The Gotthard
Last updated at 10:30 26 February 2003
The main trunk route from northern to southern Europe is 120 years old but remains a spectacular engineering feat.
From the shores of Lake Lucerne it passes the wooden chalets and cow pastures of the Germanic north, climbing steadily uphill - at one point, hurtling deep into the mountain to effect a vertical double hairpin, so that you pass the village of Wassen three times, at three different heights.
Beyond the Gotthard tunnel the trains burst out into Italian-speaking Ticino, passing villages of granite houses and elegant church campanili.
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