Alpine Passes

Mountain Roads of Europe

Monte Ceneri Pass

Monte Ceneri Pass

Passo del Monte Ceneri

Switzerland · Ticino

554m

Key Facts

Elevation
554m
Route length
25 km
Max gradient
7%
Hairpins
10
Driving difficulty
Moderate (2/5)
Surface
Good
Open
Year-round

Route & Map

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Route

SBellinzona
25 km · max 7%
Monte Ceneri Pass (554m)
Descent
ELugano
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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.

Weather & Conditions

Driving Experience

Elevation Profile

212m334m455m577m698m0 km10 km20 km30 km698m
973m gain
919m loss
230m → 698m → 284m

Difficulty

Moderate

2/5 — car driving difficulty

Based on steepness, elevation gain, hairpins, road length & surface quality

Hairpin Turns

10

Plenty of switchbacks to test your line

When to Drive

Year-round (best: July - September)

  • Open year-round, though winter conditions may require snow equipment.
  • Morning hours offer the best driving conditions with less traffic.

Coordinates

Summit
46.1461°N, 8.9817°E
Start (Bellinzona)
46.1953°N, 9.0236°E
End (Lugano)
46.0037°N, 8.9511°E
#year-round#transit#low-pass

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Image: Хрюша / CC BY-SA 3.0