Splügen Pass, Switzerland Sep 16, 2023

With their twists and turns, record heights and breathtaking vistas, mountain roads like Umling La and Pico de Veleta are steeped in history. One such route of the Lepontine Alps—Splügen Pass—is pictured here today. Located on the border of Switzerland and Italy, the 2114-metre-high pass is one of the highest paved roads in Europe. Although its modern form was built between 1818-1823, the Splügen Pass is rich in history with links to Roman times. The pass has been much quieter since the nearby San Bernardino road tunnel opened in 1967. The now quiet pass, which has 51 marked hairpin bends, remains closed during winter. So, if spectacular mountainside views and picturesque lakes tickle your fancy, you can enjoy this ascent between June and mid-October. Has your interest in a Swiss-sational time "peaked" yet?

© Roberto Moiola/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

Sep 16, 2024Wallabies at sunrise, Australia
Sep 16, 2025Nighttime view over the Gulf Coast

More Desktop Wallpapers:

May 9, 2024Tulips at Emirgan Park in Istanbul, Türkiye
Dec 6, 2024Helsinki, Finland
Apr 14, 2024Bowling Ball Beach, California, USA
Mar 23, 2024Large anvil clouds, Amazon, Brazil
Dec 10, 2024Lands End, Cornwall, England
Apr 21, 2024Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Sep 13, 2025Point Reyes National Seashore
Oct 29, 2025Ancient til trees in Fanal Forest, Madeira, Portugal
Dec 21, 2023Ljubljana, Slovenia
May 28, 2024The Monastery of Roussanou
Sep 17, 2025A young bull moose
Aug 4, 2024Impala and red-billed oxpecker, South Africa
Jul 28, 2024Skåne County, Sweden
Mar 29, 2024South Stack Lighthouse, Holyhead, Wales, UK
Feb 25, 2025Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah, United States
Feb 28, 2024Bamburgh Castle, Northumberland, England
Jan 18, 2025Dunes at White Sands National Park, New Mexico
Dec 29, 2023Oud-West neighbourhood, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Jul 29, 2025Bengal tiger, India
Nov 14, 2025Mother manatee and calf
Aug 21, 2024Nazca boobies
Sep 3, 2025Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness
Aug 9, 2024Inca ruin of Sacsayhuamán near Cusco, Peru
Jun 25, 2025St. Michaels Church Tower on Glastonbury Tor, Glastonbury, Somerset, England
Jun 15, 2024Surfer riding a wave in Nazaré, Portugal
Apr 15, 2024Château de Chambord, France
Nov 5, 2024Lençóis Maranhenses National Park, Brazil
Sep 25, 2023Sea otter, Glacier Bay, Alaska
Oct 26, 2023Schönbrunn Palace Park, Vienna, Austria
Aug 11, 2025Village of Santa Maddalena, Dolomites, Italy