Swiss Mountain Passes (Gotthard-Furka-Grimsel-Nufenen)

The Gotthard Pass at 2,106 m (6,909 ft) is a mountain pass in the Alps traversing the Saint-Gotthard Massif and connecting northern and southern Switzerland. The pass lies between Airolo in the Italian-speaking canton of Ticino, and Andermatt in the German-speaking canton of Uri, and connects further Bellinzona to Lucerne, Basel, and Zurich. The Gotthard Pass lies at the hearth of the Gotthard, an important north-south axis in Europe, and it is crossed by three major traffic tunnels, each being the world's longest at the time of their construction: the Gotthard Rail Tunnel (1882), the Gotthard Road Tunnel (1980) and the Gotthard Base Tunnel (2016). Furka Pass with an elevation of 2,429 metres (7,969 ft), is a high mountain pass in the Swiss Alps connecting Gletsch, Valais with Realp, Uri. The Furka Oberalp Bahn line through the Furka Tunnel bypasses the pass. The base tunnel opened in 1982 and replaced a tunnel at 2100 m. The Furka Pass was used as a location in the James Bond film Goldfinger. One curve on the east side of the pass is even named "James Bond Strasse". At the sign, there is a lookout point with a small parking area. Visitors can also park next to Hotel Belvédère, close to the top of the pass on the west side, and take the short walk to the Rhone Glacier Ice Grotto. The glacier moves 30-40 meters a year and the 100 m long tunnel and ice chamber can be visited from June when the road opens. 007 Goldfinger scene (Furkapass): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RdK51Igeqc The Grimsel Pass is a mountain pass in Switzerland, crossing the Bernese Alps at an elevation of 2,164 metres (7,100 ft). The pass connects the Haslital, the upper valley of the river Aare, with the upper valley of the Rhône. In so doing, and as the Aare is a tributary of the Rhine, the pass crosses the continental divide between the North Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. A paved road follows the pass, running 38 kilometres (24 mi) from Gletsch to Meiringen. The road is normally closed between October and May, due to the high snowfall on the pass. As it is the only direct road pass between the cantons of Bern and Valais across the Bernese Alps, attempts are made to keep the road open as long as possible with snow ploughs. A PostBus Switzerland service uses the pass several times a day, connecting Meiringen and Oberwald. Nufenen Pass (el. 2478 m. - 8,130ft) is the highest mountain pass with a paved road within Switzerland. It lies between the summits of Pizzo Gallina (north) and the Nufenenstock (south). The pass road from Ulrichen in canton of Valais leads to the Bedretto valley in the canton of Ticino, linking Brig to Airolo. It is not the lowest pass between the two valleys, as it is located one kilometre north of an unnamed slightly lower pass at 2,440 metres (vs 2478 m.), which is traversed by a trail. The road is of relatively recent construction, having been opened to motor vehicle traffic only since September 1969. The source of the Ticino River lies east of the top of the pass. Towards the north are views of the Bernese Alps, including the Finsteraarhorn while there is a view over the Gries Glacier to the south.