Passo Gardena: One of the Most Beautiful Drives in Italy

Passo Gardena is actually a mountain pass.

It’s located in the Dolomites of Alto Adige, Italy.

And it’s an absolutely stunning drive.

Which also means it’s quite popular with drivers, bikers (motorcycles) and cyclists (pedaling a bicycle).

So while I think it’s worth the trip, I preface this post forewarning you that it can be busy.

Pack your patience and your camera and it won’t disappoint.

 

Where is Passo Gardena

Passo Gardena connects the Val Gardena with the Val Badia — a side valley of the Val Pusteria.

It is along the SS243 on the south side of Parco Naturale Puez-Odle one of the Dolomite parks in northern Italy.

Specifically it sits in between the towns of Selva di Val Gardena to the West and Colfosco to the East.

These towns are in the Alto Adige portion of the Trentino-Alto Adige region of northern Italy.

And if you’ve been reading this blog, you know that Alto Adige is also known as Südtirol, or South Tyrol, as it used to be part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire prior to WWI.

I actually drove over this pass on my first visit to the area as I drove from Castelrotto to Belluno.

Only I’m not sure I knew much about it and just randomly chose a route that happened to include this pass.

On my most recent visit to the area, I drove over this spectacular pass as I made my way from San Vigilio di Marebbe to Castlerotto.

This time, it was intentional and I was more enlightened about Passo Gardena.

 

Some facts about this pass

Let’s get into some facts and a wee bit of history.

First of all Passo Gardena is 2136m (7,008ft).

So it sits at a decent elevation, although there are many passes in Europe that are higher.

In 1915, during WWI, a road was built to the top of the pass.

It wasn’t until tourism began to take hold in this part of Italy (skiing and hiking) in the 1960’s that a proper road was built up to and over these mountains.

Ski lifts were built and hiking trails were marked and maintained.

Today there are quite a few ski lifts along the road on the way up to the pass and at the top of the pass.

You’ll also find some trails that look fab.

There are places to stay and eat.

It would be amazing to take in a sunset and sunrise from this place, for sure.

Summer is quite busy with lots of cars, motorcyles and bicycles.

And winter will see a fair amount of snow with occasional closures.

 

The surrounding landscape of Passo Gardena

There’s no doubt about it that this is one of the best drives in Italy.

The views from here are stunning.

You’ll be surrounded by Dolomite peaks.

To the East are the mountains of the Val Badia and the peaks of the Fanes group.

The Fanes-Sennes-Braies is another Dolomite park and one of my favorites!

To the north are the Cir Peaks in the Puez Group of Puez-Odle Nature Park.

The Sella group lies to the South.

And to the West — some of my favorite Dolomite peaks — the Sassolungo group.

Yup.

Mountains all around.

It’s truly spectacular.

Some streams find their source near the pass — lovely snow melt, mountain streams.

And there are lots of trees, specifically evergreen and pine trees.

For nature lovers, you don’t want to miss the drive over Passo Gardena.

 

Tips for driving

Needless to say this is mountain driving.

So if you are NOT comfortable with twisty, winding roads then this is not for you.

You need to have a bit of a comfort level with lots of twists and turns, elevation gain, and elevation loss.

The road is not exceptionally narrow as it is a proper 2 lane road.

And there are guard rails in most spots although not all.

The road is reasonably maintained but harsh winters will affect the surface.

If you go in summer, as I did (it was mid-June, so the beginning of tourism season), there will be lots of traffic.

Motorcyclists are all over as are cyclists.

And I witnessed some bad behavior from some motorcyclists that resulted in a cyclist cussing them out.

I don’t want to pick on anyone here, but the motorcyclists can be a bit rude and in a hurry.

But so can some motorists in their cars.

I’ve seen bad behavior and good behavior from all kinds of folks on the mountain roads.

Pack your patience as you make this drive.

Be alert to those on motorcycles and especially the cyclists.

I tend to be very, very aware and kind to the cyclists.

Probably because they are working their asses off to get up this pass.

Be considerate.

Only stop at parking areas or pull outs.

There are a few so use them.

Don’t just stop in the middle of the road.

Be aware of any summer rain or storms that might come through.

This is common in summer in the mountains.

Always check the weather no matter the season.

Even in late spring, you can see snow.

Or in September.

What am I saying…you can get snow any time of year in the mountains.

If you are going in winter, you will need the proper winter gear for your car such as chains for your tires.

And you should be extremely comfortable driving in these conditions.

 

 

Final thoughts on Passo Gardena

I would do this drive again and again — as long as the weather is good.

And I highly recommend it to all of you as long as you are up for the roads and you have decent weather.

My hope is to get on one of the trails at the top or near the top as I’m betting the views from the these paths are phenomenal.

Passo Gardena is definitely a destination unto itself and not just a pass through kind of place — which is how I’ve, unfortunately, treated it so far.

Spend a bit of time here and really soak up all that Dolomiti beauty!

 

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. This means I will earn a commission – at no extra cost to you — if you click on the link and purchase anything from these trusted companies. It helps Wander Your Way, a small business, stay in business. Thanks for your support!