Nord-Süd-Route (EuroVelo 5 Switzerland)

The North-South Route (Nord-Süd-Route) is Swiss national cycle route 3. It runs from Basel on the Rhine to Chiasso on the Italian border, crossing the main chain of the Alps at the Gotthard Pass. Between the two, it passes through Liestal, Aarau, Lucerne, Andermatt and Bellinzona, and along Lake Lugano. It is one of nine national routes in the SchweizMobil Veloland network and forms the Swiss section of EuroVelo 5, the Via Romea Francigena.

The route crosses every major Swiss landscape in turn: the Jura hills around Basel, the farmland of the Mittelland, the lakes of Central Switzerland, the high Alps and finally Ticino. South of the Gotthard, bare granite gives way to chestnut groves and then vineyards, and Italian replaces German on the signs. The route follows one of Europe's busiest transit corridors, which has a cost. Quiet lakeshore paths and farm tracks alternate with stretches of main road shared with lorries and pass traffic, and the Gotthard crossing is a serious alpine climb.

North-South Route key facts

• Typical duration: 5–7 days
• Difficulty: rated medium overall by SchweizMobil. The Basel–Aarau, Flüelen–Andermatt and Airolo–Bellinzona stages are rated difficult, and Agno–Chiasso is rated easy.
• Elevation profile: a Jura crossing over the Schafmatt Pass, then the flat Suhre valley and lakeshores. After that comes a long climb up the Reuss valley to the Gotthard Pass (2,106 m) and a long descent through the Leventina valley, followed by the Monte Ceneri climb and rolling hills in the Mendrisiotto.
• Surface: mostly asphalt. The unpaved sections are concentrated between Aarau and Lucerne and between Flüelen and Andermatt, and the historic Tremola road over the Gotthard is cobbled.
• Route type: a mix of cycle paths, farm and forest tracks, quiet side roads, and main roads with painted bike lanes
• Recommended direction: south to north (Chiasso to Basel) for the Gotthard crossing. Both directions are ridden.
• Network: Veloland national route 3; Swiss section of EuroVelo 5
• Luggage transfer: SchweizMobil sells the route as a package with luggage transport
• Family suitability: not family-friendly as a whole. Monte Ceneri, parts of the Leventina, the Gotthard pass road and the Schöllenen gorge descent all share the road with heavy car and lorry traffic.

How is the North-South Route signposted

Like all Swiss national cycle routes, the North-South Route is marked with red signposts carrying the route number 3. Along much of the way, the blue EuroVelo 5 sign is built into the same signposts. On busier roads, bike lanes are painted yellow, and red surfacing guides cyclists past hazards such as quarry entrances and petrol stations.

There are a few navigation traps. The signed route bypasses the centre of Bellinzona, so you have to detour to see the UNESCO-listed castles. In the Schöllenen gorge between Göschenen and Andermatt, the cycle path is uphill only, and downhill riders are sent onto the main road. At Gersau, the vehicle ferry to Beckenried leaves from a different pier than the passenger tour boats. The GPX track is available directly in VeloPlanner. SchweizMobil's website and app carry the official stage descriptions and a map showing the surface along the route.

Which direction and when to ride the North-South Route

SchweizMobil describes the route from north to south, but south to north makes the Gotthard crossing easier. Heading north, you climb the cobbled Tremola on a road that is nearly free of cars. You then descend the northern side on smooth asphalt. Riding the other way means descending the rough cobbles with a loaded bike and climbing a narrow, shoulderless pass road with heavy traffic. The steady climb through the Ticino valley also offers better cycling than the Reuss valley. Riding north also keeps the sun behind you, lighting up the mountains ahead instead of in your eyes.

North to south has one advantage. The separate cycle path through the Schöllenen gorge is open only to uphill riders, so southbound cyclists get the traffic-free line past the Devil's Bridge. Northbound riders descend that stretch on the main road.

The Gotthard Pass and the Tremola are closed in winter, so plan the crossing for when the pass is open. Lake Lucerne is often calm, but it turns stormy when the Föhn wind blows.

North-South Route stages from Basel to Chiasso

SchweizMobil divides the route into eight official stages. Riders often combine them into fewer, longer days.

Basel – Aarau. From Basel Minster, the route follows the Rhine and the Birs river past St. Jakob-Park, then runs through Pratteln and Liestal into the Ergolz valley. It crosses the Baselbiet Jura over the Schafmatt Pass, drops to Stüsslingen and follows the Aare into Aarau.

Aarau – Lucerne. This stage runs through the flat Suhre valley, past orchards and vegetable fields, to Sursee and along Lake Sempach. It passes Sempach and Rothenburg, then follows the Reuss into central Lucerne.

Lucerne – Flüelen. A lakeshore stage around Lake Lucerne, including a ferry crossing from Beckenried to Gersau. From Brunnen, the route continues onto the Axenstrasse along the Urnersee.

Flüelen – Andermatt. The climb up the Reuss valley passes Altdorf, Erstfeld, Amsteg and Wassen, then continues through the Schöllenen gorge past the Devil's Bridge.

Andermatt – Airolo. The Gotthard crossing. The route leaves Andermatt through Hospental and follows the pass road up to the cantonal border. From there, the cobbled Tremola descends in 39 turns to Airolo.

Airolo – Bellinzona. This stage descends the Leventina valley through Ambrì, Faido, Giornico and Biasca to Bellinzona, partly on main roads.

Bellinzona – Agno. The route crosses the Magadino plain, climbs over Monte Ceneri alongside heavy traffic, then follows the Vedeggio river to Lake Lugano.

Agno – Chiasso. From Agno, the route follows Lake Lugano through Morcote, Melide and Bissone to Capolago. It then runs through Mendrisio and the Mendrisiotto vineyards to the border at Chiasso.

What to see along the North-South Route

Many of the route's sights are tied to the Gotthard transit story, from medieval pass villages to the rail tunnels. Several are short detours rather than directly on the signed line.

History and culture

• Basel Minster: a red sandstone church with coloured roof tiles and twin towers. The tower view reaches the Black Forest, Alsace and the Alps.
• Liestal old town: the route passes directly through it, including the painted town hall and the Kantonsmuseum Baselland.
• Aarau: an old town on a limestone outcrop, known for its painted roof eaves. The Schlössli, a 13th-century residential tower, is the oldest part of the town's fortifications.
• Sempach: a town hall dating from 1474, and a chapel marking the Battle of Sempach of 9 July 1386
• Kapellbrücke, Lucerne: a covered wooden bridge built around 1300, 204 m long
• Lion Monument and Glacier Garden, Lucerne: a dying lion carved into a rock face, next to glacial potholes and fossils
• Tellskapelle: a lakeside chapel below the Axenstrasse, marking Wilhelm Tell's legendary escape. It is about a 10-minute steep walk down from the road.
• Tell Monument, Altdorf: Richard Kissling's bronze statue of Tell and his son Walter, unveiled in 1895
• Hospental: a 13th-century tower, all that remains of the seat of the lords of Hospental
• Giornico: the Romanesque churches of San Nicolao and San Michele, and two old stone bridges over the Ticino
• Castles of Bellinzona: Castelgrande, Montebello and Sasso Corbaro, together with the Murata wall, form a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A market fills the old town every Saturday.
• Morcote: the pilgrimage church of Santa Maria del Sasso and the Parco Scherrer gardens
• Bissone: birthplace of the architect Francesco Borromini

Landscape and nature

• Schafmatt Pass: the Jura crossing between Oltingen and Stüsslingen
• Talweiher nature trail: ponds near Rothenfluh where thousands of frogs cross the road in spring
• Lake Lucerne: ringed by Rigi, Pilatus and Stanserhorn. The Rütli meadow, where the Swiss Confederation was founded, is visible across the water from Brunnen.
• Reuss delta: floodplain forest and wetland where the Reuss enters the Urnersee near Flüelen
• Schöllenen gorge and Devil's Bridge: the Reuss drops through a narrow gorge below Andermatt
• Magadino plain: Ticino's vegetable-growing area, with marshland reserves, between Bellinzona and Lake Maggiore
• Santa Petronilla waterfall, Biasca: visible from a distance on the approach
• Mendrisiotto: Ticino's largest wine-growing region, at the southern tip of Switzerland

Engineering and transport

• Axenstrasse: the old lakeshore road through rock galleries and tunnels, now used by cyclists alongside the newer road
• Tremola: the cobbled old Gotthard road, built around 1830 and Switzerland's longest historic monument
• Gotthard Pass (2,106 m): a museum on the pass covers the history of the route and its tunnels. The horse-drawn Gotthard postcoach still runs between Andermatt and Airolo.
• Wassen church: thanks to the railway's spiral tunnels, train passengers see this Baroque church three times from different sides
• Ritom funicular, Piotta: one of the world's steepest funiculars, at an 87.8% gradient
• Monte Generoso rack railway: runs from Capolago to the 1,701 m summit
• Swissminiatur, Melide: Swiss buildings and transport at 1:25 scale

Where to stay on the North-South Route

The route links a string of towns and tourist centres, and SchweizMobil lists accommodation along it. Riders who want to travel light can book the whole route as a package with luggage transport.

• Hotels: Brunnen, a long-established summer resort on Lake Lucerne, has several Belle Époque hotels.
• Camping: Andermatt has a campsite, useful as a base before or after the Gotthard crossing.
• Luggage transport: available as part of the packaged trip bookable through SchweizMobil

How to get to the North-South Route by train

Getting there

Basel SBB is the northern gateway, with direct long-distance trains from Germany, including ICE services from Berlin. The station has a large bike parking garage underneath it. To start in the south, take an InterCity from Basel to Lugano through the Gotthard Base Tunnel. These trains have dedicated bike areas. From Lugano station, a narrow lakeside road with cars, motorcycles and buses leads to Melide, where the signed route begins.

Getting back

Both ends of the route sit on the main north-south rail axis through the Gotthard, so returning by train works from either end. Timetables and bike reservations are available in the SBB app.

Trains, buses and boats along the way

Swiss public transport can cover the hardest sections, which SchweizMobil calls a Veloverlad. Using the suggested transfers removes most of the climbing in either direction. Options include:

• PostBus over the Gotthard: buses carry bikes on rear racks. You can board without a reservation if a bike space is free, but booking a free bike slot by phone (the number is in the SBB app) is recommended on all PostBus lines.
• Local trains in the Leventina: useful for skipping the steep, narrow and busy stretch between Lavorgo and Airolo
• Lake boats: a scheduled boat on Lake Lucerne bypasses the Axenstrasse. On Lake Lugano, SchweizMobil suggests boarding with your bike at Bissone and riding to Melano to avoid the main road.

Practical considerations

The main difficulty on this route is traffic more than distance. Several sections share the road with heavy transit traffic, and they are all points where the valley or pass leaves no room for a separate path.

• Monte Ceneri: a wide bike lane runs beside lorries and fast traffic all the way to the pass.
• Leventina: the valley holds the main road, the motorway and the railway side by side. Quiet side roads and farm tracks give way to the main road as the valley narrows toward Airolo.
• Gotthard north side and Schöllenen: the pass road between Andermatt and the cantonal border often carries queues of cars and motorbikes. Descending riders must use the main road through the Schöllenen gorge.
• Lake Lugano after Bissone: the main road can be uncomfortable at rush hour.

The Tremola is harder to descend than to climb. With a loaded bike, the rough cobbles are slow and jarring downhill, so riders heading south should allow extra time and check their brakes. The PostBus is a real option for anyone who wants the scenery without the climb.

Check the Axenstrasse status before you go. Roadworks have closed the section between Brunnen and Sisikon to cyclists, and a replacement bike shuttle has run instead. SchweizMobil publishes current route notices.

Along Lake Lugano, much of the shore is private. Public swimming spots are most often found next to bus stops.

• Bike rental, e-bike rental and bike service points are listed per route on SchweizMobil.
• Basel SBB has covered bike parking under the station.
• At Erlinsbach weir, route 3 meets national routes 5 and 8. At Arbedo-Castione it meets route 6.

Tips for planning your North-South Route ride

Decide early how you will handle the Gotthard. You can climb the Tremola heading north, take the PostBus, or ride south and use the Schöllenen cycle path. That choice shapes your direction, your travel to the start and how many days you need. Budget extra time on the pass day for photo stops and the museum at the summit. If you want a rest day, Lucerne works well because it sits roughly at the transition from the lowlands to the Alps.

The official stages are a starting point, not a rule. Open the route in the VeloPlanner planner to split it into days that match your pace. You can also build in the Bellinzona castle detour or cut out a traffic-heavy stretch with a train transfer.