Military trails Italy-Switzerland: Splügen Pass
Bronze Age people knew it, the Romans developed it, Napoleon lost thousands of soldiers here - and today the first bikers are venturing into the spectacular rock gallery: the Splügen Pass between Italy and Switzerland.
My friend Mauro had the idea of coming here. Born in Valtellina, he raves about this area and when he heard that I was looking for military trails, he immediately sent me a few pictures of this route on the Splügen Pass. A route carved into the rock that immediately reminded me of the famous Uina Gorge. "Completely rideable", Mauro wrote under the last picture. For centuries, the Cardinello Gorge was considered a difficult passage. Stories with often fatal outcomes were passed down from generation to generation. Today, this old trade route is marketed as a long-distance tourist trail: the Via Mala. It is the most impressive passage on the entire Splügen Pass.
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