Bernina Pass

The Bernina crosses at 2,328 metres between the Engadin and the Italian-speaking Poschiavo, with the Bernina massif and its glaciers to the west. On the summit lies the Lago Bianco, a reservoir dammed at both ends and sitting directly on the watershed - water from its northern end runs to the Inn, the Danube and the Black Sea, while the southern end drains to the Adda, the Po and the Adriatic, so the two dams send the same lake to different seas. Its pale colour comes from glacial rock flour. The Bernina railway climbs alongside the road to Ospizio Bernina and continues over. The pass road is kept open through winter, unusual at this height.

What you'll find

• A lake on the watershed - dammed at both ends, draining to two seas.
• Rock-flour colour - the pale water the lake is named for.
• The Bernina railway alongside - the World Heritage line to Ospizio.
• Open through winter - unusual for a crossing at 2,328 metres.

When to go

All year. A day.

Before you go

Winter conditions are severe even with the road open, and closures happen in storms. Facilities on the pass are minimal. Reservoir drawdown changes how the lake looks. Weather turns fast at this height.

Nearby

Diavolezza is on the northern approach; Poschiavo and Brusio are south.

Key facts