Endurance test with the road bike: 48 turns to the pass at 2,757 m altitude

1) By road bike on the Passo Stelvio in front of the Ortles

There are many superb places in the Alps. Anyone with a road bike is especially interested in the Alpine passes. In South Tyrol, there is one famous and infamous mountain: the Passo dello Stelvio, the highest mountain pass in Italy, right in front of the highest mountain in the Italian Alps. It attracts countless road bike cyclists every year. 

The pass was named after the small mountain village of Stelvio. However, today’s road does no longer run through the village. Instead, it runs below the village to the ridge. Historically, it dates back to Roman times. Back then, it was only a bridle path over the Passo dello Stelvio. Though, it was hardly used in the Middle Ages. Its use only increased during the Thirty Years’ War when it served the military. At the end of the 17th century, Bormio stepped up its efforts to upgrade the path to a cart track. The people of Engadin, however, managed to prevent this. The road was finally realised by Austria from 1820 onwards.


Looking at the carts from earlier photos, you can see how much time and effort it took to get across the Passo dello Stelvio. The course of the road has remained almost unchanged since then, but tarmac is considerably more comfortable than a relatively wide but unpaved road. In autumn and the spring melt, this was certainly a muddy affair.


The Passo Stelvio owes its fame in the scene to the north-eastern ascent, known as the ‘East Ramp’ amongst crack cyclists. The hairpin bends spiral upwards at an average gradient of 9–11% and a maximum gradient of 15%. Up to bend 31, the road runs through the forest and after the first third it crosses your mind: ‘Can’t get any worse’. But, oh yes, it can.

Bend 29 is just below the tree line and opens the view to the central mountain massif in the Stelvio National Park, the glaciated Ortles glacier. From 24 onwards, the view is free and you can sense what is actually to come. The sight of the hairpin bends still to be climbed is sobering. The best thing is to just pedal and enjoy the truly incredible view.

By the time they reach Franzenshöhe at the latest, those less well-trained start to draw on their motivational reserves as they look up the pass. But don’t worry! By bend 14 at the latest, endorphin levels have reached undreamed-of heights or there is nothing left to give. The last bends up to the pass are not at all easy because of the thin mountain air. And then…
At last! 48 hairpin bends and several meters of altitude conquered, a 2,757 m mountain pass, off the bike, look towards the Ortles, take a deep breath and just relish it all.

2) From Val Venosta: 48 turns from Prato on the Passo dello Stelvio via Trafoi

We recommend Prato for accessing the pass road. It lies at 910 m altitude in the upper Val Venosta. From there, it is 24.96 km and 1,848 meters altitude difference to Passo dello Stelvio. Ideally you should start as early as possible in the morning hours. In high season, around this time of year, several cyclists have the same idea and gather in the small village. The traffic, which is manageable anyway, only increases over the course of the morning. It then feels as though the road to the ridge belongs to the cyclists.
If you have chosen your hotel in the lower Val Venosta, you can book a shuttle service to your desired starting point with us.




First, head towards Solda. The turn-off to Solda in Gomagoi is the last one before the pass. The ridge is reached via Trafoi. It’s virtually impossible to go the wrong way. 

3) From Bormio to Passo dello Stelvio

The ascent from Bormio to 1,225 m above sea level can be tackled west of the ridge. Bormio is located in the province of Valtellina in the region of Lombardy. Here, too, the view of the Ortles massif in the top third is incredibly inspiring. Shortly before the last hairpin bends to Passo dello Stelvio, the Giogo di Santa Maria joins the road. It lies directly between Switzerland and Italy. It is also the highest mountain pass in the Grisons, with a pass height of 2,501 m. It connects the Val Müstair near Santa Maria with the Addatal near Bormio and in the continuation of the Passo dello Stelvio with South Tyrol.

4) Through the Val Müstair over the Giogo di Santa Maria to the Passo dello Stelvio

The third possibility for an ascent by road bike, also starts in Val Venosta in Glorenza and runs via Tures, Santa Maria and the Giogo di Santa Maria to Stelvio. However, most people use it the opposite way as a descent from the Passo dello Stelvio on a circular tour on the eastern road.
Glorenza is picturesquely situated in the Alta Val Venosta, in the curve of the valley to the Passo di Resia and has almost 900 inhabitants. In 1163, it was first mentioned as a settlement and has a completely preserved city wall. The old town centre with the arcades is particularly worth seeing. As the Val Venosta cycle path runs directly on the outskirts of the town, many cyclists take a break here and enjoy the flair of the charming medieval centre.

Centrally located near several passes such as the Passo del Forno into the Engadine, the Passo di Resia to Austria and the Passo dello Stelvio, it makes the ideal starting point for a road bike tour.

5) Everyone’s a winner: The Passo dello Stelvio Bike Day

Car-free days for Alpine passes are extremely popular with racing cyclists. During the Passo dello Stelvio Bike Day, the pass is closed to motorised traffic every year between the end of August and September.

Besides the car-free day at the Sellaronda, the cycling day at the Passo dello Stelvio is another highlight in South Tyrol, most of which is tackled by road bike. For years, the organisation has been in the hands of the Stelvio National Park administration.

In 2016, 8,415 cyclists drove from South Tyrol to the Passo dello Stelvio, 2,986 conquered the ridge from the Bormio side. So it is hardly surprising that this road, with its 48 bends along the border of South Tyrol to Switzerland, is one of the most famous in Italy. Its popularity grows every year. Especially as the Giro d’Italia also went over the pass summit of the Passo dello Stelvio several times. 

Whether road bike, mountain bike or trekking bike – the Passo dello Stelvio is a must-have for ambitious cyclists who spend their holidays in South Tyrol during the season. The boss of the Dolce Vita Hotel Lindenhof in Naturno also knows that. Every Tuesday, he and his guests race up the Stelvio ridge. This is really only something for well-trained racing cyclists, however, because the hotel manager rides up the ridge every week. Should a guest arrive before he does, he is treated to a wellness voucher.

6) Stelvio National Park at Ortles

In South Tyrol, it is one of the largest in the Alps with the Ortles as the highest peak. Almost half of its area is located in South Tyrol and thus in the Val Venosta region. Its borders extend as far as Trentino and Lombardy.

The area around the Gruppo dell’Ortles with its high alpine glacier zones is protected, and not something that was a foregone conclusion. Although founded as early as 1935, the administrative organisation and financing of the Stelvio National Park was quite complex owing to the transnational regions. It was often the subject of political discussions. South Tyrol, Trentino and Lombardy have had sovereignty over the Parco Nazionale Dello Stelvio since 2016. After all, the Passo dello Stelvio is the most important transport link between Val Venosta in South Tyrol and Bormio in Lombardy. The mountain pass over the ridge also takes you to Switzerland.