Furka Pass (German: Furkapass; French: Col de la Furka) is a 2,429 m (7,969 ft) high mountain pass in the southern Swiss Alps connecting Gletsch, Valais with Realp, Uri via the seasonal Furkapassroute. The Furka Oberalp Bahn bypasses the pass through the 1,390 m (4,560 ft) high Furka Base Tunnel, which opened in 1982 to replace the seasonal Furka Summit Tunnel tunnel at 2,160 metres (7,090 ft).
| Furka Pass | |
|---|---|
 Furkapass and hairpins of the Furkapassroute in Switzerland as seen from Grimselpassroute | |
| Elevation | 2,429 m (7,969 ft) |
| Traversed by | Road 19 |
| Location | Uri/Valais, Switzerland |
| Range | Alps |
| Coordinates | 46°34′21″N 08°24′54″E / 46.57250°N 8.41500°E |
  Furka Pass Location in Switzerland | |
The Furka Pass was used as a location in the James Bond film Goldfinger, a curve of which is marked as "James Bond Strasse", complete with lookout point and small parking area. Near the western summit of the pass is the Hotel Belvédère; a short walk from it leads to the Rhône Glacier Ice Grotto. The glacier moves 30–40 meters a year, and the 100 meter long tunnel and ice chamber can be visited from June when the road opens.
See also edit
External links edit
- Furka Pass in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland.
- Furka Cycling Profile, Maps, and Photos
- Furka Cogwheel Steam Railway
- Profile on climbbybike.com
- Cycling up to the Furkapass: data, profile, map, photos and description
- Furka Pass - the world's greatest driving roads - Colcorsa
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