Julier Pass

The Julier Pass (2,284 m) connects the Engadine at Silvaplana to the Rhine valley at Tiefencastel, and is one of the most important roads in Graubünden. It is open year-round — unlike most Alpine passes — which makes it the main winter connection between the Engadine and the rest of Switzerland when other routes are closed. The road climbs from the lake at Silvaplana in a series of tight curves, passing summer pastures and dropping quickly to the Rhine.

The two Roman columns at the summit are the most atmospheric object on the pass. They stand on a platform slightly off the road, broken at about two metres, with no inscription and no known history beyond their clear Roman origin. Stopping here on a clear day, with the Piz Julier (3,380 m) above and the Engadine lakes visible below, is one of the finer moments available on the Swiss road network.

things to do sight
A story
Two Roman columns stand at the summit of the Julier Pass — the broken shafts of what was evidently a larger monument. They are the only substantial Roman monument in the Swiss Alps. What they marked — a temple, a milestone, a sacred enclosure — is unknown. The road over the pass follows the Roman route, which itself followed a prehistoric track over the ridge.