, the cars racing through the galleries high across the gorge while you climb in near silence. The gradient never turns brutal, but the cobbles add a constant hum of resistance that makes 6.9% feel harder than the number. At 893 m of gain over 12.9 km it is a genuine intermediate climb — and, for many, the highlight of the whole loop.
Stats:
- Level: Intermediate
- Distance: 12.9 km
- Elevation gain: 893 m
- Maximum gradient: 10%
- Average gradient: 6.9%
- Estimated time (at level): 64 min
Descent
For the way down we took the modern Gotthard road toward Hospental and Andermatt, not the cobbled Tremola (which is far better ridden up than down). It is a gentle, engineered descent — smooth tarmac, wide sweeping bends rather than tight hairpins, averaging around 6.6% — and a genuinely nice, relaxed roll off the mountain, with a fine "Stelvio-like" view back across the old road's serpentines. One caveat for the run-out into the Urseren valley: Andermatt is known for winds that pick up in the afternoon, so if you're not comfortable in gusts, check the forecast before you commit to the top late in the day.
Stats:
- Level: Novice
- Hairpins: 4
- Maximum gradient: 8%
- Average gradient: 6.6%
Climb Profile
A gentle first kilometre out of Airolo, then a remarkably steady 7–9% grind all the way up the Val Tremola to the 2,055 m col — 893 m of gain over 12.9 km at a 6.9% average, ramping to 10%, the last 4 km on the famous cobbled hairpins.
Summary
The Tremola is a climb to ride for its soul, not its numbers. The gradients are fair — a steady intermediate 6.9% — but the cobbles, the 24 named hairpins, the kilometre stones and the near-total absence of traffic make it one of the most atmospheric ascents in the Alps. Fill up at the fountain in Airolo, settle into a rhythm on the setts, and enjoy the quiet; then take the gentle modern road down toward Andermatt — keeping an eye on the afternoon wind. Ride it as the final act of the Furka–Nufenen–Gotthard loop, and you'll finish on the best of the three.