Bernina Pass
Encyclopedia
The Bernina Pass is a high mountain pass
in the Bernina Range
of the Alps
, in the canton
of Graubünden
(Grisons) in eastern Switzerland
. It connects the famous resort town of St. Moritz
in the Engadin
valley with the Italian-speaking Val Poschiavo, which ends in the Italian
town of Tirano
in Valtellina
. The pass lies a few kilometres east of Piz Bernina
. A lower pass is located west of the Bernina Pass, at 2,253 metres.
The Bernina Pass is crossed by road and rail
, with a popular tourist train, the Bernina Express
operating year-round between Chur
and Tirano
. The train crosses the lowest pass at 2,253 metres (at Ospizio Bernina
) - it is the highest adhesion railway
route in Europe.
Lago Bianco
, Lej Nair
and Lej Pitschen are located on the pass.
Mountain pass
A mountain pass is a route through a mountain range or over a ridge. If following the lowest possible route, a pass is locally the highest point on that route...
in the Bernina Range
Bernina Range
The Bernina Range is a mountain range in the Alps of eastern Switzerland and northern Italy. It is considered to be part of the Central Eastern Alps. It is one of the highest ranges of the Alps, covered with many glaciers. Piz Bernina , its highest peak, is the most easterly four thousand-metre...
of the Alps
Alps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
, in the canton
Cantons of Switzerland
The 26 cantons of Switzerland are the member states of the federal state of Switzerland. Each canton was a fully sovereign state with its own borders, army and currency from the Treaty of Westphalia until the establishment of the Swiss federal state in 1848...
of Graubünden
Graubünden
Graubünden or Grisons is the largest and easternmost canton of Switzerland. The canton shares borders with the cantons of Ticino, Uri, Glarus and St. Gallen and international borders with Italy, Austria and Liechtenstein...
(Grisons) in eastern Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. It connects the famous resort town of St. Moritz
St. Moritz
St. Moritz is a resort town in the Engadine valley in Switzerland. It is a municipality in the district of Maloja in the Swiss canton of Graubünden...
in the Engadin
Engadin
The Engadin or Engadine is a long valley in the Swiss Alps located in the canton of Graubünden in southeast Switzerland. It follows the route of the Inn River from its headwaters at Maloja Pass running northeast until the Inn flows into Austria one hundred kilometers downstream...
valley with the Italian-speaking Val Poschiavo, which ends in the Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
town of Tirano
Tirano
Tirano is a town in Valtellina, located in the province of Sondrio, Northern Italy. It has about 9,044 inhabitants and is adjacent to the Switzerland-Italy boundary. The river Adda flows through the town....
in Valtellina
Valtellina
Valtellina or the Valtelline valley ; is a valley in the Lombardy region of northern Italy, bordering Switzerland. Today it is known for its skiing, its hot spring spas, its cheeses and its wines...
. The pass lies a few kilometres east of Piz Bernina
Piz Bernina
Piz Bernina is the highest mountain of the Eastern Alps and the highest point of the Bernina Range the highest peak in south Rhetic Alps. It is also the farthest easterly mountain higher than 4,000 m in the Alps, the highest point of the Swiss canton of Graubünden, and the fifth-most prominent...
. A lower pass is located west of the Bernina Pass, at 2,253 metres.
The Bernina Pass is crossed by road and rail
Bernina Railway
The Bernina Railway is a single track metre gauge railway line forming part of the Rhaetian Railway . It links the spa resort of St. Moritz, in the Canton of Graubünden, Switzerland, with the town of Tirano, in the Province of Sondrio, Italy, via the Bernina Pass...
, with a popular tourist train, the Bernina Express
Bernina Express
The Bernina Express is an express train connecting Chur in Switzerland with Poschiavo and Tirano in Italy, by crossing the Swiss Alps from north to south. For most of its journey, the train also passes along and through the World Heritage Site known as the Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina...
operating year-round between Chur
Chur
Chur or Coire is the capital of the Swiss canton of Graubünden and lies in the northern part of the canton.-History:The name "chur" derives perhaps from the Celtic kora or koria, meaning "tribe", or from the Latin curia....
and Tirano
Tirano
Tirano is a town in Valtellina, located in the province of Sondrio, Northern Italy. It has about 9,044 inhabitants and is adjacent to the Switzerland-Italy boundary. The river Adda flows through the town....
. The train crosses the lowest pass at 2,253 metres (at Ospizio Bernina
Ospizio Bernina (Rhaetian Railway station)
Ospizio Bernina is a station on the Bernina Railway line between St. Moritz in Switzerland and Tirano in Italy. Hourly services operate on this line....
) - it is the highest adhesion railway
Rail adhesion
The term adhesion railway or adhesion traction describes the most common type of railway, where power is applied by driving some or all of the wheels of the locomotive. Thus, it relies on the friction between a steel wheel and a steel rail. Note that steam locomotives of old were driven only by...
route in Europe.
Lago Bianco
Lago Bianco
Lago Bianco is a lake at the Bernina pass in the Grisons, Switzerland. Its surface area is 1.50 km². The current reservoir was formed by the two dams Scala and Arlas on the site of two natural lakes ....
, Lej Nair
Lej Nair (Bernina)
Lej Nair is a small lake on Bernina Pass in the canton of Grisons, Switzerland. It is located near the summit of the pass, between Lago Bianco and Lej Pitschen . While Lago Bianco drains to the Adriatic Sea, Lej Nair and Lej Pitschen are part of the basin of the Inn River draining into the Black...
and Lej Pitschen are located on the pass.
Weather
See also
- List of highest paved roads in Europe
- List of mountain passes
- List of the highest Swiss passes