# Principal passes of the Alps

This article lists the principal mountain passes and tunnels in the Alps, and gives a history of transport across the Alps.

## Main passes

The following are the main paved road passes across the Alps. Main indicates on the main chain of the Alps, from south west to east. Passes on subsidiary ranges are listed where the ridge leaves the main chain – N/W indicates north or west of the main chain, S/E on the south or east side. Heights in brackets indicate true pass height, not the high point of the road.
| area | name | location | countries | elevation (m) |
| | Colle di Cadibona | Savona to Ceva | Italy | 0436 |
| | Colle del Melogno | Finale Ligure to Ceva | Italy | 1028 |
| | Giogo di Toirano | Toirano to Bardineto | Italy | 0801 |
| | Colle Scravaion | Albenga to Calizzano | Italy | 0814 |
| | Colle San Bernardo | Albenga to Garessio | Italy | 0957 |
| | Passo di Prale | Cisano sul Neva to Ormea | Italy | 1258 |
| | Colle di Nava | Imperia to Ormea | Italy | 0934 |
| | Colle San Bernardo di Mendatica | Triora and Mendatica to Ormea (through Colle di Nava) | Italy | 1262 |
| Main | Col de Tende | Tende to Cuneo | France, Italy | 1870 |
| Main | Col de la Lombarde | Isola to Vinadio | France, Italy | 2350 |
| N/W | Col de la Bonette | Jausiers to Saint-Étienne-de-Tinée | France | 2715 |
| Main | Maddalena Pass/Col de Larche | Barcelonnette to Cuneo | France, Italy | 1996 |
| Main | Col Agnel | Queyras to Sampeyre | France, Italy | 2744 |
| Main | Col de Montgenèvre | Briançon to Susa | France, Italy | 1854 |
| Main | Col de l'Échelle | Briançon to Bardonecchia | France, Italy | 1762 |
| N/W | Col du Galibier | Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne to Col du Lautaret | France | 2642 |
| N/W | Col du Lautaret | Le Bourg-d'Oisans to Briançon | France | 2058 |
| Main | Col du Mont Cenis | Modane to Susa | France | 2084 |
| N/W | Col de l'Iseran | Val d'Isère to Bonneval-sur-Arc | France | 2764 |
| S/E | Col du Nivolet | Noasca to Courmayeur (no through road) | Italy | 2641 |
| Main | Little St Bernard Pass | Bourg-Saint-Maurice to Pré-Saint-Didier | France, Italy | 2188 |
| N/W | Col des Montets | Martigny to Chamonix | France | 1461 |
| Main | Great St Bernard Pass | Martigny to Aosta | Switzerland, Italy | 2469 |
| Main | Simplon Pass | Brig to Domodossola | Switzerland | 2009 (1996) |
| Main | Nufenen Pass | Ulrichen to Airolo | Switzerland | 2478 |
| N/W | Furka Pass | Realp to Oberwald | Switzerland | 2429 |
| N/W | Grimsel Pass | Innertkirchen to Gletsch | Switzerland | 2164 |
| N/W | Susten Pass | Innertkirchen to Wassen | Switzerland | 2224 |
| Main | St Gotthard Pass | Andermatt to Airolo | Switzerland | 2106 |
| N/W | Oberalp Pass | Andermatt to Disentis | Switzerland | 2044 |
| N/W | Klausen Pass | Altdorf to Linthal | Switzerland | 1948 |
| Main | Lukmanier Pass | Disentis to Biasca | Switzerland | 1915 |
| Main | San Bernardino Pass | Splügen to Bellinzona | Switzerland | 2065 |
| Main | Splügen Pass | Splügen to Chiavenna | Switzerland, Italy | 2115 |
| N/W | Julier Pass | Tiefencastel to Silvaplana | Switzerland | 2284 |
| N/W | Albula Pass | Filisur to La Punt | Switzerland | 2311 |
| N/W | Flüela Pass | Davos to Susch | Switzerland | 2383 |
| N/W | Bielerhöhe | Sankt Gallenkirch to Galtür | Austria | 2036 |
| N/W | Arlberg Pass | Bludenz to Landeck | Austria | 1793 |
| N/W | Flexen Pass | Warth to Klostertal | Austria | 1773 |
| N/W | Hochtannbergpass | Dornbirn to Warth | Austria | 1679 |
| Main | Maloja Pass | Silvaplana to Chiavenna | Switzerland | 1815 |
| Main | Bernina Pass | Pontresina to Tirano | Switzerland | 2328 |
| Main | Livigno Pass | Poschiavo to Livigno | Switzerland, Italy | 2315 |
| Main | Foscagno Pass | Bormio to Livigno | Italy | 2291 |
| S/E | Umbrail Pass | Val Müstair to Bormio | Switzerland, Italy | 2501 |
| S/E | Giogo dello Stelvio | Bormio to Vinschgau | Italy | 2757 |
| S/E | Gavia Pass | Bormio to Ponte di Legno | Italy | 2621 |
| S/E | Tonale Pass | Ponte di Legno to Val di Sole | Italy | 1883 |
| S/E | Campo Carlo Magno | Madonna di Campiglio to Val di Sole | Italy | 1655 |
| S/E | Passo d'Aprica | Valtellina to Val Camonica | Italy | 1172 |
| Main | Fuorn Pass | Zernez to Val Müstair | Switzerland | 2149 |
| Main | Reschen Pass | Nauders to Meran | Austria, Italy | 1507 |
| Main | Timmelsjoch | Ötztal valley to Meran | Austria, Italy | 2491 |
| Main | Brenner Pass | Innsbruck to Sterzing | Austria, Italy | 1370 |
| Main | Hochtor | Zell am See to Lienz | Austria | 2505 (2576) |
| Main | Radstädter Tauern Pass | Radstadt to Mauterndorf | Austria | 1739 |
| Main | Sölk Pass | Schöder to Gröbming | Austria | 1788 |
| Main | Triebener Tauern Pass | Judenburg to Trieben | Austria | 1274 |
| Main | Schober Pass | Liezen to Leoben | Austria | 0849 |
| | Präbichl | Eisenerz to Leoben | Austria | 1204 |
| | Aflenzer Seeberg | Mariazell to Bruck an der Mur | Austria | 1254 |
| | Niederalpl Pass | Mürzsteg to Gußwerk | Austria | 1221 |
| | Lahnsattel | Mürzsteg to Mariazell | Austria | 1006 |
| | Ochsattel | Schwarzau im Gebirge to Hohenberg | Austria | 0820 |
| | Kalte Kuchl | Schwarzau im Gebirge to Rohrbach an der Gölsen | Austria | 0728 |
| | Gerichtsberg Pass | Altenmarkt an der Triesting to Hainfeld | Austria | 0581 |

### Other passes

Detailed lists of passes are given by Alpine subdivision, see the following articles:
* Western Alps
** Ligurian Alps
** Maritime Alps
** Cottian Alps
** Dauphiné Alps
** Graian Alps
** Pennine Alps
** Bernese Alps
** Lepontine Alps
** Tödi Range
** North-Eastern Swiss Alps
* Eastern Alps
** Northern Limestone Alps
*** The Alps of Bavaria, the Vorarlberg, and Salzburg
** Central Eastern Alps
*** Bergamo Alps
*** Rhaetian Alps, including Bernina Range, Livigno Range, Sesvenna Range, Albula Range, Silvretta and Rätikon
*** Verwall Alps and Samnaun Alps
*** Tyrolean Alps, including Ötztal Alps, Stubai Alps, Kitzbühel Alps, Hohe Tauern and Zillertal Alps
*** Niedere Tauern
** Southern Limestone Alps
*** Adamello-Presanella and Brenta Group
*** Ortler Alps
*** Dolomites
*** Carnic Alps
*** Julian Alps
*** Karawanks
*** Kamnik Alps

## Road tunnels

Main chain, from west to east:
| name | location | countries | length (km) |
| Col de Tende Road Tunnel | Tende to Cuneo | France, Italy | 03.2 |
| Fréjus Road Tunnel | Modane to Susa | France, Italy | 12.9 |
| Mont Blanc Tunnel | Chamonix to Courmayeur | France, Italy | 11.6 |
| Great St Bernard Tunnel | Martigny to Aosta | Switzerland, Italy | 05.9 |
| St. Gotthard Tunnel | Göschenen to Airolo | Switzerland | 17 |
| San Bernardino Tunnel | Splügen to Bellinzona | Switzerland | 07.7 |
| Felbertauern Tunnel | Mittersill to Lienz | Austria | 05.3 |
| Tauern Road Tunnel | Eben im Pongau to Sankt Michael im Lungau | Austria | 06.4 |
Notable other tunnels:
| name | location | countries | length (km) |
| Arlberg Tunnel | Langen am Arlberg to St Anton am Arlberg | Austria | 13.976 |
| Karawanks Tunnel | Villach to Jesenice | Austria, Slovenia | 07.864 |

## Railway passes and tunnels

Main chain, from west to east:
| name | type | location | countries | length (km) | elevation (m) |
| Colle di Cadibona | pass | Savona to Ceva | Italy | | 0436 |
| Tunnel de Tende | tunnel | Tende to Cuneo | France, Italy | 08.1 | |
| Fréjus Rail Tunnel | tunnel | Modane to Susa | France, Italy | 13.7 | 1123 |
| Simplon Tunnel | tunnel | Brig to Domodossola | Switzerland, Italy | 19.8 | 0705 |
| Gotthard Rail Tunnel | tunnel | Göschenen to Airolo | Switzerland | 15 | 1151 |
| Gotthard Base Tunnel | tunnel | Erstfeld to Biasca | Switzerland | 57.1 | 0549 |
| Bernina Pass | pass | Pontresina to Tirano | Switzerland | | 2323 |
| Brenner Pass | pass | Innsbruck to Sterzing | Austria, Italy | | 1370 |
| Tauern Tunnel | tunnel | Bad Gastein to Obervellach | Austria | 08.6 | |
| Schober Pass | pass | Liezen to Leoben | Austria | | 0849 |
| Präbichl | pass | Eisenerz to Leoben | Austria | | 1204 |
Notable other railway passes and tunnels:
| name | type | location | countries | length (km) | elevation (m) |
| Arlberg Railway Tunnel | tunnel | Langen am Arlberg to St Anton am Arlberg | Austria | 10.6 | 1303 |
| Karawanks Tunnel | tunnel | Villach to Jesenice | Austria, Slovenia | 08.0 | |
| Lötschberg Tunnel | tunnel | Spiez to Brig | Switzerland | 14.6 | 1240 |
| Lötschberg Base Tunnel | tunnel | Spiez to Brig | Switzerland | 34.6 | 0828 |
| Oberalp Pass | pass | Andermatt to Disentis | Switzerland | | 2044 |
| Semmering | tunnel | Gloggnitz to Mürzzuschlag | Austria | 01.5 | 0965 |

## History

Places where the Alps were crossed are called passes, and are points at which the alpine chain sinks to form depressions, up to which deep-cut valleys lead from the plains and hilly pre-mountainous zones. The oldest names for such passes are Mont (still retained in cases of Mont Cenis and Monte Moro), for it was many ages before this term was applied to mountains themselves, which with a few very rare exceptions (e.g. Monte Viso was known to the Romans as Vesulus) were for a long time disregarded.
Native inhabitants of the Alps were naturally the first to use the passes. The passes first became known to the outside world when the Romans crossed them to raid or conquer the region beyond. Romans, once having found an "easy" way across the chain, did not trouble to seek for harder and more devious routes. Hence, passes that can be shown as certainly known to them are relatively few in number: they are, in topographical order from west to east, the Maddalena Pass, the Col de Montgenèvre, the Col du Mont Cenis, the two St Bernard passes (Little St Bernard Pass and Great St Bernard Pass), the Splügen Pass, the Septimer Pass, the Reschen Pass, the Brenner Pass, the Plöcken Pass, the Pontebba Pass (or Saifnitz Pass), the Radstädter Tauern Pass and the Solkscharte Pass or Sölk Pass.
Of these the Montgenèvre and the Brenner were the most frequented. In the Central Alps only two passes (the Splügen and the Septimer) were certainly known to the Romans. In fact the central portion of the Alps was by far the least Romanised region until the early Middle Ages. Thus the Simplon is first definitely mentioned in 1235, the St Gotthard in 1236, the Lukmanier in 965, the San Bernardino in 941; of course they may have been known before, but authentic history is silent as regards them till the dates specified. Even the Mont Cenis (from the 15th to the 19th century the favourite pass for travellers going from France to Italy) is first heard of only in 756.
In the 13th century many hitherto unknown passes came into prominence, even some of the easy glacier passes. In the Western and Central Alps there is only one ridge to cross, to which access is gained by a deep-cut valley, though often it would be shorter to cross a second pass in order to reach the plains, e.g. the Montgenèvre, that is most directly reached by the Col du Lautaret; and the Simplon, which is best reached by one of the lower passes over the western portion of the Bernese Oberland chain. On the other hand, in the Eastern Alps, it is generally necessary to cross three distinct ridges between the northern and southern plains, the Central ridge being the highest and most difficult to cross. Thus the passes which crossed a single ridge, and did not involve too great a detour through a long valley of approach, became the most important and the most popular, e.g. the Mont Cenis, the Great St Bernard, the St Gotthard, the Septimer and the Brenner.
As time went on the Alpine passes were improved to make travel easier. A few passes (e.g. the Semmering, the Brenner, the Col de Tende and the Arlberg) had carriage roads constructed before 1800, while those over the Umbrail and the Great St Bernard were not completed till the early years of the 20th century. Most of the carriage roads across the great alpine passes were thus constructed in the first half of the 19th century, largely due to the Napoleon's need for such roads as modes of military transport. As late as 1905, the highest pass over the main chain that had a carriage road was the Great St Bernard (2,472 m (8,111 ft)), but three still higher passes over side ridges have roads—the col de l'Iseran, the Stelvio Pass (2,760 m (9,040 ft)), the Col du Galibier (2,658 m (8,721 ft)), in the Dauphiné Alps, and the Umbrail Pass (2,512 m (8,242 ft)).
Railway lines, like the Brenner and the Pontebba lines, were added to speed travel through the passes and tunnels supplemented passes at the Col de Tenda, the Mont Cenis, the Simplon and the St Gotthard.