The St. Gotthard Pass
St. Gotthard Pass, a major pass in the Alps of south-central Switzerland. It lies on one of the principal routes between Italy and northern Europe, 6,917 feet (2,108 m) above sea level. Nearby are the sources of two of Europe's great rivers—the Rhine and the Rhône. The pass was named for a chapel erected about 1300 in honor of Saint Gotthard, bishop of Hildesheim (near Hannover, Germany).
A railway tunnel under the pass was opened in 1881. The tunnel is about 9.3 miles (15.0 km) long and some 3,000 feet (900 m) beneath the pass. A highway tunnel under the pass was opened in 1980. With a length of 10.1 miles (16.3 km), it is the longest vehicular tunnel in the world.