Nufenen Pass
Encyclopedia
Nufenen Pass (el. 2478 m.) is the highest mountain pass
in the Swiss Alps
. It lies between the summits of Pizzo Gallina
(north) and Nufenestock (south).
The pass road from Ulrichen in canton
of Valais
leads to the Bedretto
valley in the canton of Ticino
, linking Brig
to Airolo
.
The pass is of relatively recent construction, having been opened to traffic only since September 1969.
To the east of the top of the pass is the source of the Ticino River
. Towards the north is a spectacular view of the Bernese Alps
, notably the Finsteraarhorn
while there is a view over the Gries Glacier
to the south.
Mountain pass
A mountain pass is a route through a mountain range or over a ridge. If following the lowest possible route, a pass is locally the highest point on that route...
in the Swiss Alps
Swiss Alps
The Swiss Alps are the portion of the Alps mountain range that lies within Switzerland. Because of their central position within the entire Alpine range, they are also known as the Central Alps....
. It lies between the summits of Pizzo Gallina
Pizzo Gallina
Pizzo Gallina is a 3,061 metres high mountain in the Lepontine Alps, overlooking Nufenen Pass. Its summit is located on the border between the cantons of Valais and Ticino....
(north) and Nufenestock (south).
The pass road from Ulrichen in canton
Cantons of Switzerland
The 26 cantons of Switzerland are the member states of the federal state of Switzerland. Each canton was a fully sovereign state with its own borders, army and currency from the Treaty of Westphalia until the establishment of the Swiss federal state in 1848...
of Valais
Valais
The Valais is one of the 26 cantons of Switzerland in the southwestern part of the country, around the valley of the Rhône from its headwaters to Lake Geneva, separating the Pennine Alps from the Bernese Alps. The canton is one of the drier parts of Switzerland in its central Rhône valley...
leads to the Bedretto
Bedretto
Bedretto is a municipality in the district of Leventina in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland.-History:In 1906 pre-Roman graves and a Roman era villa and coins were discovered in Bedretto. The presumption, that it was originally part of Airolo, could not be confirmed by any available records...
valley in the canton of Ticino
Ticino
Canton Ticino or Ticino is the southernmost canton of Switzerland. Named after the Ticino river, it is the only canton in which Italian is the sole official language...
, linking Brig
Brig, Switzerland
Brig, officially Brig-Glis is a municipality in the district of Brig in the canton of Valais in Switzerland.The current municipality was formed in 1972 through the merger of Brig , Brigerbad and Glis.-History:...
to Airolo
Airolo
Airolo is a municipality in the district of Leventina in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland.-History:In the settlement of Madrano, Roman tombs from the 2nd and 3rd Centuries AD were found. They belonged to a Vicus, whose inhabitants probably collected crystal, which was processed in Locarno into...
.
The pass is of relatively recent construction, having been opened to traffic only since September 1969.
To the east of the top of the pass is the source of the Ticino River
Ticino River
The river Ticino is a left-bank tributary of the Po River. It has given its name to the Swiss canton through which its upper portion flows.-The course:...
. Towards the north is a spectacular view of the Bernese Alps
Bernese Alps
The Bernese Alps are a group of mountain ranges in the western part of the Alps, in Switzerland. Although the name suggests that they are located in the Bernese Oberland region of the canton of Bern, portions of the Bernese Alps are in the adjacent cantons of Valais, Lucerne, Obwalden, Fribourg and...
, notably the Finsteraarhorn
Finsteraarhorn
The Finsteraarhorn is the highest mountain in the Bernese Alps and the highest mountain in the canton of Berne. It is also the highest summit in the Alps lying outside the main chain, or watershed. The Finsteraarhorn is the ninth highest and third most prominent peak in the Alps...
while there is a view over the Gries Glacier
Gries Glacier
The Gries Glacier is a 5 km long glacier situated in the Lepontine Alps in the canton of Valais in Switzerland. In 1973 it had an area of 6.23 km². In 2008 it had an area of 5.26 km2.-External links:*...
to the south.
See also
- List of highest paved roads in Europe
- List of mountain passes
Sources and further reading
- This article incorporates information from the equivalent article in the German WikipediaGerman WikipediaThe German Wikipedia is the German-language edition of Wikipedia, a free and mostly publicly editable online encyclopedia.Founded in March 2001, it is the second-oldest and, with over articles, the second-largest edition of Wikipedia, behind the English Wikipedia...
, consulted during April 2009.