🇨ðŸ‡Roads in Switzerland
6 roads found in Switzerland, Europe
Furka Pass
🇨🇠Switzerland
The Furka Pass is a high mountain pass in the Swiss Alps, reaching 2,429 meters above sea level and connecting the cantons of Valais and Uri. The road stretches approximately 38 kilometers from Gletsch to Hospental and passes close to the Rhone Glacier, the source of the Rhone River. The pass gained cinematic fame when it was featured in the James Bond film Goldfinger in 1964, with the famous car chase scene filmed along its sweeping curves. The road climbs through a landscape that transitions from lush green valleys to stark alpine terrain. The Rhone Glacier, once easily visible from the road, has been retreating significantly due to climate change, though it remains one of the area's main attractions. An artificial ice grotto is carved into the glacier each year, allowing visitors to walk inside the blue ice. The Hotel Belvedere, perched above the glacier at a hairpin bend, has become an iconic landmark, though it has been closed in recent years. The Furka Pass is part of a popular touring circuit that includes the Grimsel Pass and the Susten Pass, known collectively as a magnificent Alpine triple pass route. The road is open from June to October and features well-maintained asphalt with proper guardrails. The Furka railway tunnel provides a year-round alternative for crossing the pass, while the historic Furka Steam Railway operates a nostalgic steam-powered train service over the pass during summer months.
Gotthard Pass
🇨🇠Switzerland
The Gotthard Pass (Gotthardpass) is one of the most historically important Alpine crossings, located in the Swiss canton of Uri at an elevation of 2,106 meters. For centuries, it served as the primary route connecting northern and southern Europe, facilitating trade between the Germanic and Italian-speaking regions. The modern road, rebuilt multiple times since the original mule track was established in the 13th century, features a famous cobblestone section on the southern approach known as the Tremola, with over 24 hairpin bends descending toward Airolo. The Tremola (old road) on the southern side is a masterpiece of 19th-century road engineering, with its granite cobblestone surface still intact. This historic section, completed in 1830, zigzags down the mountainside in a series of tight switchbacks and is now preserved as a cultural monument. While the modern road and the Gotthard Road Tunnel (opened in 1980) carry most traffic, the old pass road remains open to drivers seeking a historic and scenic experience. The pass played a crucial role in European history, from medieval trade routes to Napoleon's military campaigns and World War II defense strategies. The Gotthard region is also the watershed for four major European rivers: the Rhine, Rhone, Reuss, and Ticino. At the summit, the National St. Gotthard Museum documents the pass's rich history, and a small hospice founded in the 14th century still operates. The pass road is open from June to October and offers panoramic views of the surrounding high Alps.
Great St Bernard Pass
🇨🇠Switzerland
The Great St Bernard Pass (Col du Grand-Saint-Bernard) is one of the oldest Alpine crossings, situated at 2,469 meters on the border between Switzerland and Italy. Connecting Martigny in the Swiss canton of Valais with Aosta in Italy's Aosta Valley, the pass has been used since the Bronze Age and was famously crossed by Napoleon Bonaparte with his army of 40,000 men in May 1800 during the Marengo campaign. The Great St Bernard Tunnel, opened in 1964, now carries most traffic, leaving the pass road as a scenic historical route. The pass is home to the Great St Bernard Hospice, founded in 1049 by Bernard of Menthon as a refuge for pilgrims and travelers. The hospice is still operated by Augustinian monks and is the origin of the famous St. Bernard rescue dogs, which were bred here for centuries to find and rescue travelers lost in snowstorms. A museum at the hospice tells the story of the dogs and the pass's history, and a kennel maintains a breeding population of St. Bernards. The road on both sides features well-graded switchbacks through alpine meadows dotted with wildflowers in summer. The Swiss approach passes through the picturesque village of Bourg-Saint-Pierre before climbing to the windswept summit, where a small lake marks the border. The Italian descent is steeper and more dramatic, with views of the Aosta Valley far below. The pass is open from June to October and is popular with cyclists and motorcycle tourers as part of extended Alpine routes.
Grimsel Pass
🇨🇠Switzerland
The Grimsel Pass at 2,164 meters connects the Hasli Valley in the Bernese Oberland with the upper Rhone Valley in Valais, Switzerland. The 38-kilometer road crosses a stark, granite landscape of hydroelectric reservoirs, barren rock faces, and glacial terrain that feels almost lunar in character. The pass has been an important trade route since the Middle Ages, when it served as a connection between the German-speaking and French-speaking parts of Switzerland. The road passes the impressive Grimselsee and Raterichsbodensee reservoirs, their turquoise waters held back by massive concrete dams. The landscape is notably different from other Swiss passes, dominated by smooth granite slabs polished by ancient glaciers, with very little vegetation at higher elevations. The Grimsel Hospiz, a historic inn at the summit, has served travelers for centuries. The pass forms part of the classic Swiss three-pass circuit together with the Susten and Furka passes, a loop that many consider the finest day's driving in Switzerland.
Nufenen Pass
🇨🇠Switzerland
The Nufenen Pass (Passo della Novena) at 2,478 meters is the highest road pass in Switzerland that is entirely within Swiss territory. The 37-kilometer road connects Ulrichen in the upper Valais with Airolo in Ticino, crossing the watershed between the Rhone and the Po river basins. Despite its status as Switzerland's highest pass, it remains relatively unknown to international visitors. The road climbs from the German-speaking Goms valley through increasingly sparse vegetation to a barren, windswept summit where a small lake marks the pass. The descent into the Italian-speaking Bedretto Valley on the Ticino side is longer and more winding, with tighter hairpin bends. The contrast between the two sides is striking, both linguistically and geographically. The Nufenen was the last of the major Swiss alpine passes to be opened as a paved road, completed only in 1969. Its high altitude means a short opening season, typically mid-June to mid-October, and snow can fall at the summit even in summer.
Susten Pass
🇨🇠Switzerland
The Susten Pass (Sustenpass) at 2,224 meters is one of Switzerland's most beautiful alpine passes, connecting Innertkirchen in the Bernese Oberland with Wassen in the canton of Uri. The 45-kilometer road was built between 1938 and 1946 and is considered one of the finest examples of Swiss mountain road engineering, with sweeping curves, modern tunnels, and excellent surface quality throughout. The western approach from Innertkirchen is the more dramatic side, climbing through the Gadmental valley past waterfalls and the retreating Stein Glacier, which until recently was visible from the road. Near the summit, the road passes through a short tunnel before emerging at the pass where a restaurant and parking area offer views of the surrounding peaks. The eastern descent to Wassen features long, flowing curves through alpine meadows. Unlike the more famous Swiss passes, the Susten carries relatively little through-traffic since the Gotthard route handles most north-south travel, making it a favorite among driving enthusiasts for its quiet roads and exceptional scenery.