The Albula Pass is the road, but the railway is the star. At 2,315 metres the pass links the Engadine with the Albula valley and Chur, and it is shadowed by the Rhaetian Railway's Albula line, which climbs through spiral tunnels, over viaducts and under the mountain in the Albula tunnel. UNESCO put this line and the Bernina line on the World Heritage list in 2008, and on a clear day you can watch the red trains from the road.
The road is a pleasure, and not too frightening. From Bergün on the northern side it climbs through forest and open pasture, passing the old Albula hospice. The gradients are moderate, the bends are well drawn and the surface is generally smooth, though some stretches are narrow and have no barrier. At the summit the landscape turns bare and stony, with small lakes and patches of snow, and the road slips down towards La Punt and the Upper Engadine through a landscape of larch and spruce.
The Landwasser Viaduct, a graceful curved stone bridge that emerges from a cliff tunnel, is a short distance down the valley and is one of the most photographed railway sights in Switzerland. Bergün itself has a railway museum and a fine old centre, and the lanes of the Engadine villages have the sgraffito-decorated houses typical of the region. The air is thin and clear, and the light in the Engadine is famously bright.
The Albula is normally closed in winter, with snow lingering well into late spring, so check road conditions for opening dates. Fuel is available in Samedan and La Punt, and in Bergün and Filisur on the other side. Traffic is generally light compared with the nearby Julier, and the road is a good choice for a quiet, thoughtful ride.