Julier Pass

The Julier crosses at 2,284 metres and is the main year-round road into the Upper Engadin, kept open through winter when the Albula and Bernina alternatives are harder. Its Roman use is not a supposition: two stumps of stone columns stand on the summit, remains of a structure from the Roman period, and finds of coins and offerings nearby indicate a pass sanctuary where travellers made dedications before crossing. The name is thought to derive from a local deity rather than from Julius Caesar, though the folk etymology persists. In 2017 a temporary red tower theatre was built on the summit for a season of performances, and the pass remains a working transport route.

The main sights

• Roman column stumps - standing on the summit since antiquity.
• Evidence of a pass sanctuary - coins and offerings found nearby.
• The winter route to the Engadin - kept open when others are not.
• A contested name - from a local deity rather than Caesar, most likely.

When to go

All year. Half a day.

What to expect

There is little at the summit beyond the columns and a restaurant - it is a stop on a drive. Winter conditions demand proper equipment. The columns are weathered stumps, not a monument. Traffic is steady, being the main Engadin road.

Nearby

Silvaplana and St Moritz are over the pass; Bivio and the Julia valley are below.

Key facts