At 2,224 metres, the summit of the Susten Pass sits on the border between the cantons of Bern and Uri, under the glaciated peaks of the Sustenhorn and the Gwächtenhorn. Engelberg, the name on the label, lies on the other side of the Titlis massif, ten kilometres away as the crow flies but a long way round by road, so think of this as the pass itself, the highest point of one of the most beautiful mountain roads in the Alps.
The Susten road was built between 1938 and 1946 and is often described as the first Swiss alpine pass road designed from the outset for motor traffic, rather than adapted from an old mule track. You can feel it: the curves are generous, the gradients steady, the stone walls and tunnels beautifully crafted, and the road flows in a way that the older passes do not. On the Bern side, it climbs from Innertkirchen through the Gadmen valley, with the Steingletscher glacier and the meltwater lake of the Steinsee coming into view below the final hairpins, a scene of ice, rock and turquoise water. On the Uri side, the road descends through the Meiental, with its dark forests and waterfalls, to Wassen, where the church perches above the famous loops of the Gotthard railway.
The summit has a short tunnel and a car park where everyone stops for photos. Food is available at the hotel and restaurant near the Steingletscher on the Bern side, and at small places in the villages.
The Susten is part of the Grand Tour of Switzerland, and it is often combined with the Grimsel and Furka passes in a classic loop. It is typically open from June to October, depending on the snow, and closed in winter. On summer weekends it is busy with motorcycles, cars and cyclists, and Swiss speed limits are strictly enforced, so enjoy the scenery at a sensible pace. The weather can change quickly at this altitude, with cold winds and sudden storms, so carry warm, waterproof layers, even in August.