TEMPORARY EXHIBITION
ECHO. The Mountain Calls Back
FROM JUNE 6, 2026
Do you know the echo from the Lucendro dam on the Gotthard Pass? Or the wandering echo of the Creux du Van in the Neuchâtel Jura? The echo is a natural and cultural phenomenon that has fascinated humans since time immemorial. Yet, the acoustic space of the Alps is far less familiar to us than the mountain landscape we perceive with our eyes.
“Echo: The Mountain Calls Back” is an audio exhibition at the Museo Nazionale del San Gottardo, complemented by a second listening experience: the Realp-Airolo Soundtrail. Swiss musicians Christian Zehnder and Julian Sartorius created these auditory experiences. Zehnder takes us on a journey of discovery to seven echoes across Switzerland, while Sartorius invites us to hike the Gotthard, playing with sounds found along the Realp-Gotthard-Airolo trail. Those who walk the Soundtrail themselves can listen to Julian’s sounds again via QR codes on-site and even produce their own sounds.
The Soundtrail and audio exhibition were created in collaboration with ALPS (Alpine Museum of Switzerland) in Bern.
With the support of:
UBS Cultural Foundation
Dätwyler Stiftung
Ernst Göhner Stiftung
Repubblica e Cantone Ticino – Fondo Swisslos
Lotteriefonds des Kantons Uri
Swisslos/ Kulturförderung, Kanton Graubünden
Azienda Elettrica Ticinese - AET
Copyright photo: Peter Neusser, Stephan Hermann
The Ticino Branch of ALPS:
A Cultural Landmark
With the opening of a space dedicated to temporary exhibitions, ALPS (Alpines Museum der Schweiz) inaugurates its first permanent branch in Ticino, directly on the Gotthard Pass. This strategic collaboration strengthens the role of the Gotthard as a cultural hub. Future exhibitions will be created together with regional partners from the Cantons of Uri and Ticino, allowing ALPS to fulfill its national mandate as the Confederation's point of reference for alpine cultural heritage.
Information
ALPS Alpines Museum der Schweiz
ALPS Foundation
Gianna Luzio (President)
Production Management
Beat Hächler
Communication / Marketing
Beatrice Häusler