mountain pass
Nufenen Pass
The highest paved pass entirely within Switzerland at 2478m, offering a remote, uncrowded driving experience with panoramic high-altitude views.
12 km · about 20 min drive
EuropeItalyPiedmont
Formazza
Piedmont, Italy · Europe
About Formazza
Formazza works well as a base: 25 minutes from Premia, 12km from Nufenen Pass (Passo della Novena).
Formazza is in Piedmont, Italy, with about 448 people. You drive on the right here. The nearest town is Premia, about 14 km away.
Formazza (German and Walser: Pomatt; Ossolano: Formassa) is a comune (municipality) in the Province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 160 kilometres (99 mi) northeast of Turin and about 50 kilometres (31 mi) north of Verbania, on the border with Switzerland.
Formazza borders theRead more
following municipalities: Baceno, Bedretto (Switzerland), Bignasco (Switzerland), Binn (Switzerland), Bosco/Gurin (Switzerland), Cavergno (Switzerland), Premia, Reckingen-Gluringen (Switzerland), Ulrichen (Switzerland).
The village was founded by Walser and Walser German is still spoken.
Where to Stay in Formazza
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Explore the Area
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Formazza?
Within an hour or so of Formazza: Nufenen Pass (12 km), Nufenen Pass (Passo della Novena) (12 km), Hotel Belvedere Furka Pass (22 km), Grimsel Passhöhe Restaurant (22 km).
Are there any good drives near Formazza?
The nearest famous roads are Nufenen Pass, Furka Pass and Tremola (Old Gotthard Road).
Where is Formazza?
Formazza is in Piedmont, Italy, about 14 km from Premia.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 448
- Continent
- Europe
- Country
- Italy
- Region
- Piedmont
- Timezone
- Europe/Rome
- Coordinates
- 46.3769, 8.4257
Emergency & Services
Essential numbers in Italy
ACI roadside assistance: 803 116. ZTL (limited traffic zones) in city centres are camera-enforced.
Full driving guide for ItalyTags
Worth the detour from Formazza
8 notable places within an hour's drive.
famous road
Nufenen Pass (Passo della Novena)
Switzerland's highest fully-paved through pass at 2,478m, connecting the Valais to Ticino.
12 km · about 20 min drive
cafe
Hotel Belvedere Furka Pass
The iconic abandoned hotel on the Furka Pass featured in the James Bond film Goldfinger, now a famous photo stop on Switzerland's greatest driving road.
22 km · about 25 min drive
cafe
Grimsel Passhöhe Restaurant
A mountain restaurant at the summit of the Grimsel Pass in the Bernese Alps, surrounded by reservoirs and granite landscapes on one of Switzerland's classic passes.
22 km · about 25 min drive
scenic viewpoint
Furka Pass Viewpoint
The high Alpine pass featured in James Bond's Goldfinger, with views of the Rhone Glacier and the Uri Alps.
22 km · about 25 min drive
mountain pass
Furka Pass
A 2,429 m Swiss pass immortalised by the Aston Martin chase in Goldfinger; its hairpins sweep past the Rhône Glacier and the historic Hotel Belvédère bend.
22 km · about 25 min drive
historic highway
Tremola (Old Gotthard Road)
The cobbled Val Tremola switchbacks on the southern side of the Gotthard, the longest surviving historic cobblestone road in Switzerland. A rough, slow and spectacular alternative to the modern pass road.
22 km · about 25 min drive
film location
Furka Pass (Goldfinger chase)
The hairpins on the Swiss side of the Furka are where Bond's DB5 tails Auric Goldfinger's Rolls-Royce in the 1964 film. The pass is closed by snow in winter.
22 km · about 25 min drive
Driving roads near Formazza
15 named roads, passes and coastal drives within 60km.
- Right hereNufenen PassThe highest paved pass entirely within Switzerland at 2478m, offering a remote, uncrowded driving experience with panoramic high-altitude views.
- Right hereNufenen Pass (Passo della Novena)Switzerland's highest fully-paved through pass at 2,478m, connecting the Valais to Ticino.
- 22 kmFurka Pass ViewpointThe high Alpine pass featured in James Bond's Goldfinger, with views of the Rhone Glacier and the Uri Alps.
- 22 kmFurka PassA 2,429 m Swiss pass immortalised by the Aston Martin chase in Goldfinger; its hairpins sweep past the Rhône Glacier and the historic Hotel Belvédère bend.
- 22 kmTremola (Old Gotthard Road)The cobbled Val Tremola switchbacks on the southern side of the Gotthard, the longest surviving historic cobblestone road in Switzerland. A rough, slow and spectacular alternative to the modern pass road.
- 22 kmTremola (old Gotthard Pass road)The cobbled 24-hairpin Tremola on the southern Gotthard, Switzerland's longest historic monument and a unique surface to drive.
Driving in Italy
- Drives on
- the right
- Petrol
- ~€1.82/litre
- Motorway tolls
- ~€8.50/100km
When to drive here
April to October
Nearby Destinations
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