Before the tunnel, everyone went over the top. The San Bernardino pass, at 2,066 metres, links the upper Rhine valley of Graubünden with Ticino, and has done for centuries, when mule trains carried goods between the north and the south. Since the opening of the road tunnel in 1967, most traffic goes underneath, and the old road is left for those who prefer the view.
The old road is a beauty. From the north it climbs through the Hinterrhein valley, the source of the Rhine, and then a series of hairpins to the summit, where a small lake, the Lago Moesola, sits beside the road, with a few buildings. On the south side, the road drops through a series of tight, well-marked hairpins to Mesocco, with the castle ruins perched on a rock above the village, and the chestnut woods and stone villages of the Italian-speaking valley below.
The riding is good but not demanding, with smooth tarmac and gentle gradients. In places the road is narrow, but the traffic is light, since most drivers take the tunnel. The pass is open from about June to October, depending on snow, and is closed in winter. The weather can change in an hour, from sun to cloud, and the temperature at the top can be low even in summer.
There are no big towns near the top, and fuel is a practical concern. Mesocco and the villages on the south side have small stations, and the nearest town of any size is Biasca, in the Ticino valley, with about six thousand people, while on the north side Splügen and Thusis have more services. Fill up before you begin. A coffee at the pass restaurant, if it is open, is a fine way to enjoy the quiet, and the lake is a good place to walk for ten minutes. Come on a weekday morning for the best light and the emptiest road.