Bernina Pass

Altitude: 2,323 m/7,622ft

One of the most rewarding routes through the Alps is the one which runs from St Moritz over the Bernina pass and down the Poschiavo valley into Italy, and usually remains open throughout the year for both road and rail traffic. The pass is not only the watershed between the Engadine and the Valtellina but also the boundary between Rhaeto-Romanic (referring to the language and culture peculiar to southeastern Switzerland and the Tyrol) and Italian culture. The road, already being used in the 13th C. and built in its modern form between 1842 and 1865, traverses magnificent mountain and glacier scenery. The journey from St Moritz to Tirano in Italy goes over the 58km/36mi long pass road, via Pontresina (8km/5mi) to the Bernina pass (24km/15mi), and then via Poschiavo (17km/11mi) to Tirano (34km/21mi).

By rail on the Rhätische Bahn, the journey takes 3.5 hours (the highest railroad over the Alps). A tourist attraction is the Bernina-Express from Chur via the pass to Tirano, which can also be combined with the Glacier-Express.