Furka Pass | |
Elevation M: | 2429 |
Traversed: | Road 19 |
Map: | Switzerland |
Label: | Furka Pass |
Coords: | 46.5725°N 8.415°W |
Location: | Uri/Valais, Switzerland |
Range: | Alps |
Furka Pass (German: Furkapass; French: Col de la Furka) is a 2429m (7,969feet) 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 1390m (4,560feet) high Furka Base Tunnel, which opened in 1982 to replace the seasonal Furka Summit Tunnel tunnel at .
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.