Permanent exhibition

The Gotthard Pass as a transit route has existed for more than 2,000 years. It becomes fully passable only around 1200, with the construction of the "Devil's Bridge" and the suspended footbridge "Twärrenbrücke" in the Schöllenen Gorge. Goods and people came from Lucerne by water and from Flüelen onward were transported over the pass by pack animals. From 1708, a 64 m tunnel carved into the rock, the Uri Hole, made one of the most dangerous passages safer. Until 1830, when the wagon road was completed, the pass crossing remained primarily a regional transit route traveled by pack animals. It was not until 1842 that the St. Gotthard mail stagecoach transited the pass road daily.

On May 22, 1882, the Gotthard rail tunnel - at that time, the longest tunnel in the world - was solemnly inaugurated. This technical masterpiece was built over ten years of hardship, with international funds, state-of-the-art technology and the employment of Italian workers. Together with the Brenner line, the Gotthard route became the most important European traffic axis connecting the Germanic Empire and the Kingdom of Italy. The Gotthard thus became an important national myth of Switzerland.

Until the Modern Age, the Gotthard had almost no military importance. Only after the construction of the railway tunnel did it become an important international transit route, which had to be protected by the army. Starting in 1889, Fort Airolo protects the southern side of the pass. During World War II, more forts were built all around the Gotthard. The Gotthard thus becomes the center of the "National Redoubt," the defense strategy in the Swiss Alps. After the finish of the Cold War, many forts lost their military importance. Today they are used for other purposes.

The precariousness of the energy supply during the First World War showed the extent to which Switzerland was dependent on imported coal. For this reason, it was decided to produce electricity with hydroelectric power from now on and to electrify the railway network. Two hydroelectric power stations were planned in the Alps, along railway lines: after 1920, the Gotthard Railway build the Ritom and Amsteg power stations. Through tunnels in the rock, water from the Gotthard region is channelled and optimally utilised. For reasons of space, subsequent extensions of the power stations were built mostly in rock caves.

Inaugurated in 1865, the Axenstrasse made the Gotthard pass route passable. With the completion of the pass road after the Second World War, the traffic was constantly increasing and always gave rise to long queues. Politicians demanded the construction of a motorway tunnel. The latter was opened on 5 September 1980, after ten years of construction work. Soon, however, traffic jams began to form again in front of the tunnel portals: the convenient Alpine crossing attracted more traffic than expected. The electorate said yes to the 'Alpine Initiative', according to which freight traffic was largely transferred to the railways.

Mountains have always been considered obstacles for European rail traffic. The fastest way to cross them is through base tunnels. In this way, trains can pass under the mountain on a flat railway: without climbs, ramps and viaducts. This idea has been discussed in Switzerland since the 1960s. In 1992, the population said yes to the construction of the New Rail Link through the Alps (NEAT). In 1999, work began on the Gotthard Base Tunnel; in 2020, the Ceneri Base Tunnel went into operation. Since then, the flat railway between Basel and Milan has been a reality.

The Gotthard is an important traffic axis. To make it possible to reach the destination quickly, this section has been expanded over the last 150 years, adding more and longer tunnels. However, the massif composed of granite and gneiss rocks is also a cultural and natural area in Central Europe rich in history. The journey through the tunnel is fast but rather monotonous; in contrast, the pass crossing is an experience that allows one to slow down. Events of history and culture are linked to the Gotthard, as well as numerous personal stories that have to do with this extraordinary border zone between north and south.