Splügen Pass, Switzerland Sep 16, 2023

Splügen Pass, Switzerland

With their twists and turns, record heights and breathtaking vistas, mountain roads like Umling La and Pico de Veleta are steeped in history. One such route of the Lepontine Alps - Splügen Pass - is pictured here today. Located on the border of Switzerland and Italy, the 2,114-metre-high pass is one of the highest paved roads in Europe. Although its modern form was built between 1818-1823, the Splügen Pass is rich in history with links to Roman times. The pass has been much quieter since the nearby San Bernardino road tunnel opened in 1967. The now quiet pass, which has 51 marked hairpin bends, remains closed during winter. So, if spectacular mountainside views and picturesque lakes tickle your fancy, you can enjoy this ascent between June and mid-October. Has your interest in a Swiss-sational time "peaked" yet?

© Roberto Moiola/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

Nimble and stealthy
Sep 16, 2024Wallabies at sunrise, Australia
Sep 16, 2025Nighttime view over the Gulf Coast

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Like paint on a canvas
Look up, incoming…
Oct 8, 2024World Octopus Day
What can you see from this tower?
Jun 12, 2024Big Bend National Park, Texas, USA
Mar 17, 2024Rameshwaram harbour
Dec 31, 2025New Years Eve
Celebrating the Scottish bard
‘Night shining’ clouds
Aug 15, 2024Independence Day
Jan 7, 2026Old Rock Day
Mar 8, 2026Akbars tomb, Agra, Uttar Pradesh
Jun 8, 2024Gates of the Arctic National Park, Alaska, USA
Dec 18, 2024English National Ballet performing The Nutcracker
Oct 23, 2023Corn maze in Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania
Sep 16, 2025Nighttime view over the Gulf Coast
Oct 21, 2025Happy Diwali!
Mar 4, 2025Charminar, Hyderabad, Telangana
Dec 29, 2023Oud-West neighbourhood, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Feb 17, 2025Fatehpur Sikri, Agra, Uttar Pradesh
A public restroom or a tourist spot?
Oct 18, 2023Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska
May 22, 2024International Day for Biological Diversity
Jan 26, 2025Republic Day
Feb 2, 2025Alappuzha, Kerala
May 10, 2024Misool, Raja Ampat Islands, Indonesia
Sep 8, 2023International Literacy Day
Sep 16, 2024Wallabies at sunrise, Australia
Apr 29, 2024Fujian Tulou, China
A natural spotlight