The Bernina Pass is one of the highest passes that remains open year-round in the Alps — and it’s certainly one of the most beautiful too! Starting from Pontresina in the Engadine or from the Val Poschiavo on the southern side, the pass winds along 54 kilometres of picture perfect tarmac, through challenging twists and turns in front of breathtaking mountain backdrops. Whether lucky drivers choose to race head-to-head with the iconic red Bernina Express of the Rhaetian Railway, or simply admire the snow-capped peaks of Piz Morteratsch, Piz Bernina, and Bellavista, by the time you reach the pass summit at 2,328 metres and descend back into Italian-speaking region of Val Poschiavo, you’ll have experienced one of the greatest roads on the planet. For apex-chasers and driving enthusiasts, the Bernina Pass is a place of longing. And we at Classic Driver know the switchbacks like the backs of our hands, having driven them countless times through sunshine and snowstorms, behind the steering wheels of our favourite cars, from Fiat Pandas to Porsche 996s, and from Mercedes 300SLs to RUF Yellowbirds.
High-altitude racers have always dreamed of closing the pass for a few hours and transforming it into an Alpine racetrack on a par with the Nürburgring, Mugello, and Spa. Once before, in 1929 — just four years after Graubünden lifted its strict automobile ban — an illustrious group of daredevil racers met at the Bernina Pass to test their talent at the wheel of their roaring machines. The first Bernina Hill Climb was part of the "International Automobile Week St. Moritz," and legendary drivers such as Hans Stuck in his Austro-Daimler and Louis Chiron in a Bugatti participated in this 16.5 km Alpine showdown.
In 1930, the racers competed for a second time, but in the years that followed, the Bernina Pass Hill Climb fell into obscurity — until 2014, when it was revived by car collector, art patron, and racing driver Kurt Engelhorn as a love letter to the Engadin and historic motorsport. Since then, the Bernina Gran Turismo has become one of the great challenges for man and machine, one that every ambitious racing driver should experience at least once.
For its 10th anniversary, the Bernina Gran Turismo returns to the Engadin from September 18th to 21st, 2025, with a refreshed team and new ideas. On Friday, the drivers will prepare for the upcoming challenge at a briefing at the Kulm Country Club in St. Moritz. On Saturday and Sunday morning, the pass will be closed to regular traffic, while racing cars of all models and categories will fill the mountain range with roar of their exhaust notes.
The driving force behind the Bernina Gran Turismo is Ana Engelhorn, who builds bridges between drivers, sponsors, and the region: "This event isn't just about historic vehicles," says Engelhorn. "It's about celebrating the history, the people, and the place that makes the Bernina Gran Turismo one of the world’s most unique races." She is supported by co-founder and experienced Bernina Director Luca Moiso and motorsport administrator Claus Müller.
Many of the cars and drivers competing in the Bernina Gran Turismo come from St. Moritz — the glamorous Alpine hotspot of the Swiss automotive scene. But the race also aims to build a bridge to the untouched and pristine Val Poschiavo. The Bernina Gran Turismo has set up its base at Bernina Hospiz on top of the pass, where the cars will be returning in the paddock after every run. Meanwhile, a photo exhibition at the Punto Rosso in Poschiavo celebrates two extraordinary anniversaries: 100 years of motorized driving in Graubünden and 10 years of the Bernina Gran Turismo. What better reason is there to celebrate?
Photos: Andrea Klainguti
