Lombardy · Italy
Passo dello Spluga
SS36Campodolcino to Splügen Pass
A vertiginous old trading pass of stacked stone hairpins.
The SS36 over the Splügen Pass at 2,115 m links Italy and Switzerland by way of a tight, narrow stack of stone-walled hairpins between Campodolcino and Pianazzo. Spectacular and demanding, barely two cars wide in places; mind the gradient, the drop, and snow that lingers late.
On the road
The road runs from Campodolcino to the Splügen Pass, where it crosses into Switzerland. Just above Campodolcino the SS36 climbs a ladder of hairpins to Pianazzo. This ramp was built after an 1834 flood of the Liro wrecked the older line through Isola. Some bends sit inside unlit tunnels and galleries, so slow down, use your lights and expect damp patches even in dry weather.
Higher up, the road reaches Montespluga, a small village beside a reservoir created in 1930. Italian border control stands near the village, and the frontier is about 1.5 miles (2.5 km) further on at the pass. The road was built under Austrian rule in the early 1820s, under the engineer Carlo Donegani. The pass lost much of its importance once the San Bernardino road tunnel opened in 1967.
The top stretch, from Montespluga to the border, closes every winter because of deep snow and avalanche risk. Anas reopens it in step with the Swiss authorities on their side, and the date varies a lot. It reopened on 15 June in 2020 but on 24 April in 2026. In winter the section from Teggiate up to Montespluga also shuts overnight, from 18:00 to 08:00.
Passo dello Spluga on the map10.9 mi · point to point
Navigate to the start: Apple Maps · Google Maps
Character
Corners
busiest around mile 2Elevation
under 4%4 to 8%over 8%1,087 to 2,117 mFrom the road
Points of interest3 stops
- Acque RosseViewpoint4.3 mi in
- Passo dello SplugaViewpoint11 mi in
- Monumento ai Caduti di PianazzoLandmark2.9 mi in
Hazards
- Very narrow stone hairpins
- Big unguarded drops
- Late-lying snow
- Steep gradients
Sources
“This is a stunning road that twists and turns ever upwards but also has several long straights and sweeping curves.”
Route traced from OpenStreetMap, with its stats measured from that line. How the roads are mapped
Routes for iPhone carries Passo dello Spluga offline, with live weather and a 7 day forecast.
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