Distance
30 km
Duration
1 day
Climb
1,800 m
Rating
4.8 / 5
612 reviews
Passo dello Spluga.
The Italian approach from Chiavenna to the Swiss border — 30 hairpins in 14 km of near-vertical alpine wall, climbing 1,800 m from the valley floor. One of the most technically demanding climbs in the entire Alps and one of the oldest (Roman road origins). The Cardinello gorge section alone is worth the journey.
Quick facts
SurfacePaved
Distance30 km
Days1
Total climb1,800 m
DifficultyChallenging
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The route.
ChiavennaStart · The market town at the confluence of the Mera and Maira rivers — the starting point of the famous alpine climb. Fuel up and have a coffee at the central piazza. Chiavenna is also famous for its "crotti" — natural rock-cooled wine cellars.
CampodolcinoScenic Point · The last flat village before the serious climbing begins. The valley narrows dramatically above Campodolcino and the gradient immediately increases to 12%.
MadesimoRestaurant · An Italian ski resort town high in the valley — surprisingly cosmopolitan for the altitude. Good cafés and the last fuel before the pass. The road leaves the valley and enters the cliff-face section above here.
Via Cardinello — The 30 HairpinsPhoto Spot · The most dramatic section: 30 numbered hairpins carved directly into a near-vertical rock wall. The original Roman military road ran here. The modern asphalt is excellent but the exposure is total — no guardrails in the original style.
Passo dello Spluga SummitMountain Pass · 2,115 m — the Italian-Swiss border. The 18th-century hospice building is still visible at the summit. The view north into the Swiss Splügenbach valley is a complete change of character.
Splügen, SwitzerlandEnd · The Swiss mountain village at the foot of the northern descent — a classic Alpine settlement with painted houses and a 16th-century church. The Via Mala gorge begins 12 km north, adding a spectacular return route.
From riders.
612 verified rides logged on this route.
4.8/ 5
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
612 verified rides
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