125 Years Ago, the Grisons Banned Cars
This page is translated from the original post "Il y a 125 ans, les Grisons interdisaient la voiture" in French.
- 24/08/2025 13:26
On August 24, 1900, motorists who dared to venture onto the roads of Graubünden, Switzerland, had to swallow their ambitions.
That day, the Petit Conseil cantonal of Graubünden made a radical decision: to outright ban cars throughout its territory. No automobiles were to circulate in these alpine valleys!
Why such severity? At that time, the automobile was still a rarity, and it was frightening. Noisy, smoky, smelling of oil and speeding at what were considered indecent rates (sometimes over 30 km/h, which could give one vertigo in 1900), it disturbed the locals and startled horses and cows. Faced with an influx of complaints, local authorities chose the simplest solution: Stop!
And Graubünden creates the LEZ
The canton thus became a pioneer… but in the opposite direction of progress. While Europe was opening up to the first automobile roads, Graubünden resisted, prioritizing the tranquility of its valleys over the arrival of “mechanical monsters.”
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Of course, the story could not end there. Over time, the ban was lifted, and cars eventually climbed up to the most remote villages in the Alps. But this episode remains a delicious curiosity, a reminder that the automobile, now ubiquitous, was initially seen as a threat to the peace of the countryside.
In 2025, as we debate restricted circulation in city centers and low emission zones, one might think that Graubünden was perhaps… simply ahead of its time.
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