Grimsel Pass

The Grimsel Pass is the Swiss Big Three's quietest corner and its most atmospheric. Twenty-six kilometres, summit at 2,164 metres, carved between raw granite walls and a string of hydroelectric reservoirs whose improbable turquoise colour is worth the drive on its own.

Grimsel is a working pass. The road was built around the Grimsel hydro scheme in the 1930s and the scheme still dominates the landscape — dam walls, cable cars, tunnelled spillways. That industrial character is part of the appeal. Unlike the tourist showpiece of the Grossglockner, Grimsel feels functional, purposeful, and earns its scenery.

The driving is challenging in the proper sense — not difficult, but demanding of smooth inputs. Long climbing straights punctuated by tight, stacked hairpins, with surface quality that ranges from good to excellent depending on which side of winter you catch it. The south ramp toward Gletsch is shorter and steeper; the north ramp toward Innertkirchen is the better drive in both directions.

Combine it with Furka and Susten for the Big Three loop. The three passes converge within fifteen kilometres at Gletsch, which makes a route between Andermatt and Meiringen essentially a triple-summit day. Expect to spend five to six hours driving the full loop without any photo stops; budget a full day if you actually want to enjoy the place.

Open roughly from early June to late October. Closed hard in winter — do not attempt the detour over the Grimsel in shoulder season without checking.