Col du Mont Cenis & Haute Maurienne Valley - France

The Col du Mont Cenis is one of the great historic passes of the Alps, linking the Maurienne Valley in France with the Susa Valley in Italy. At 2,083 m, it has been used for thousands of years and, unlike many higher Alpine crossings, offered a relatively accessible route between northern Europe and the Italian peninsula.

The pass was already known in Roman times, although the nearby Montgenèvre was initially the more important Roman crossing. Over the centuries, however, Mont Cenis became one of the principal routes through the western Alps for merchants, pilgrims, armies, and rulers travelling between France and Italy.

During the Middle Ages, the pass grew in importance as trade expanded between northern Europe and the wealthy Italian city-states. Monasteries and hospices were established to assist travellers crossing the often dangerous mountains, especially during harsh winters. The route was notoriously difficult before the construction of modern roads, with snow, avalanches, and poor weather making the crossing hazardous for much of the year.

The Col du Mont Cenis played a major strategic role during the reign of Napoleon Bonaparte. Recognising its military and political importance, Napoleon ordered the construction of a modern road across the pass between 1803 and 1810. This engineering project transformed Mont Cenis into one of the first truly accessible Alpine roads, capable of supporting artillery and large troop movements. Many sections of the modern route still follow Napoleon’s alignment.

In the 19th century, before the opening of Alpine railway tunnels, Mont Cenis became one of the busiest trans-Alpine crossings in Europe. Stagecoaches, traders, diplomats, and travellers heading towards Italy frequently used the route. For a brief period, the remarkable “Mont Cenis Fell Railway,” an experimental mountain railway, operated across the pass before the opening of the Fréjus Rail Tunnel in 1871 rendered it obsolete.

The landscape of the pass changed dramatically during the 20th century with the construction of the Lac du Mont-Cenis reservoir. The large artificial lake submerged parts of the original plateau, including sections of the historic road and old settlements, giving the pass its modern appearance.

Today, the Col du Mont Cenis remains a place where history is deeply embedded in the landscape. Fortifications, military roads, old hospices, and Napoleonic engineering can still be seen throughout the area, while the broad plateau and lake create one of the most distinctive and atmospheric settings of any Alpine pass.