San Bernardino Pass

San Bernardino Pass
Summit of St. Bernardino pass
Elevation	2,066 m (6,778 ft)
Traversed by	Road
Location
Location in Switzerland
Location	Switzerland
Range	Lepontine Alps
Coordinates	46°29′46″N 9°10′15″E

San Bernardino Pass (elevation 2,066 metres or 6,778 feet) is a high mountain pass in the Swiss Alps connecting the Hinterrhein and the Mesolcina (Misox) valleys between Thusis (Graubünden) and Bellinzona (Ticino). Located in the far eastern side of the Western Alps it is not to be confused with the Great St. Bernard Pass and the Little St. Bernard Pass. The top of the pass represents both the Italo-German language frontier and the watershed (drainage divide) between the Po basin and the Rhine basin.

The route first became important as a mule track in the fifteenth century when the route between Thusis and Splügen was known as the Via Mala. A road for wheeled vehicles was opened in 1770; this road was significantly improved between 1821 and 1823, financed in part by the Kingdom of Sardinia, keen to improve a trade route connecting Genoa and Piedmont to the Graubünden that was not directly controlled by Austria.

Traffic flow was much facilitated when in 1967, the San Bernardino road tunnel was completed, since then vehicle traffic on the pass has been reduced, benefiting those taking the time to avoid the tunnel. The pass road is only open in summer.

San Bernardino Pass

See also

• List of highest paved roads in Europe
• List of mountain passes
• List of the highest Swiss passes

External links

• Profile on climbbybike.com
• Media related to San Bernardino Pass at Wikimedia Commons