Umbrail Pass

Santa Maria Val Müstair, SwitzerlandSee opening hoursFree

Overview

The Umbrail Pass climbs from Santa Maria in the Val Müstair, in the canton of Graubünden, to the Italian border at 2,501 m. There it meets the Stelvio Pass road at the IV Cantoniera, 4 km below the Stelvio summit. Wikipedia lists it as the highest paved road in Switzerland. The sign at the top reads 2,503 m, a figure from before the Swiss reference height changed.

The Swiss side is 14 km from Santa Maria at 1,375 m, at an average of 8.4%. The Italian side is 19 km from Bormio at an average of 5.2%, on the Stelvio road. The whole route from Santa Maria over the top to Bormio is 33 km, with a maximum gradient of 12%.

A crossing here existed in the Middle Ages, and Napoleon's troops marched over it. The modern road was built in 1901, paid for by the Swiss government and the canton to reach the Stelvio road built 75 years earlier, and motor vehicles started using it around 1925.

What to Expect

From Santa Maria the road climbs 14 km up the Swiss side to the border at the summit.
The summit is the border crossing, with a restaurant at the pass.
Over the border, the road joins the Stelvio road at the IV Cantoniera, 4 km below the Stelvio summit, and carries on down to Bormio in Valtellina.
Cyclists and motorcyclists make up much of the traffic.
Down in the Val Müstair, the Monastery of Saint John at Müstair is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Best way to experience it: drive or ride it yourself in your own car or a hire car or on a motorbike, or join one of the guided tours that run on it.

Things to Note

The Umbrail closes for winter, usually from early November until late May. It was open with no restrictions on 2 November 2026.
The summit is the Swiss and Italian border. Adults and children need a valid identity card or passport, and goods must stay within customs allowances.
Vehicles over 18 t, wider than 2.5 m or longer than 10 m are banned, and heavy vehicles may not tow trailers.
On the Italian side, the Province of Sondrio requires chains on board or winter tyres from 15 October to 30 April.
The FreiPass cycling day closes the Stelvio and Umbrail to motor traffic on a Saturday in late August. Graubünden Ferien publishes the date each year.
In summer, PostBus reaches the pass from Switzerland and from Bormio, with online booking required. A bus also runs from Bormio to the IV Cantoniera.