By Mule

Until the early nineteenth century, most of the roads through the Alps were not suitable for carriages. They were primarily mule tracks that allowed people to cross the passes, often with viaducts built by the local populations back in the Middle Ages. The original families from these regions formed associations to ensure the regular transit of goods.   

Until the mid-nineteenth century, Santa Claus always rode a donkey

John Lloyd and John Mitchinson

With the increase in traffic across the Gotthard Pass, dozens and dozens of pack animals travelled the road every day in the early nineteenth century. The first alpine tunnel, measuring 60 metres long, was built in 1707 to facilitate traffic through the Hole of Uri (Urnerloch), near Andermatt.