The Lukmanier Pass is the gentlest of the great crossings between the Rhine valley and Ticino, and at 1,915 metres it is also one of the lowest, which explains why it has been used for so long. Its lack of steepness made it a trade and pilgrim route well before the Gotthard became passable, and the monastery of Disentis on the north side owed much of its influence to the traffic.
For a rider, the pass is a relief after the Gotthard. The road is wide and the surface good, with long, easy bends and a gradient that never gets sharp. On the northern side it follows the Medelser Rhine through the Medel gorge, a narrow canyon where the road clings to the rock and tunnels through short galleries. At the top it passes the reservoir of Santa Maria, a long blue lake held back by a big dam, with a small hospice and a chapel beside the water. On the southern side the road drops through the Val Blenio towards Biasca, with the vegetation turning from alpine to chestnut and fig as you lose height.
It is a quiet road compared with its famous neighbours, which makes it good for a slow, thoughtful ride. Traffic can be thick in summer, but it tends to flow, and locals use the road all year round. The pass is normally closed in winter, usually from about November until May, because of heavy snow and avalanche risk. Check the road status if you are out in the shoulder seasons.
Biasca, at the end of the Blenio valley, is the biggest town nearby. In late afternoon the light drops over the lake, and the mountains turn gold; it is a fine place to stop for ten minutes and listen to the quiet, broken only by cow bells.