I am looking into going to the Alps soon with the kids. I would like to do a hike across a pass that was used regularly 500+ years ago by Venetian Merchants, 1000+ years ago by barbarian sacking hordes, 2000+ years ago as Early Roman Legions ventured off the peninsula for the first time Etc.
You get the idea.
The catch is I would like the scenery and trail to be pretty, but also as accurate as possible.
THESE are what we have to work with, we can rule out the tunnels and railways, any Highways are also not going to work.
Does anyone have any trail AND historical experience in this area that could recommend a hike?
I don’t have any experience in the area, but I have read that microbial and textual evidence strongly supports the idea that Hannibal’s invasion of Rome came through Col de la Traversette, and it does appear that this pass has a trail accessible for biking or hiking.
No experience in what you are looking for, but if you are into WWII history there is the Second Battle of the Alps - some references in there to historic passes in modern times and antiquity.
You could do worse than looking at Austria. It is a favourite of mine, as pretty as Switzerland but much, much cheaper. You can hike over from the Otztal into Italy and even follow the path of “Otzi”. that’s pretty historic.
Or you could try one of my favourite places in the whole world, the Raurisertal. There are many, many hikes but one of them takes you up to the Hochtor, the highest point on the Grossglockner road and eventually down to Heilegenblut with wonderful views of Austria’s highest mountain on the way.
Not as historical, but Gotthard, going down from Andermatt, is quite interesting.
Though the pass was locally known in antiquity, it was not generally used until the early 13th century because travel involved fording the turbulent Reuss, swollen with snowmelt during the early summer, in the narrow steep-sided Schöllenen Gorge, below Andermatt.
The Schöllenen Gorge is really cool.
However, the valley is quite narrow, which means there’s a lot of vehicles, especially motorcycles, as it is a local favorite for taking a ride.
My first thought also, but for all I knew there was a McDonald’s up there now or it has hte natural beauty of a parking lot (and honestly, from the pictures I’ve seen, it’s not the prettiest pass).
Perhaps near it is a slightly less historic pass but has also not changed in thousands of years and would make for a better hike AND be historically significant.
Alpe d’Huez is not a pass, it’s the access road to a ski resort - so it’s almost invariably a mountaintop finish (although in fact there’s a back road connecting to the Col de Sarenne, allowing the Tour to descend and go up it twice in the same stage in 2013). The most famous Alpine pass in cycling is the Col du Galibier.
Not on your list but the Gemmi Pass is an old trade route between the Swiss towns of Leukerbad in the Valais and Kandersteg in Berne. No roads and a very steep and dramatic zig-zaggy path up the Gemmi at the Leukerbad end. Easy walking once at the top and you can cheat the steep bit with the cablecar. Dramatic mountain scenery too. Not sure of dates but Leukerbad was known to the Romans because of its hot springs (hence the -bad suffix) and when active the pass would have been traversed by pack ponies or donkeys.
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