Between deep canyons, waterfalls and turquoise lakes – Via Spluga

Hiking Collection by Valchiavenna Turismo

days

3-6 h

/ day

43.8 mi

7,875 ft

9,000 ft

Impressive waterfalls, deep gorges, turquoise lakes and alpine villages with the charm of yesteryear: Via Spluga, a hiking route through the Central Alps, will surprise time and time again. About 70 kilometres long (43 mi), the trail connects the Swiss town of Thusis with Chiavenna in Lombardy via the Splügen Pass, at 2,117 metres (6,945 ft).

In this Collection, we’ve divided the route into five stages. Each ends in a village with food and drink options and accommodation. Most of the route runs along mule tracks, suspension bridges and dirt roads.

Leaving Thusis, you cross the famous Viamala Gorge to reach Splügen. From here, you continue southwards, conquering the Splügen Pass, the highest point of the route. After crossing the pass, a long descent begins through the Spluga Valley to Chiavenna, the end point.

The Via Spluga is characterised by the natural wonders forged by the immense power of water over time. Examples are the spectacular Viamala, Roffla and Cardinello gorges. You also discover impressive waterfalls, atmospheric forests, crystal-clear lakes and verdant pastures. The route is rich in culture, allowing you to immerse yourself in the history of the Graubünden, Rhaeto-Romanic, Walser and Lombard peoples.

To organise your trip, you can consult the route's official website: viaspluga.com/en/itinerario/via-spluga

Here is a taste of what awaits:

On The Map

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Via Spluga

43.2 mi

7,800 ft

9,000 ft

Last updated: May 4, 2023

Plan your own version of this adventure in the multi-day planner based on the stages suggested in this Collection.

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Tours & Highlights

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
Stage 1: Thusis to Andeer – Via Spluga
06:11
11.0 mi
1.8 mph
2,675 ft
1,725 ft
Expert
Expert Hiking Tour. Very good fitness required. Sure-footedness, sturdy shoes and alpine experience required.
The development of Thusis was characterized by two main elements: on the one hand its function as a center of the surrounding rural area and on the other that of an important Alpine crossroads. The village has fewer than 3,000 inhabitants and is larger than the district, as well as the economic and cultural…
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Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
Stage 2: Andeer to Splügen – Via Spluga
04:57
9.07 mi
1.8 mph
2,300 ft
725 ft
Expert
Expert Hiking Tour. Good fitness required. Sure-footedness, sturdy shoes and alpine experience required.
Andeer is the main center of the Schams. The view of this cozy village is striking, crossed by two paved roads that wind between rows of houses. The “veia granda” (large road) was designed between 1818 and 1821 in conjunction with the expansion of the Spluga Pass and the San Bernardino Pass. A secondary…
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Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
Stage 3: Splügen to Montespluga – Via Spluga
03:32
5.74 mi
1.6 mph
2,175 ft
700 ft
Intermediate
Intermediate Hiking Tour. Good fitness required. Mostly accessible paths. Sure-footedness required.
In the entire Alpine region, few other settlements were so markedly and unmistakably characterized by the crossing traffic. Thanks to enormous efforts it was possible to recover the ancient image of Splügen in all its original splendor. In winter, this location offers the opportunity to practice various…
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Stage 4: Montespluga to Campodolcino – Via Spluga
05:11
9.15 mi
1.8 mph
450 ft
3,000 ft
Expert
Expert Hiking Tour. Very good fitness required. Mostly accessible paths. Sure-footedness required.
In the small town of Montespluga, where, despite the 1,900 meters above sea level, we already feel the Italian atmosphere, the only church (the chapel of San Francesco d'Assisi, replaced in 1825 by a new building) stood until 1841 on the Spluga Pass.

Today Montespluga, thanks to its accommodation facilities…
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Stage 5: Campodolcino to Chiavenna – Via Spluga
04:27
8.84 mi
2.0 mph
325 ft
2,850 ft
Expert
Expert Hiking Tour. Good fitness required. Sure-footedness, sturdy shoes and alpine experience required.
Its name appears for the first time in 1186 and indicates a flat land after the stony environment of the valley to the south.

Once the main center of the valley, after the hydrotherapy treatments of the last century it is now a popular winter and summer tourist resort.

In Campodolcino there is the Museum…
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