Splügen Pass, Switzerland Sep 19, 2023

Splügen Pass, Switzerland

With their twists and turns, record heights, and breathtaking vistas, mountain roads are not for the faint-hearted. Pictured here is the historic Splügen Pass, which winds its way through the Lepontine Alps, on the border of Switzerland and Italy. Although its modern version was built between 1818-1823, the Splügen Pass existed in some form as far back as Roman times. At 6,936 feet high, it is one of the highest paved roads in Europe, with 51 marked hairpin bends. It is closed in winter but, if spectacular mountainside views and picturesque lakes tickle your fancy, you can enjoy this ascent between June and mid-October. Have we "peaked" your interest yet?

© Roberto Moiola/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

Sep 19, 2018Talk like a pirate—or walk the plank
Sep 19, 2019Fall for birding
Sep 19, 2020Arrr, it be Talk Like a Pirate Day
Sep 19, 2021Arrr! Can you talk like a pirate?
Sep 19, 2022State funeral of Queen Elizabeth II
Sep 19, 2024International Talk Like a Pirate Day
Sep 19, 2025Thousand Islands region, St. Lawrence River, US-Canada border

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Dec 16, 2018Holidays in the Venetian Lagoon
Oct 18, 2019Fall color sweeps across the West
Sep 26, 2020Wandering Watkins Glen
Aug 29, 2021Notes from an underground lake
Feb 26, 2020 The Crown Jewel of the North Atlantic
May 13, 2025Torres del Paine National Park in Patagonia, Chile
Nov 17, 2022National Take a Hike Day
Aug 19, 2022National Aviation Day
Feb 19, 2018Thomas Jefferson Memorial, Washington, DC
Jun 9, 2024Bardenas Reales Biosphere Reserve and Natural Park, Spain
Jan 15, 2021It s truffle season here in the Dordogne Valley
Jan 8, 2023Breckenridge, Colorado
Aug 21, 2025A wheatear in Peak District National Park, England
Apr 30, 2018Swinging into International Jazz Day
Jul 10, 2020Italy s submerged village
Jun 2, 2020Falling for the Canadian Rockies
Nov 2, 2023Death Valley National Park, California
May 9, 2020Here’s looking at you, teachers
Mar 23, 2018Happy World Meteorological Day
Apr 16, 2019The birth of Bauhaus
Mar 2, 2024Modica, Sicily, Italy
Jan 30, 2021Even nature needs a backup plan…
Oct 10, 2024Kochia, Hitachi, Ibaraki prefecture, Japan
Jan 12, 2020The Zugspitze: Germany s highest point
Apr 2, 2025Sandstone formations in the badlands near Caineville, Utah
Feb 20, 2021An enduring vision
Apr 15, 2021Jackie Robinson Day
May 14, 2020Green fields of grain
Dec 8, 2023La Rocque Harbour, Island of Jersey
Jul 13, 2020Welcome to the Hoh