Stelvio Pass

Carlo Donegani built the road between 1820 and 1825 to link Lombardy with the Austrian Tyrol, reaching 2,757 metres, and the alignment has changed little since; the northern approach from Prato climbs with forty-eight hairpins, each numbered on a stone marker counting down to the top. The southern side from Bormio has around forty more. Summer skiing operates on the glacier at the summit. The pass appears regularly in the Giro d'Italia as the Cima Coppi, the race's highest point, and is one of the best-known cycling climbs in Europe. It is closed by snow for much of the year.

History

The road was built in 1820 to 1825 by the Austrian Empire to join Lombardy, then a Habsburg possession, with Austria, climbing 1,871 metres, under the engineer Carlo Donegani, later knighted as Carl Donegani von Stilfserberg. The Giro d'Italia first crossed the pass in 1953, when Fausto Coppi beat Hugo Koblet, and as the race's highest point it is named the Cima Coppi in every edition that includes it (Wikipedia, Stelvio Pass).

The main sights

• The forty-eight hairpins - numbered stone markers counting to the summit.
• The summit at 2,757 metres - one of the highest paved passes in the Alps.
• The glacier skiing - summer slopes above the pass.
• The cycling history - a regular Giro climb and Cima Coppi.

When to go

June to September; the road normally opens around late May or June and closes with the first heavy snow, often October. Weekday mornings avoid the worst traffic.

What to expect

The road is closed roughly seven months a year. In season it is crowded with motorcycles, cyclists and coaches, and hairpins are tight with limited visibility.

Nearby

Bormio lies south; the Stelvio national park surrounds the road.

Key facts