Geography of The Alps - Main Chain

Main Chain

For more details on this topic, see Main chain of the Alps.

The "main chain of the Alps" follows the watershed from the Mediterranean to the Wienerwald, passing over many of the highest and most famous peaks in the Alps. The most important passes and peaks which it crosses are given below (mountains are indented, passes unindented). From the Colle di Cadibona to Col de Tende it runs westwards, before turning to the north-west and then, near the Colle de la Maddalena, to the north. Upon reaching the Swiss border, the line of the main chain heads approximately east-north-east, a heading it follows until its end near Vienna.

  • Colle di Cadibona (Italy, 435 m)
  • Colle di Tenda / Col de Tende (France / Italy, 1908 m)
  • Colle della Maddalena / Col du Larche (France / Italy, 1994 m)
    • Monte Viso (France / Italy, 3841 m)
  • Col de Montgenèvre (France / Italy, 1854 m)
  • Col de Fréjus (France / Italy, 2537 m)
  • Col du Mont Cenis (France / Italy, 2084 m)
    • Aiguille de la Grande Sassière (France / Italy, 3748 m)
  • Little St Bernard Pass (France / Italy, 2157 m)
    • Mont Blanc / Monte Bianco (France / Italy, 4810.45 m, highest point in the Alps)
  • Great St. Bernard Pass (Switzerland / Italy, 2469 m)
    • Matterhorn / Monte Cervino (Switzerland / Italy, 4478 m)
    • Monte Rosa (Switzerland / Italy, 4634 m)
  • Simplon Pass (Switzerland, 2005 m)
    • Blinnenhorn (Switzerland / Italy, 3374 m)
  • Saint Gotthard Pass (Switzerland, 2044 m)
    • Rheinwaldhorn (Switzerland, 3402 m)
  • Splügen Pass / Passo dello Spluga (Switzerland / Italy, 2113 m)
  • Maloja Pass (Switzerland, 1809 m)
    • Piz Bernina (Switzerland / Italy, 4049 m)
  • Fuorn Pass (Switzerland, 2419 m)
    • Piz Sesvenna (Switzerland / Italy, 3205 m)
  • Reschen Pass (Austria / Italy, 1504 m)
    • Weißkugel (Austria / Italy, 3738 m)
  • Timmelsjoch / Passo del Rombo (Austria / Italy, 2491 m)
    • Zuckerhütl (Austria, 3507 m, highest point in the Stubaier Alpen)
  • Brenner Pass (Austria / Italy, 1371 m)
    • Hochfeiler (Austria / Italy, 3509 m)
    • Großvenediger (Austria, 3666 m)
    • Großglockner (Austria, 3798 m, highest mountain in Austria)
  • Hochtor (Austria, 2575 m)
    • Ankogel (Austria, 3246 m)
  • Radstädter Tauern (Austria, 1739 m)
    • Hochgolling (Austria, 2863 m)
  • Schober Pass (Austria, 849 m)
    • Hochschwab (Austria, 2277 m)
  • Gerichtsberg (Austria, 581 m)
    • Schöpfl (Austria, 893 m, highest point in the Wienerwald)
  • Danube, 160 m

Some of the highest peaks in the Alps, however, fall to one side or other of the main chain. These include:

  • Barre des Écrins (France, 4102 m, highest point in the Dauphiné Alps)
  • Gran Paradiso (Italy, 4061 m, highest point in the Graian Alps)
  • Finsteraarhorn (Switzerland, 4274 m, highest point of the Berner Oberland)
  • Jungfrau (Switzerland, 4158 m, Berner Oberland)
  • Ortler / Cima Ortles (Italy, 3905 m)
  • Marmolada (Italy, 3343 m, highest point in the Dolomites)
  • Tödi (Switzerland, 3614 m, highest point of the Glarus Alps)
  • Triglav (Slovenia, 2863 m, highest point in the Julian Alps).

For more detailed lists of passes, please see the articles about individual areas of the Alps.

Read more about this topic:  Geography Of The Alps

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