The historic trail to Septimerpass
Septimer Pass, also known as Passo del Settimo and Pass da Sett, is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 2.310m (7,579ft) above the sea level, located in the canton of Graubünden in the Swiss Alps. If you want to get the feeling for how the ancient Roman travelled, the pass is the road to travel.
The pass lies between the valleys of Bregaglia and Oberhalbstein. The road to the summit is closed to vehicles. Only bikes. It’s gravel, narrow and very steep. The road is usually impassable from October to June (weather permitting).
Do not travel this road in severe weather conditions. Avalanches, heavy snowfalls and landslides can occur anytime, being extremely dangerous due to frequent patches of ice. The Septimer Pass was once one of the most important Alpine crossings to and from Italy. The favourable topography made it an ideal trade route. With the road built over the Julier Pass opening in 1826, the Septimer Pass lost most of its traffic for good.
Pic: Anton Vladyka