Albula Pass

The Albula crosses at 2,312 metres between the Albula valley and the Engadin, and it is the quieter of the two roads into the upper valley - the Julier carries the year-round traffic, and the Albula closes with the snow, usually from late autumn to May. That leaves it as a driving and cycling route rather than a through corridor. Below it runs the Albula railway, part of the Rhaetian Railway World Heritage site, which solves the same height problem differently: spiral tunnels and viaducts stacked in the valley to gain altitude, then the Albula tunnel under the pass itself, so trains cross all winter while the road above is shut. Lai da Palpuogna lies below the north-western approach, and the small Albulasee, about four hectares, sits just east of the summit beside the hospice.

What you'll find

• A pass closed each winter - unlike the Julier, which stays open.
• The World Heritage line below - spirals and viaducts, then a tunnel under the pass.
• Lai da Palpuogna - the larch-ringed lake on the northern approach.
• A quiet road - through traffic uses the Julier instead.

When to go

Late May to October. Half a day.

Things to know

The road is shut for roughly half the year. Facilities on the pass are minimal. Snow can close it late in spring and early in autumn. The railway below is the more interesting engineering, and it can be ridden instead.

Nearby

Bergun and Preda are north-west; the Engadin is over the pass.

Key facts