Some of the 48 hairpin turns near the top of the northern ramp of the Stilfserjoch (Passo dello Stelvio)

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. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1178x766, 509 KB) Stilfserjoch (Passo dello Stelvio), Italien/Italy, taken in August 1997. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1178x766, 509 KB) Stilfserjoch (Passo dello Stelvio), Italien/Italy, taken in August 1997. ... Road D2204 ascends to the Col de Brauss using hairpin bends in Provence-Alpes-Côte dAzur in the French Alps. ... In a range of hills, or especially of mountains, a pass (also gap, notch, col, saddle, bwlch or bealach) is a lower point that allows easier access through the range. ... Eastern Alps is the name given to the eastern half of the Alps, usually defined as the area east of the Splügen Pass in eastern Switzerland. ... The West face of the Petit Dru above the Chamonix valley near the Mer de Glace. ... Col de lIseran (el. ... The highest paved roads in the Alps are: Categories: | ...

Location

It is located in the Italian Alps near Bormio in the South and Solda, some 75 km from Bolzano, near the Swiss border, as the Umbrail Pass joins the Stelvio's southern ramp nearby. The "Dreisprachenspitze" ("three languages peak") above the pass is named that way, as here the areas of Italian, German and Romansh language meet. Bormio is a medieval-style ski resort village located in the Sondrio province, Lombardy region of the Italian Alps. ... Sulden (German) or Solda Italian) is a village at 1900 m a. ... Bolzano (Italian: Bolzano, German: Bozen, Ladin: Bulsan, ; Note that many of the Italian dialects and Rhaeto-Romance languages in the area use Bulsan) is a city in the Trentino-South Tyrol region of Italy. ... Umbrail Pass is a pass (2501 m) on the Swiss-Italian border connecting Santa Maria in Val Müstair with Bormio in the Adda valley. ... Romansh (also spelled Rumantsch, Romansch or Romanche) is one of the four national languages of Switzerland, along with German, Italian and French. ...

The road connects the Valtellina with the upper Adige valley (Vinschgau-Val Venosta) and Merano. The most important mountain next to the Stelvio Pass is the Ortler massif. Straight beside the pass road there is a large summer skiing area. Important mountains nearby include Monte Livrio, Ortler and Monte Scorluzzo. A view of Valtellina The church of Tresivio Valtellina (German Veltlin) is a valley in the Lombardy region of northern Italy, bordering Switzerland. ... Adige (Italian; Etsch in German) is a river with its source in the region of South Tyrol, Italy. ... Upper Vinschgau The Vinschgau (German) / Val Venosta (Italian) is the upper part of the Adige river valley, in the western part of South Tyrol, Italy. ... Meran (German) / Merano (Italian) is probably best known as a spa in the South Tyrol. ... The Ortler Alps (Italian Ortles) are a mountain range in the central Alps of Italy. ... Ortler (3905m), highest mountain in the Eastern Alps, main peak of the Ortler Group, a mountain range in South Tyrol and Trentino, Italy. ...

History

The original road was built in 1820-1825 by the Austrians 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. 1820 was a leap year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... Opening of the Stockton and Darlington Railway 1825 (MDCCCXXV) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... Lombardy (It. ... The metre, or meter (U.S.), is a measure of length. ... Road D2204 ascends to the Col de Brauss using hairpin bends in Provence-Alpes-Côte dAzur in the French Alps. ... Sir Stirling Moss OBE (born September 17, 1929 in London) is a British former racing driver from England. ...

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. Combatants Allied Powers: Russian Empire France British Empire Italy United States Central Powers: Austria-Hungary German Empire Ottoman Empire Bulgaria Commanders Nicholas II Aleksei Brusilov Georges Clemenceau Joseph Joffre Ferdinand Foch Herbert Henry Asquith Douglas Haig John Jellicoe Victor Emmanuel III Luigi Cadorna Armando Diaz Woodrow Wilson John Pershing Franz... Official languages Latin, German, Hungarian Established church Roman Catholic Capital & Largest City Vienna pop. ... This is the history of Italy as a monarchy and in the World Wars. ... Combatants Allied Powers: Russian Empire France British Empire Italy United States Central Powers: Austria-Hungary German Empire Ottoman Empire Bulgaria Commanders Nicholas II Aleksei Brusilov Georges Clemenceau Joseph Joffre Ferdinand Foch Herbert Henry Asquith Douglas Haig John Jellicoe Victor Emmanuel III Luigi Cadorna Armando Diaz Woodrow Wilson John Pershing Franz... Year 1919 (MCMXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar). ...

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. The Giro dItalia, also simply known as the Giro, is a long distance road bicycle race for professional cyclists held over three weeks in May or early June in and around Italy. ...

External links

• Profile on climbbybike.com
• Michelin map of 23032 Passo dello Stelvio
• Photo of Stilfser Joch north ramp and Monte Scorluzzo
• Webcams

Coordinates: 46°31′43″N, 10°27′10″E Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...