Stelvio Pass

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Some of the 48 hairpin turns near the top of the northern ramp of the Stelvio Pass

The Stelvio Pass (Italian: Passo dello Stelvio; German: Stilfser Joch), located in Italy, is at 2757 m the highest paved mountain pass in the Eastern Alps, and the second highest in the Alps, after the Col de l’Iseran (2770 m). In the list of highest paved roads in the Alps, it ranks 4th.

[edit] Location

It is located in the Italian Alps near Bormio in the South and Sulden (Solda), some 75 km from Bolzano (Bozen), near the Swiss border, as the Umbrail Pass joins the Stelvio's southern ramp nearby. The "Three languages peak" (Dreisprachenspitze) above the pass is named that way, as here the areas where the Italian, German and Romansh languages meet.

The road connects the Valtellina with the upper Adige (Etsch) valley (Vinschgau (Val Venosta)) and Merano (Meran). The most important mountain next to the Stelvio Pass is the Ortler Alps. Straight beside the pass road there is a large summer skiing area. Important mountains nearby include Monte Livrio, Monte Scorluzzo and Ortler.

[edit] History

The original road was built in 1820-1825 by the Austrian Empire to connect the former Austrian province of Lombardia with the rest of Austria, covering a climb of 1871 m. Since then, the route has changed very little. The 60 hairpin bends, 48 of them on the northern side numbered with stones, are a challenge to motorists. Even Stirling Moss went off the road here during a vintage car event in the 1990s, with an onboard video of his incident (Cor blimey!) being shown on satellite TV.

Before the end of World War I, it formed the border between the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the Italian Kingdom. Even the Swiss had had an outpost and a hotel (which was destroyed) on the Dreisprachenspitze. During the World War I, fierce battles were fought in the ice and snow of the area, with gun fire even crossing Swiss area at times. The three nations made an agreement not to fire over Swiss territory which jutted out in between Austria (to the south) and Italy (to the north). Instead they could fire down the pass, as Swiss territory was up and around the Peak. After 1919, with the expansion of Italy, the pass lost its strategic importance.

The Stelvio Pass does retain an importance for sport when it is open from June to September. Countless cyclists and motorcyclists struggle to get to the highest stretch of road in the Eastern Alps. Also, the Giro d'Italia often crosses the Stelvio Pass.