Via Spluga

Understand

The trail used to be one of the most important mountain passes in the Alps for many centuries. The central point and the climax (both physically and thematically) of the trail is the Splügen Pass, which was already in use in the Roman era. From 1818 to 1823 the modern road was built at the behest of the Austrian authorities, then ruling the Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia in the south. In 1843 the road was further expanded with a 312 m (1,024 ft) long avalanche gallery, a fairly major engineering effort for the time; today, the gallery is out of use but significant efforts are being taken to preserve it. Plans to build a railroad line across Splügen Pass were abandoned in favour of the Gotthard railway opened in 1882. Since the opening of the San Bernardino road tunnel in 1967, the pass has lost its former importance; it is not kept open in winter. It is now a quiet pass where essential portions of the historical roads have survived allowing a good historical review for hikers. The pass road connects the Swiss Hinterrhein valley and Splügen in the canton of Graubünden with the Valle San Giacomo and Chiavenna in the Italian province of Sondrio, the road continuing to Lake Como. It is overlooked by Pizzo Tambo and the Surettahorn, on its western and eastern side respectively. On the Italian side of the pass is Montespluga, a small three-street village which is cut off from both Italy and Switzerland during the winter. The trail is paved and marked. It can be walked in four days. Cumulative elevation gain is approx. 3,600 m (~12,000 ft).

Route information

SwitzerlandMobility route guide. ViaSpluga website in English.

Getting there

1 Thusis railway station. has trains from Chur and St. Moritz. (updated Nov 2022) 2 Chiavenna railway station. has trains from Milan and Colico. (updated Nov 2022)