The Maloja Pass links St. Moritz and the Upper Engadin with Chiavenna and the northern end of Lake Como, descending through the Swiss Bregaglia valley in a series of tight hairpins. It is open all year and is the natural route between the Engadin and Milan or the Como lakeside. For travellers starting at Geneva Airport, St. Moritz is about 400 km and 5 h away, and AirportsTransfers.ch can combine the two in a single journey or a return via Italy.
- Route: St. Moritz – Sils – Maloja – Val Bregaglia – Castasegna – Chiavenna – Lake Como
- Character: almost flat on the Engadin side, a steep stairway of hairpins on the Italian side
- Season: open all year, with winter tyres essential
- Border crossing: into Italy at Castasegna, at the foot of the Bregaglia
- Good for: combining the Engadin with Lake Como or Milan
An unusual pass: no climb on one side
Most Alpine passes rise from both directions. The Maloja is different. Driving from St. Moritz, the road runs gently along the valley floor past the lakes of Silvaplana and Sils, and the village of Maloja sits at almost the same level. Then the Engadin simply ends: the plateau breaks off at a rocky lip and the land falls away steeply towards Italy. Geologists explain this by river erosion from the south capturing the head of the old valley, and standing at the edge it is easy to see what they mean.
This makes the pass deceptively gentle for passengers coming from the Engadin and quite a climb for those arriving from Chiavenna. The summit is only around 1,800 metres, much lower than the Julier or Bernina, which helps keep it open in winter.
The hairpins into Val Bregaglia
Below Maloja the road unwinds in a tightly stacked set of switchbacks, each with a view straight down the valley. It is a slow, steady section that experienced drivers take calmly, and in winter it requires care because the bends are in shade for much of the day. Passengers prone to travel sickness often prefer to look ahead through the windscreen here rather than at a phone.
At the bottom of the hairpins lies Casaccia, then the valley widens towards Vicosoprano and Stampa. Bregaglia is Italian-speaking yet still in Switzerland, with stone villages, chestnut woods on the lower slopes and the granite spires of the Sciora and Badile groups on the southern side. Just above the road, the village of Soglio sits on a sunny terrace and is a classic short detour for anyone with time to spare.
Castasegna and Chiavenna
The border with Italy is at Castasegna, a small village where the Swiss and Italian customs posts face each other across the road. As both countries are in the Schengen area there is usually no stop, though each passenger should carry a passport or identity card and customs officers may check vehicles.
A short drive beyond lies Chiavenna, an old market town at the junction of the Bregaglia and the Splügen route. It is known for its stone buildings, its crotti, natural cellars cut into the rock where food and wine are kept cool, and its position at the head of the plain that leads to the lake. From Chiavenna the road runs south through the Valchiavenna, past Lake Mezzola and the marshy Pian di Spagna nature reserve.
Arriving at Lake Como
The road reaches Lake Como near its northern tip, where the main road splits along the two shores. The eastern side leads via Colico towards Varenna, Lecco and, by expressway, to Milan. The western shore winds past Gravedona and Menaggio towards Tremezzo and Como. Both are scenic, but the lakeside roads are narrow in the villages and can be slow in summer, so for Milan the eastern expressway is usually quicker.
Driving the whole way from St. Moritz to central Lake Como takes a few hours. Many travellers combine a week in the Engadin with a few days on the lake, and the Maloja makes that link far more natural than going back through Switzerland.
Seasons and conditions
The Maloja is open throughout the year, though it can close briefly in heavy snow, and black ice is common on the shaded hairpins on winter mornings. Spring and autumn are lovely, with snow still on the peaks while chestnuts and vines grow in the valley below. In high summer, weekend traffic builds on the lakeside roads rather than on the pass itself.
When planning a transfer that includes this route, it is worth leaving some flexibility on the Italian side, where traffic through the lakeside towns can vary considerably.
Planning the journey with AirportsTransfers.ch
A private transfer turns a complex itinerary, Geneva to the Engadin and on to Lake Como, into one booking. The price is fixed per vehicle and displayed before you confirm, and payment is made online by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay. On arrival at Geneva your chauffeur meets you with a name sign; flights are tracked, and waiting is included if you land late. Child seats are fitted on request and skis or golf bags should be declared at booking. Multi-day trips, return journeys and chauffeur-by-the-hour services are also possible: call or WhatsApp +41 78 346 56 77 to plan the route.
