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Lepontine Alps
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The historic Tremola Road winds in sharp curves across the green slopes of Gotthard Pass in the Swiss Alps, with snow-capped peaks in the background and no people or vehicles visible. Gotthard Base Tunnel A Swiss Federal Railways high-speed train emerges from the concrete portal of the Gotthard Base Tunnel, surrounded by grassy slopes and forested mountains. St. Gotthard Pass Simplon Pass in the Lepontine Alps, Switzerland
Quick Facts
Italian:
Alpi Lepontine
French:
Alpes LĂŠpontiennes
German:
Lepont(in)ische Alpen
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St. Gotthard Pass
St. Gotthard Pass St. Gotthard Pass through the Lepontine Alps, Switzerland.

Lepontine Alps

mountains, Europe
Also known as: Alpes LĂŠpontiennes, Alpi Lepontine, Lepontinische Alpen, Lepontische Alpen(Show More)
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Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
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History

Lepontine Alps, segment of the Central Alps along the Italian–Swiss border, bounded by the Simplon Pass and Pennine Alps (west-southwest), the Upper Rhône and Vorderrhein river valleys (north), Splügen Pass (Italian Passo dello Spluga) and the Rhaetian Alps (east-northeast), and the Italian lake district (south). At the western end of the range lies Mt. Leone (11,657 feet [3,553 meters]), the highest peak; and along the south slope are the deep Leventina and Mesolcina valleys. Important passes include Simplon, St. Gotthard, Lukmanier, and San Bernardino. The portion of the range east of St. Gotthard Pass is sometimes called the Adula Alps. The sources of the Rhône and Rhine rivers lie on the borders of this section of the Alps. Mountain climbing is popular in the region.

Gotthard Base Tunnel
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Gotthard Base TunnelMiners rejoicing after completing the drilling for the Gotthard Base Tunnel, October 2010.
A Swiss Federal Railways high-speed train emerges from the concrete portal of the Gotthard Base Tunnel, surrounded by grassy slopes and forested mountains.
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Gotthard Base TunnelHigh-speed train exiting the Gotthard Base Tunnel, a railway tunnel under the Saint-Gotthard Massif in the Lepontine Alps of southern Switzerland.

In 2016 the Gotthard Base Tunnel (GBT) opened in southern Switzerland.  It is the world’s longest and deepest railway tunnel,  accommodating high-speed trains, reducing the travel time for freight and passengers between northern and southern Europe, and generating a host of safety and environmental benefits.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia BritannicaThis article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen.
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