Umbrail Pass

Pass dal Umbrail

The highest paved road in Switzerland at 2,501m, connecting Val Müstair with the Stelvio Pass road on the Italian border. A hidden gem with 35 hairpin turns, far less trafficked than the nearby Stelvio. Fully asphalted since 2015.

Nufenen Pass

Nufenenpass / Passo della Novena

The highest paved pass entirely within Switzerland at 2,478 m. Connects upper Valais (Obergoms) with Val Bedretto in Ticino. Wild, remote, and minimal development at the summit.

Great St Bernard Pass

Col du Grand-Saint-Bernard

One of the oldest Alpine crossings, used since the Bronze Age. Famous for the hospice founded in 1050 AD and its St. Bernard rescue dogs. Napoleon crossed with his army in 1800.

Furka Pass

Furkapass

Famous from the James Bond film 'Goldfinger', connecting Uri and Valais. Offers views of the Rhone Glacier and dramatic high-alpine scenery along the classic Swiss alpine route.

Flüela Pass

Flüelapass

Connects Davos with the Lower Engadin at Susch. High Graubünden pass with a lake at the summit. Sometimes kept open year-round via active snow clearing.

Bernina Pass

Berninapass / Pass dal Bernina

Highest pass in the Eastern Alps open year-round. Connects the Engadin with Val Poschiavo. The UNESCO-listed Bernina Express railway runs alongside with spectacular viaducts.

Albula Pass

Albulapass / Pass d'Alvra

Connects the Albula valley with the Engadin. The parallel Albula railway is a UNESCO World Heritage site with famous spiral tunnels and viaducts. Numerous hairpin bends on both sides.

Julier Pass

Julierpass / Pass dal Güglia

One of the few Swiss alpine passes kept open year-round. Connects the Engadin with the Rhine valley. Ancient Roman road with pillar remnants and the Origen cultural tower at the summit.

Col du Sanetsch

Sanetschpass

Dead-end pass road from Sion to the Sanetsch reservoir at the Valais/Bern border. Road ends at the dam with no crossing. Spectacular high-altitude views and popular cycling destination.

Susten Pass

Sustenpass

Considered one of Switzerland's most beautiful passes, connecting the Haslital with the Reuss valley. Built in the 1940s with exceptionally smooth curves and superb engineering.

Croix de Coeur

Croix de Cœur

High road above Verbier climbing to a viewpoint with magnificent views of Mont Blanc, Grand Combin, and the Rhone valley. Dead-end scenic road, not a through pass. Popular cycling challenge.

Grimsel Pass

Grimselpass

Dramatic pass connecting the Haslital with the upper Rhone valley. Features large reservoir lakes, massive hydroelectric dams, and a stark granite landscape. Meets the Furka road at Gletsch.

Ofen Pass

Ofenpass / Pass dal Fuorn

Passes through the Swiss National Park with excellent wildlife spotting: ibex, chamois, deer, and marmots. Connects the Engadin with Val Müstair. One of few Swiss passes open year-round.

Splügen Pass

Splügenpass / Passo dello Spluga

Dramatic border crossing with tight hairpin bends carved into rock on the Italian side. One of the most spectacular approach roads in the Alps with centuries of trading history.

Gotthard Pass

Gotthardpass

One of the most important north-south Alpine routes, connecting German-speaking Switzerland with Ticino. The historic Tremola cobblestone road features 24 hairpin bends on the south side.

San Bernardino Pass

Passo del San Bernardino

Major north-south transit route connecting the Hinterrhein valley with Mesolcina (Italian-speaking Graubünden). Tunnel alternative available. Lake and hospice at the summit.

Oberalp Pass

Oberalppass

Marks the border between Uri and Graubünden near the source of the Rhine. The Glacier Express railway crosses here, and ski lifts operate at the summit in winter.

Simplon Pass

Simplonpass / Passo del Sempione

Major crossing between Switzerland and Italy. Napoleon ordered the road's construction in 1800. Broad, well-graded curves and a historic hospice at the summit. Open almost year-round.

Simplon-Kulm side road

Simplonpass Alte Strasse

The historic old road variant over the Simplon, running through the village of Simplon Dorf. More winding and atmospheric than the modern main road. Same pass, alternative route.

Grosse Scheidegg

Connects Meiringen with Grindelwald below the Wetterhorn. Closed to private traffic (PostBus and bikes only). Famous cycling route with spectacular Eiger and Wetterhorn views.

Klausen Pass

Klausenpass

Connects Uri and Glarus through dramatic scenery below the Clariden massif. Historic hillclimb racing venue from the early 1900s. Sweeping curves through alpine meadows.

Lukmanier Pass

Lukmanierpass / Passo del Lucomagno

Lowest transalpine pass in central Switzerland, connecting Disentis with Biasca in Ticino. A gentle, quiet alternative to the Gotthard with the Santa Maria reservoir at the summit.

Maloja Pass

Malojapass / Pass dal Malögia

Unique asymmetric pass: south side drops steeply through dramatic hairpins while the Engadin side has virtually no ascent. Connects the Engadin with Val Bregaglia. Open year-round.

Col de la Croix

Scenic pass in the Vaud Alps connecting Villars-sur-Ollon with Les Diablerets. Spectacular mountain views. Popular cycling climb with steady gradients through alpine pastures.

Tseuzier Dam Road

Barrage de Tseuzier

Spectacular narrow cliff road from Sion to the Tseuzier reservoir above Crans-Montana. Vertiginous sections carved into rock faces. Dead-end at the dam; one of the most dramatic drives in Valais.

Wolfgang Pass

Wolfgangpass

Short, gentle pass connecting Davos with Klosters in the Prättigau. Main road between two major resort towns. Open year-round.

Glaubenbüelen Pass

Glaubenbüelenpass

Small pass connecting Grafenort in Nidwalden with Giswil in Obwalden. Quiet alternative route with pleasant alpine meadow scenery. Less traveled than neighboring passes.

Gurnigel Pass

Gurnigelpass

Scenic pass in the Gantrisch Nature Park south of Bern. Known for its dark sky park status (minimal light pollution) and panoramic views of the Bernese Alps. Narrow road sections.

Lenzerheide

Lenzerheide / Lai

Connects Chur with the Albula valley via the resort of Lenzerheide. More high valley than dramatic pass. Features Lake Heidsee and a major ski resort. Open year-round.

Pragel Pass

Pragelpass

Narrow, winding pass connecting Muotathal in Schwyz with Glarus. Very narrow road (single track in places) with dramatic mountain scenery. Not suited for heavy traffic.

Col du Pillon

Connects Aigle in the Rhone valley with Gstaad in the Bernese Oberland. Gateway to the Glacier 3000 ski area and Les Diablerets resort. Scenic route through varied landscape.

Glaubenberg Pass

Glaubenbergpass

Highest pass in the Swiss Prealps, connecting Sarnen with the Entlebuch. Passes through the UNESCO Biosphere Entlebuch moorland conservation area. Quiet and scenic.

Jaun Pass

Jaunpass / Col de Bellegarde

The only road pass in Fribourg canton, connecting the Simmental with the Gruyère region. Linguistic boundary between German and French-speaking Switzerland. Year-round access.

Chasseral

Road to the summit of Chasseral, highest point in the Bernese Jura, with its distinctive telecoms tower. 360-degree panorama from the Alps to the Vosges. Narrow road near the top.

Col du Marchairuz

Jura pass connecting the Lake Geneva shore near Rolle with the Vallée de Joux. Winds through beautiful beech and fir forests. Popular with motorcyclists and cyclists for flowing curves.

Col des Mosses

Gentle pass in the Vaud Alps connecting Aigle with Château-d'Oex. Wide open meadows at the summit. Popular for cross-country skiing in winter and cycling in summer.

Col des Planches

Small pass connecting Martigny-Combe with Sembrancher in the Val d'Entremont. Alternative to the main Entremont valley road. Quiet road through vineyards and pastures.

Ibergeregg

Pass in the Schwyz Alps connecting Schwyz with Oberiberg. Panoramic views of the iconic Mythen twin peaks and Lake Lucerne. Popular for winter sports and summer hiking.

Weissenstein

Jura pass above Solothurn with sweeping panoramic views from the Jura to the Alps. Narrow paved road to the summit hotel. Features a gondola lift and the Nidlenloch cave system.

Pas de Morgins

Border crossing connecting the Val d'Illiez in Valais with the Chablais in France. Gentle pass through the charming ski resort village of Morgins.

Vue des Alpes

Col de la Vue des Alpes

Jura pass connecting La Chaux-de-Fonds with Neuchâtel. Named for the panoramic view of the entire Bernese Alps chain visible on clear days. Major commuter route.

Saanenmöser

Gentle pass between Zweisimmen and Gstaad. More high plateau than dramatic pass. The MOB railway (GoldenPass line) runs alongside. Year-round access.

Schwägalp Pass

Schwägalp

Connects the Toggenburg valley with Appenzell. Gateway to the Säntis cable car, highest peak in the Alpstein massif. Year-round road with views of the distinctive Säntis summit.

Col de la Givrine

Jura pass connecting Nyon on Lake Geneva with the Vallée de Joux at Saint-Cergue. One of the main access roads to the ski resort of Saint-Cergue. Open year-round.

Sattelegg

Connects Lachen on Lake Zurich with the Wägital and inner Schwyz. A scenic PreAlpine pass with views of the Sihlsee reservoir. Quiet alternative route in eastern Switzerland.

Col du Mollendruz

Jura pass connecting Cossonay on the Swiss Plateau with the Vallée de Joux. Main road link to the famous watchmaking valley. Lower and gentler than the Marchairuz.

Col de la Tourne

Jura pass connecting the Val-de-Travers with the Neuchâtel lakeside. Quieter alternative to the Vue des Alpes with nice views over Lake Neuchâtel.

Col des Étroits

Jura border pass connecting Sainte-Croix in Vaud with Pontarlier in France. Named 'the narrows' for the gorge terrain. Historic route between Switzerland and Franche-Comté.

Wildhaus Pass

Wildhaus

Connects the upper Toggenburg with the Rhine valley. Passes through Wildhaus, birthplace of reformer Huldrych Zwingli. Views of the Churfirsten mountain chain.

Brünig Pass

Brünigpass

Relatively low pass connecting Meiringen in the Bernese Oberland with Lungern and Central Switzerland. Carries both the main road and the Brünig railway. Year-round access.

Ruppen Pass

Ruppenpass

Minor pass in the Appenzell region connecting Appenzell with the Rhine valley. Rolling countryside with traditional Appenzell farmhouses and views of the Alpstein massif.

Etzel Pass

Etzelpass

Low pass between upper Lake Zurich and the Sihl valley. Historic pilgrimage route to Einsiedeln. Chapel at the summit offers views over Lake Zurich and the Alps.

Stoss Pass

Stoss

Historic pass connecting Appenzell with the Rhine valley. Site of the 1405 Battle of Stoss where the Appenzellers gained independence. Steep road with a memorial chapel.

Sattel

Low pass between Schwyz and Zug on the route from Zurich to central Switzerland. Significant through traffic. Near the historic 1315 Battle of Morgarten site.

Col des Roches

Low Jura border pass near Le Locle connecting with France. Notable for the underground mills (Moulins Souterrains) carved into rock at the pass, a unique industrial heritage site.

Col des Rangiers

Jura pass connecting Delémont with Porrentruy in the canton of Jura. Flowing curves popular with motorcyclists. Features the historic Sentinelle des Rangiers monument site.

Pierre Pertuis

Jura pass with a remarkable natural rock arch through which the Roman road passed. Roman inscription still visible on the rock. Connects Tavannes with Sonceboz.

Ricken Pass

Rickenpass

Low pass connecting the Zürichsee region with the Toggenburg valley. Important transit route in eastern Switzerland. The railway uses the Ricken tunnel beneath the pass.

Oberer Hauenstein

Low Jura pass connecting the Basel region with the Mittelland. Historically one of the most important trade routes. The old road is now a quiet scenic alternative to the tunnel.

Hirzel

Low pass on the main road between Zürich and Zug/Schwyz. One of the most heavily trafficked passes in Switzerland. Historically important transit route.

Monte Ceneri Pass

Passo del Monte Ceneri

Connects upper Ticino (Bellinzona) with lower Ticino (Lugano). Low but historically important pass. Now largely bypassed by the Monte Ceneri Base Tunnel opened in 2020.