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 2114-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

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

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Mar 8, 2024Iguazú Falls, Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil
Mar 3, 2024Leopard in a tree, Kruger National Park, South Africa
Jul 5, 2024Daintree Rainforest and Noah Beach, Queensland, Australia
Apr 21, 2024Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Dec 30, 2023Daiichi Tadami River Bridge, Fukushima, Japan
Apr 6, 2024Himeji Castle, Himeji, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan
Mar 8, 2025Schleswig-Holstein Wadden Sea National Park, Germany
Dec 23, 2023Chinstrap penguins
Sep 4, 2024Dusky eagle-owls, Pakistan
Mar 2, 2024Modica, Sicily, Italy
Jul 25, 2025Colourful houses of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain
Jan 13, 2026Vale of Clwyd, Wales
May 27, 2025Heidelberg, Germany
Jul 29, 2024Tigers in Uttarakhand, India
Mar 1, 2026Ibiza, Balearic Islands, Spain
Jan 20, 2024Macaroni penguins
Jun 20, 2024Kokino, North Macedonia
Sep 18, 2025Dunquin Pier, County Kerry, Ireland
Apr 20, 2025Yellow warbler in Canada
Oct 11, 2025Wood duck hen
Jan 17, 2024Eurasian wolf
Mar 1, 2024Butterflies in a meadow, Germany
May 8, 2024Château dIf, Marseille, France
Jun 15, 2024Surfer riding a wave in Nazaré, Portugal
Nov 4, 2025Tower Bridge, London, England
Sep 1, 2023Turkey tail mushroom
Aug 29, 2024Castellfollit de la Roca, Catalonia, Spain
Dec 17, 2024Reine, Norway
Nov 9, 2025Lagoon Nebula, captured by the Hubble Space Telescope
Nov 6, 2025Wat Phra That Hariphunchai, Lamphun, Thailand