Nufenen Pass

Nufenen Pass (Italian: Passo della Novena, German: Nufenenpass) is the second highest mountain pass with a paved road in Switzerland, with an elevation of 2,478 metres. It lies between the summits of Pizzo Gallina (north) and the Nufenenstock (south). The road opened to motor vehicle traffic in September 1969.

Route
The pass road from Ulrichen in the canton of Valais leads to the Bedretto valley in the canton of Ticino, linking Brig to Airolo. It is not the lowest pass between the two valleys, as there is another unnamed pass one kilometre to the south, elevation 2,440 metres, which is traversed by a trail.

The source of the river Ticino lies east of the top of the pass. Towards the north are views of the Bernese Alps, including the Finsteraarhorn while there is a view over the Gries Glacier to the south.

Sources and further reading

 * This article incorporates information from the equivalent article in the German Wikipedia, consulted during April 2009.