SAN BERNARDINO PASS

German Sankt Bernhardinpass, Italian Passo Di San Bernardino, mountain pass (6,775 ft ), in the Lepontine Alps of Graubnden canton, southeastern Switzerland. Although the pass was not mentioned until 941, it is believed to have been in use since prehistoric times. The road over the pass connects the villages of Splgen and Hinterrhein in the Hinterrhein River Valley to the north with the towns of Mesocco and Bellinzona in the Moesa River Valley to the south. The village of San Bernardino (just south of the pass) is a popular year-round resort. A tunnel 4 mi (6 km) long beneath the pass was opened in 1967, making travel through the region much easier. The pass was named for St. Bernardino of Siena, who preached in the area early in the 15th century.