petitor for the transport of goods, which is why the canton continued to ban vans and lorries from valleys accessible by train even after 1925. The Confederation eventually lifted the handbrake. In 1934, the Federal Council and parliament decided to expand Switzerland’s mountain road network and pledge major financial assistance to the Alpine cantons. Grisons had lobbied heavily for this money and now began to build roads with a vengeance. Car mania soon gripped the canton. As early as 1929, the Upper Engadine hosted an international car show attracting 10,000 visitors. The canton began clearing the Julier Pass for winter traffic in 1934, making it the first alpine pass to feature asphalt roads and turning the passage over the mountains into a major tourist attracThe reality of Grisons prior to 1925: anyone bringing in goods by lorry from outside had to hitch up their horses at the cantonal border, owing to the ban on cars. Photo provided Then came automotive mania: post buses waiting at the entrance to the San Bernardino Tunnel on its opening in 1967. Photo provided Swiss Review / October 2025 / No.4 17
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjYwNzMx