The classic transit route follows major traffic routes and leads through large Swiss landscapes: the Jura, Mittelland, Central Switzerland then over the Alps to the south.

Basel, Liestal and Ergolztal: a busy, self-assured agglomeration. Lovely, peaceful landscapes of the Baselbieter Jura with the Schafmattpass. Thrilling ride down to Aarau. Off the beaten track through flat Suhrental, along Sempachersee, joining the stream of tourists in Luzern; now mountains fill the horizon. A complex water: the grandiose Vierwaldstättersee, often mild, but stormy when the Föhn wind blows.

Closely harried by traffic over the Teufelsbrücke bridge towards the Gotthard, the south beckons with a racy downhill ride. The climate changes, first granite, soon chestnut trees and vineyards, Bellinzona «La Turita» a glimpse of the vegetable garden of Magadino. Lago di Lugano with photogenic Morcote, at the end of the Mendrisiotto, a seething cauldron of railway, motorway, custom posts and shops.

Length: 365 km
of which unsurfaced: 30 km
8 stages
Height difference:Basel–Chiasso: 3'600 m
Chiasso–Basel: 3'600 m
Requirements: Grade: medium (without pass)
Conditions: easy (without pass)


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