About the Septimer Pass

Known since Roman times, the pass gained increasing importance in the Middle Ages. It was used by merchants, hikers, and pilgrims traveling from Chur to Chiavenna and vice versa. Around 1378, the Bergell knight Giacomo De Castelmur was commissioned to rebuild the route for wagon passage: the cobblestones can still be seen today on various sections of the route and are well preserved. The use of other Alpine pass crossings brought competition that disadvantaged the Septimer Pass. Eventually, the construction of the Julier road (1820 to 1826) led to this crossing being forgotten. For the hiker, the Septimer Pass remains an interesting and pleasant route that, more than any pass open to vehicular traffic, has retained the atmosphere of a mule track over the Alpine ridge.