Passo dello Stelvio

Updated October 2026 · Sources: Stelvio National Park, bormio.eu, PostBus, Autonomous Province of Trento

Find a place to stay near the Stelvio Pass

The Stelvio Pass (Passo dello Stelvio, Stilfser Joch in German) sits at 2,758 metres. It is the highest paved pass in Italy and the second highest in Europe, after the Col de l’Iseran in France. It links Bormio, in the upper Valtellina (province of Sondrio, Lombardy), with Prato allo Stelvio and the Val Venosta (South Tyrol). A third road comes up from Switzerland, from the Val Müstair over the Umbrail Pass. The pass lies inside the Stelvio National Park, below the Ortles-Cevedale range.

The road has 88 hairpins: 40 on the Bormio side and 48 on the South Tyrol side. From Bormio it is 21.5 km, from Prato allo Stelvio about 25 km. By car the pass is about 45 minutes from Bormio or Prato, 2 hours from Bolzano, about 3 hours from Innsbruck and about 4 hours from Milan or Zurich.

The Stelvio is a summer pass. The road is closed in winter and usually opens in late May; in 2026 it reopened in late May and was still open in early October. People come to ride it by bike or motorbike, for the views of the Ortles, to walk among First World War positions and, when the glacier allows, to ski in summer.

The top of the pass and the hairpin viewpoint

At the top there are a few buildings, shops and the large square where the cable cars to the glacier start. The view not to miss is from the roadside on the South Tyrol side: the hairpins stack down the slope towards Trafoi. This is the classic Stelvio photo.

Arrive early. From late morning to early afternoon, especially on July and August weekends, the square fills with cars, motorbikes and bikes. At 2,758 metres it is cold even in summer: bring a jacket.

Cima Garibaldi, the three-language peak

A few minutes’ walk above the pass is Cima Garibaldi (2,843 m), also called Dreisprachenspitze or Piz da las Trais Linguas. Until the First World War, three states and three languages met here: Italian, German and Romansh. The path starts just below the square, on the Umbrail side. From the top you see the pass, the Braulio valley and the Swiss mountains.

First World War positions

From 1859 the pass was a border, and during the First World War it was on the front line between Austria-Hungary and Italy. Positions, trenches and the remains of barracks survive on the ridges. From Cima Garibaldi a path follows the old positions, with information panels. This is high-mountain ground: proper boots, stable weather and no rush.

The Umbrail Pass

About 3 km below the top, on the Bormio side, the road to the Umbrail Pass (Giogo di Santa Maria, 2,503 m) branches off. It drops into Switzerland, to Santa Maria in the Val Müstair. There is no customs post at the pass. It is the easiest way to do an Italy–Switzerland loop without riding the Stelvio twice.

The glacier and the cable cars

From the car park at the pass a cable car goes up towards Monte Trincerone, at about 3,000 metres. Above it lies the Livrio glacier, where people ski in summer (see below). Even if you don’t ski, the ride is worth it to see the glacier and the Ortles up close. Check first that the lifts are running.

Trafoi: the Three Holy Wells and naturatrafoi

Trafoi is the last village before the hairpins on the South Tyrol side. On the pass road is naturatrafoi, a national park visitor centre about the geology of the Ortles and how plants and animals survive at altitude, with activities for children. From here a flat walk of about 2.5 km each way, fine for pushchairs, leads to the Three Holy Wells: a chapel and pilgrimage site since the 15th century, below the walls of the Ortles. Open all year; allow about an hour and a half return.

The Gomagoi forts

Heading down towards Prato, the valley narrows at Gomagoi. Austria built one of the forts guarding the road here after 1859, when the Stelvio became the border with the Kingdom of Sardinia.

The road was opened in 1825 by the Austrian Empire, designed by the engineer Carlo Donegani. About 2,500 workers built it. It turned 200 in 2025. Until 1915 carriages used it even in winter; after the First World War it was decided to close it in the cold season. Today it is the SS38 state road.

From Bormio (Lombardy side)

21.5 km, 40 hairpins, 1,533 metres of climbing, an average gradient of 7.1% and a maximum of 12%. The most varied side: it climbs the Braulio valley through tunnels cut into the rock, up to the final hairpins below the pass. About 3 km from the top is the turn for the Umbrail.

From Prato allo Stelvio and Trafoi (South Tyrol side)

About 25 km from Prato (910 m), about 1,850 metres of climbing and 48 hairpins, numbered in reverse: the number drops as you climb. The last 14 km from Trafoi to the top are the famous part. It is the longest and hardest side by bike.

From Switzerland (Umbrail)

From Santa Maria Val Müstair (1,375 m) you climb to the Umbrail Pass (2,503 m): about 13 km and over 1,100 metres. Then you join the Bormio road for the last 3 km. The quietest of the three roads.

The Stelvio is closed in winter. It usually opens between mid and late May and closes between late October and early November, earlier if it snows. Each side has its own road authority: ANAS for the SS38 on the Lombardy side, the Autonomous Province of Bolzano for the South Tyrol side and the canton of Graubünden for the Umbrail.

In 2026 the road reopened in late May and was still open in early October. As of 13 October 2026 there is no official date yet for the winter closure. If you are going in October or early November, check the ANAS and Province of Bolzano road reports the day before: a single snowfall can close one side.

Also worth knowing:

• Tolls: none, the road is free.
• Large vehicles: on the Bormio side, no vehicles over 3.30 m high or 10 m long. With a large motorhome, check the other sides too.
• Snow chains: winter tyres are not compulsory in summer, but at this height it can snow even in August. Carry chains at the start and end of the season.
• Car-free days: on some summer days the road is reserved for bikes (see below).

The Stelvio is one of the great climbs in cycling. The Giro d’Italia first crossed it in 1953: Fausto Coppi dropped Hugo Koblet on the Bolzano–Bormio stage and won his fifth Giro. Since 1965, whenever the Giro comes here, the Stelvio is the Cima Coppi, the highest point of the race.

Which side: Bormio is shorter and more varied; Prato is longer and harder, with the 48 hairpins; the Umbrail is the quietest. Many riders go up one side and down the other, or ride the Bormio–Stelvio–Umbrail–Val Müstair loop. Start early: traffic builds from late morning. Take a windproof and gloves for the descent.

Stelvio Bike Day

Once a year, on a Saturday at the end of August, the road is closed to motor vehicles from 8 am to 4 pm on all three sides: from Trafoi, from Bormio and from Switzerland. E-bikes are allowed. It is not a race, it is free and there is no registration. Helmets are compulsory. On 29 August 2026, 18,600 riders went up, a record. According to the Stelvio National Park, the next edition is on Saturday 28 August 2027.

On the Bormio side there are other car-free days in summer, in the Enjoy Stelvio Valtellina calendar. Dates change every year, so check before you go.

For many bikers the Stelvio is a pass to ride at least once. The classic loop joins both sides: up from Prato and Trafoi, down to Bormio, back over the Umbrail and the Val Müstair. On summer weekends there are queues on the hairpins, with cyclists, motorhomes and cars: start early or come midweek.

Practical tips: on the tight South Tyrol hairpins long vehicles take the whole road, so slow down before the bend. On the Bormio side the tunnels are narrow and dark. Use engine braking on the way down.

The Stelvio is one of the last places in Europe where you can ski in summer. The runs are on the Livrio glacier, between about 2,800 and 3,400 metres, reached by the cable cars from the pass. The season follows the road opening: usually from late May or June.

In summer 2026 the lift company suspended skiing from 15 August because of the heat. The cable cars kept running. The lifts are scheduled to close on 1 November 2026. Dates and runs for 2027 are not yet known: if you are coming specifically to ski, check glacier conditions shortly before you travel.

There is no skiing at the pass in winter: the road is closed. From December to April, ski in Bormio, home of the Stelvio downhill run, or in Livigno.

The pass is in the heart of the Stelvio National Park, founded in 1935 as Italy’s fourth national park. It covers more than 1,300 km² across Lombardy and Trentino-South Tyrol, in the provinces of Sondrio, Brescia, Trento and Bolzano. At its centre is the Ortles-Cevedale range and its glaciers. The park does not extend into Switzerland, but it borders the Swiss National Park.

Animals you are likely to see include red deer, roe deer, chamois and ibex, with eagles and vultures overhead. Among the flowers are edelweiss and the glacier buttercup. The visitor centre closest to the pass is naturatrafoi, in Trafoi. To enter the park from the Trentino side, look at the Val di Sole, with Peio and Rabbi.

• June: road open, walls of snow along the top section, less traffic. Ice possible in the morning.
• July and August: peak season, buses running, shops open. Heavy traffic at weekends.
• September: the best month for cycling and motorbiking. Fewer people, clear air, fewer buses.
• October: fine but short, cold days. The road can close with the first snow.
• November to May: road closed.

• Bormio (21 km): old town, thermal baths and winter skiing. The handiest base on the Lombardy side.
• Cancano lakes: two reservoirs above Bormio, inside the park, for walking or mountain biking.
• Livigno (about 55 km): duty-free town, bike parks and easy trails.
• Val Müstair (17 km to Santa Maria): Swiss valley over the Umbrail, on the way to the Engadine.
• Solda/Sulden (about 29 km): village at the foot of the Ortles, on the South Tyrol side.
• Lake Resia (about 48 km): the submerged bell tower of Curon, down the South Tyrol side.
• Merano (about 75 km): spa town at the bottom of the Val Venosta.
• Ponte di Legno (about 84 km): in summer from Bormio over the Gavia Pass.
• St. Moritz (about 86 km): in the Engadine, in summer via Livigno and the Bernina.

At the pass there are a few hotels and mountain huts open only in summer. Sleeping at the top is handy if you want the road to yourself at dawn or are skiing on the glacier, but there is little choice. Most visitors stay in the valley on one side or the other.

Bormio

The best choice for facilities: plenty of accommodation in every category, restaurants, thermal baths and the summer bus to the pass. Good for families, couples and travellers without a car. The areas towards the Stelvio road and Premadio suit cyclists who want an early start.

Trafoi

The closest village to the pass on the South Tyrol side, 15 km below the top. Small, with little choice: book early. Ideal for cyclists and bikers who want to start straight on the hairpins.

Prato allo Stelvio and the Val Venosta

Prato is the classic cycling start on the South Tyrol side and is close to the Val Venosta railway. Apartments, guesthouses and hotels on the valley floor. Handy if you want to combine the Stelvio with Lake Resia or Merano.

Santa Maria Val Müstair

For travellers coming through Switzerland or from Zurich: limited choice, but only 17 km from the pass via the Umbrail.

By car

From Milan: SS36 to Lecco, then SS38 via Sondrio, Tirano and Bormio, and the 21 km climb: about 223 km and 4 hours. From Bolzano: via Merano and the Val Venosta to Spondigna and Prato, about 105 km and 2 hours. From Innsbruck: over the Resia Pass to Malles and Prato, about 168 km and 3 hours. From Zurich: via the Engadine, the Val Müstair and the Umbrail, about 4 hours. In winter all roads to the pass are closed. If you rent a car at the airport, a compact car is easier on the hairpins.

By train

On the Lombardy side the nearest station is Tirano, linked to Milano Centrale by Trenord trains in about 2 hours 30; then bus to Bormio. On the South Tyrol side the Val Venosta railway (Merano–Malles) stops at Spondigna, near Prato: check the timetable on Südtirolmobil, as the line had engineering works and a reduced service in 2026.

By bus

In summer you can reach the pass without a car:

• From Bormio: scheduled bus to the pass, in 2026 from 9 June to 13 September, 5 runs a day Monday to Saturday and 2 on Sundays.
• From Switzerland: the PostBus Stelvio route (Müstair–Umbrail–Stelvio–Bormio–Tirano) runs daily from mid-June to early September, then on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays until mid-October. Seat booking is compulsory by 7 pm the day before, bikes included.
• From South Tyrol: in summer Südtirolmobil buses run daily from Spondigna and Prato via Trafoi.

By plane

The nearest airport is Bolzano (about 103 km, 2 hours), then Innsbruck (about 163 km, 3 hours) and Bergamo Orio al Serio (about 168 km, 3 hours 30 via Bormio). Further away: Milan Linate and Malpensa, Verona, Zurich (about 4 hours) and Munich. There are no direct transfers to the pass: you need a car, or a train plus the summer buses.

Parking

There is a large car park at the pass, but on summer weekends it is full by late morning. In Trafoi there is parking near the visitor centre. If you drive in to cycle, leave the car in the valley, in Bormio or Prato, and start from there.

PASSO DELLO STELVIO Meteo