Avalanche gallery Splügen Pass

The Splügen Gallery is located on the north side of the Splügen Pass, just below the pass summit in the canton of Graubünden, Switzerland. It was designed and built in 1843 by the engineers Carlo Donegani and Richard La Nicca to protect the pass road from avalanches. The construction, including an inn on the Swiss side, was financed by Austria. The gallery is a unique example of 19th-century engineering and pass traffic and is listed in the Swiss Inventory of Historic Transport Routes as a site of national importance, making it under federal protection.

Road traffic used the gallery until the 1950s, before the Splügen Pass was closed in winter and a new road was built around the gallery. Over time, the masonry suffered significant damage from penetrating water and frost. To prevent the imminent collapse, the gallery was renovated from 2007 to 2011 with the support of the federal government, the canton of Graubünden, and the Graubünden Heritage Society. Sections of the masonry that had already collapsed were restored.

Today, the gallery can be explored along its entire length on foot. Its lower section serves as an exhibition space, where panels and photographs provide information about the history and restoration of the building. The restoration of the gallery was ceremoniously completed in 2011, and the 10th anniversary of the Via Spluga was celebrated with guests from Italy and Switzerland.