- San Bernardino Pass
Infobox Mountain Pass
Name =San Bernardino Pass
Photo =Sbernardinopass.png
Caption = Summit of St. Bernardino pass
Elevation = 2063 m.
Location = SUI
Range =Alps
Coordinates = coord|46.497|N|9.172|E|type:pass_region:CH-GR|display=inline,title
Topographic
Traversed by =
San Bernardino Pass (el. 2063 m.) is a high
mountain pass in theSwiss Alps connecting the Hinterrhein and theMesolcina (Misox) valleys betweenThusis (Graubünden ) andBellinzona (Ticino ). Located at coord|46|29.82|N|9|10.32|E|region:CH_type:pass, it is not to be confused with theGreat St. Bernard Pass and theLittle St. Bernard Pass . The top of the pass represents both the Italo-German language frontier and the watershed (drainage divide) between the Po basin and the Rhine basin.The route first became important in the fifteenth century when the route between
Thusis andSplügen was known as the Via Mala. The modern road was first opened only between 1821 and 1823, financed in part by theKingdom of Sardinia , keen to improve a trade route connectingGenoa andPiedmont to theGraubunden that was not directly controlled by Austria.Traffic flow was much facilitated when in
1967 , the San Bernardino road tunnel was completed, since when vehicle traffic on the pass has been much reduced, benefiting those taking the time to avoid the tunnel. The pass road is only open in summer.External links
* [http://www.climbbybike.com/climb.asp?Col=Passo%20del%20San%20Bernardino%20&qryMountainID=5500 Profile on climbbybike.com]
*commonscat-inline|Passo San Bernardino|San Bernardino Pass
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