Furka Pass: Travelling along the picturesque Alpine pass road

The famous Furka Pass offers more panoramic views, excitement, and picture-postcard potential than almost any other Alpine road. The spectacular hairpin bends wind their way up to an impressive altitude of 2,449 metres, treating visitors to views that will take their breath away. The pass road has been fully open again since 28 May following the winter closure.

There are no shortage of pass roads in Switzerland – spectacular mountain panoramas are a given. And yet one pass road stands out in particular and has a magical ring to it: the 2,449-metre-high Furka Pass, which connects Andermatt in the central Swiss canton of Uri with Gletsch in the canton of Valais and also forms part of the popular Three Passes Tour via Furka, Grimsel, and Susten. This added allure is down to the outstanding view, which on clear days extends far down into the Rhone Valley. But that’s not all: the name Furka Pass also makes many drivers’ eyes light up, and their brake lights flash.

Twenty-four hairpin bends on the two well-developed ramps make for a driving experience that is in a class of its own. Some sections follow the old Furka-Oberalp Cogwheel Steam Railway, complete with historic steam locomotives that puff their way through the area in summer.

Tour de Suisse: the big climb to the Furka Pass

The Furka Pass is also one of the most famous and demanding climbs in the Tour de Suisse, one of the most challenging cycle races in the world. At an altitude of 2,429 metres and featuring steep gradients, the pass presents an immense challenge for participants each year. The Furka Pass has been crossed several times in the Tour de Suisse and is an important part of the race, especially in the Alpine stages.

The pass, which has an average length of 17 kilometres and an average gradient of six to eight per cent, challenges riders both physically and mentally. In the steeper sections, gradients of up to ten per cent must be negotiated, making it a real test of the endurance and tactical skill of the riders. During the race, riders are required to climb up to 1,500 metres in altitude, meaning that the Furka Pass is often a decisive section in determining the outcome of the stage and even the overall standings.

Over the years, the Furka Pass has repeatedly provided exciting moments and dramatic twists and turns. The passages through the Furka Pass offer opportunities to make your move and climb up the overall standings, as the narrow, mountainous route causes the peloton to split up. In 1995 and 2004 in particular, prominent riders such as Miguel Induráin and Jan Ullrich produced thrilling stages in which the Furka Pass often proved to be the decisive moment in shaping the overall standings.

The regular inclusion of the Furka Pass in the route profile makes the pass a defining feature of the Tour de Suisse. It is not only a symbol of the physical challenge of the race, but also a venue where the strongest riders in the world compete against each other. Those who conquer the Furka Pass demonstrate not only endurance and strength, but also tactical skill and mental strength.

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