MyRoute-app
Library Generator Subscriptions Information Routeplanner Navigation MRA Webshop About us
Register Log in
Van Rasun di Sotto naar Klosters door de Dolomieten
This route was brought to you by:
RouteXpert Eric Wilderbeek
Last edit: 05-06-2022
Route Summary
This route takes you from Italy along several mountain passes to Switzerland.

Right from the start you get wonderful bends under the wheels. And actually that doesn't stop the rest of the route.

You will come across several well-known passes, such as the Gavia, Stelvio and Umbrail, which you must have ridden once in your life. But you also pass smaller and unknown passes that are certainly not inferior to the more famous passes in terms of driving experience.
You drive through mountainous areas all day long and especially if you have ridden the previous stages, this route is doable for every rider.

This route gets 5 stars from me because of:
The beautiful mountain passes you encounter, the views, the beautiful roads and the wonderful feeling you feel through your whole body after driving this route.
Share this route
Verdict
Duration
9h 52m
Mode of travel
Car or motorcycle
Distance
359.01 km
Countries
Mountain view
RouteXpert Review
This is the fourth route of a multi-day trip through the Alps, called Alpentoertje. I rode the route in six days, with quite long stages. It is easy to share the day routes so that you also have / take time to do more along the route, have a longer lunch or just drive relaxed. For reference I would like to mention that we were with two motorcycles and both have extensive experience with motorcycling also in the mountains.

This route takes you from Italy along several mountain passes to Switzerland.

The day starts in Italy in a fantastic cornering paradise. The route is mostly on shortcuts over several mountain peaks and smaller passes. The views over the jagged Dolomites are fantastic. You drive through small villages, on narrow roads and often have to drive at walking pace because you can't see well around the bend or oncoming traffic. But this calm pace gives you the opportunity to enjoy yourself right away. You can keep driving here, but we won't. We go parallel to the A22 towards Bolzano.

For Bolzano you can choose to discover the center of Bolzano (Bozen). The old center is really worth seeing with various sights such as the Dom of Bozen, the three castles and the South Tyrolean Archeology Museum where the ice mummy Otzi can be seen.

After Bolzano we drive passes. We start with the Mendel Pass. The Mendel Pass (Italian: Passo della Mendola) connects the Cles in the Valle di Non and Appiano sulla Strada del Vino in South Tyrol. The mountain saddle is located between Monte Penegal (1737 m) and Monte Roen. The road over the Mendel Pass was built from 1880 to 1885. In the early twentieth century, the pass was a renowned holiday resort. Some famous persons who stayed there during this period are Franz Joseph I of Austria, Wilhelm Röntgen, Mahatma Gandhi and Elisabeth of Austria-Hungary.
In clear weather, the pass height offers a view of the Dolomites in the northeast. Some mountain formations that are clearly visible are Latemar, Rosengarten and Schlern.

We drive along the beautiful Lago di Santa Giustina via a main road to Passo del Tonale. The Tonale Pass (Italian: Passo del Tonale) is a mountain pass on the border between the Italian regions of Lombardy and Trentino-Alto Adige. The Tonalepas is accessible all year round. The pass height is a busy winter sports area in winter with over 100 kilometers of slopes. In summer it is a popular starting point for mountain hikers. South of the pass height rises the 3326 meter high La Presanella. During the First World War, the pass formed the border between Italy and Austria-Hungary and there was heavy fighting. A reminder of this is the war memorial west of the summit.

We turn right towards the Pass Walhalla and start with the Gavia Pass. It is one of the higher pass roads in Europe. The road leads through the unspoilt Stelvio National Park. The road was built in the First World War to supply Italian soldiers who fought in the Italian-Austrian border area. The pass height is one of the most beautiful in the Alps. Here is the large Lago Bianco with, to the north, the mountain San Matteo (3684 meters). Lago Nero is slightly lower on the south side of the pass. Here the mountain group of the Adamello determines the view. During the winter the pass is closed due to the heavy snowfall. The pass is often closed until May and June due to the large amount of snow.

Then we go up from Bormio towards Stelvio Pass. The road runs above the valley of the Adda towards the wild uninhabited valley of the Braulio. The road is initially easy to drive. After a few kilometers, however, there are narrow, unlit tunnels with confusing bends in the route. Passing is impossible here. After the series of tunnels, the big waterfall of the river Braulio is reached and some hairpin bends follow. The road then continues over a green plateau. After a few kilometers the Val Muranzina opens on the left and the pass height/customs is reached. The Stelvio Pass is three kilometers away at this point. The Stelvio Pass is not included in this route, but if you have the time you should really drive it and then pick up the route again. The Passo dello Stelvio (German: Stilfserjoch) is a mountain pass located at an altitude of 2758 meters in the Italian Alps. The Stelvio is one of the highest paved mountain passes in the Alps.

We continue our way over the Umbrail Pass. The Umbrail Pass is a mountain pass that lies on the border of Italy and Switzerland in the Stelvio National Park. At the highest point an altitude of 2503m is indicated, where, however, the official height is 2501m, due to corrections to the altitude determination by the Swiss authorities. The current road was built in 1901. Due to heavy snowfall at the pass height, the road over the Umbrail is closed to traffic from October to May each year. The descent through the Val Muranzina leads with 34 hairpin bends through an almost uninhabited area. The maximum gradient on this side is 14%. Until 2015, the road was not paved for several hundred meters halfway through, but this caused few problems. To the north you have a view of the Val Müstair. In Sta. Maria, the road heads west to the Ofen Pass, which leads through the Swiss National Park. At Davos you drive over the Wolfgang pass to Klosters where you can enjoy the past day after 360km (without the Stelvio pass).
What more do you want, then good food and mountainroads.
At the top of the Gavia pass
Links
Regio Sud Tirol / Dolomieten
Stelviopas
Zuid Tiroler Archeologiemuseum
Usage
Want to download this route?
You can download the route for free without MyRoute-app account. To do so, open the route and click 'save as'.
Want to edit this route?
No problem, start by opening the route. Follow the tutorial and create your personal MyRoute-app account. After registration, your trial starts automatically.
Disclaimer
Use of this GPS route is at your own expense and risk. The route has been carefully composed and checked by a MyRoute-app accredited RouteXpert for use on TomTom, Garmin and MyRoute-app Navigation.

Changes may nevertheless have occurred due to changed circumstances, road diversions or seasonal closures. We therefore recommend checking each route before use.

Preferably use the route track in your navigation system. More information about the use of MyRoute-app can be found on the website under 'Community' or 'Academy'.
Nearby routes
Lombardy
About this region
Lombardy ( LOM-bər-dee, LUM-; Italian: Lombardia [lombarˈdiːa]; Lombard: Lombardia, Western Lombard: [lũbarˈdiːa], Eastern Lombard: [lombarˈdi.a, -ˈde.a]) is one of the twenty administrative regions of Italy, in the northwest of the country, with an area of 23,844 square kilometres (9,206 sq mi). About 10 million people live in Lombardy, forming more than one-sixth of Italy's population, and more than a fifth of Italy's GDP is produced in the region, making it the most populous, richest and most productive region in the country. It is also one of the top regions in Europe for the same criteria. Milan's metropolitan area is the largest in Italy and the third most populated functional urban area in the EU. Lombardy is also the Italian region with the most UNESCO World Heritage Sites—Italy (tied with China) having the highest number of World Heritage Sites in the world. The region is also famous for its historical figures such as Virgil, Pliny the Elder, Ambrose, Caravaggio, Claudio Monteverdi, Antonio Stradivari, Cesare Beccaria, Alessandro Volta, Alessandro Manzoni, and popes John XXIII and Paul VI.
Read more on Wikipedia
View region
Statistics
20
Amount of RX reviews (Lombardy)
23559
Amount of visitors (Lombardy)
2715
Amount of downloads (Lombardy)
Route Collections in this region
The 24 Most Beautiful Alpine Routes
The Alps, The Alps are a mountain range in Europe, stretching from the French Mediterranean coast in the southwest to the Pannonian Plain in the east. The area of the mountain range is more than 200,000 km².

In other words Passes and Mountain Roads!

Driving through the mountains is great! Especially over the mountain passes with hairpin bends and narrow winding roads. Every bend a different view where you can enjoy. There are many beautiful mountain passes in the Alps.

A selection that has also been incorporated into these routes:
The Stlevio Pass:
The Stelvio Pass, also known as Passo dello Stelvio, is mainly known for the stage in the Giro d'Italia. Due to the length and the difference in height, this pass is seen as one of the toughest tests in cycling. The Stelvio Pass reaches a maximum height of 2758 meters and is therefore one of the highest in the Alps. The pass connects the towns of Bormio and Prato Allo Stelvio. In winter the pass is closed due to heavy snowfall.

The Reschenpass:
The Reschenpass, also known as Passo di Resia, connects the Austrian state of Tyrol with the Italian province of South Tyrol. The pass reaches a maximum height of 1,504 meters and has been one of the most important north-south connections in the Alps in recent centuries. The pass was used long before Roman times. Along the way you will pass several highlights and historical relics. One of the highlights is the Reschensee. This lake was created after the construction of the dam and has completely submerged the village of Graun. The only thing that reminds of that is the clock tower in the middle of the lake.

Col du Galibier:
The French mountain pass Col du Galibier connects the towns of Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne and Briançon via the Col du Lautaret in the south and the Col du Télégraphe in the north. The mountain pass is part of the Tour de France and very much feared, due to the fact that it can only be reached via the other two mountain passes. The pass reaches a maximum height of 2646 meters. From there you can take a walk to the viewpoint at 2704 meters. You can admire the peaks of the Grand Galibier, Mont Blanc and La Meije here.

The Grossglockner High Alpine Road:
With a height of 3798 meters the Grossglockner is the highest mountain in Austria. To fully enjoy this impressive mountain, you can drive over the Grossglockner High Alpine Road and the accompanying pass. The route starts from Bruck am Grossglockner and ends in Heiligenblut. Of course you can drive in two directions. The pass reaches a maximum height of 2504 meters and is closed in winter due to heavy snowfall. Along the way you pass several stops with fun activities, information points, mountain huts and viewpoints. A visit to the Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe and Pasterzen Glacier is highly recommended.

The Col d'Izoard:
Just like the Col du Galibier, the Col d'Izoard is also part of a stage of the Tour de France. The mountain pass connects Briançon with the valley of the river Guil. The pass is partly located in the Regional Natural Park du Queyras and reaches a maximum height of 2360 meters. What is special about the Col d'Izoard is the barren and rocky landscape. Sometimes it feels like driving a car over the moon! Along the way you can stop at several points to enjoy the beautiful view.

The Bernina Pass:
The Bernina Express is one of the most famous rail trains in Switzerland and the Alps. The route is beautiful and partly included on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Parallel to the railway lies the Bernina pass, which connects the Veltlin valley with the Egandin valley. This beautiful Alpine road has a total length of 56 kilometers and reaches a maximum height of 2328 meters. Along the way you can enjoy views of the Morteratsch Glacier.

The Sella Pass:
The Sella Pass, also known as Passo di Sella, takes you over one of the most impressive mountain ranges in the Dolomites: the Sella massif. The pass connects Valle di Fassa with Val Gardena and reaches a maximum height of 2236 meters. At this height is also the border of the Italian provinces of Trentino and Bolzano. Along the way you can enjoy the view of this spectacular mountain world. Admire, for example, the three peaks of the Sasso Lungo massif, the Sella massif or the peaks of the Marmolada. You can also drive the Sella pass in combination with the Gardena pass, Pordoi pass and Campolongo pass.

The Grimsel Pass:
The Grimsel Pass connects Goms in Wallis with the Halis Valley in the Bernese Oberland. The pass reaches a maximum elevation of 2165 meters and is closed in winter due to snowfall. Over the centuries, the mountain pass has played an important role in trade between Switzerland and Italy. Now it is mainly the reservoirs that have an important function. These are used to generate electricity. The landscape you drive through is rugged, rocky and impressive. On top of the pass is a hotel and a restaurant with a special marmot park. The Dodensee (Totensee) is also located here. This lake owes its name to the many soldiers who died in the time of Napoleon.

The Gotthard Pass:
The Gotthard Pass, also known as Passo del San Gottardo and Saint Gotthard, connects the Swiss towns of Airolo and Andermatt. The mountain pass and associated tunnel are especially known among holidaymakers driving from Switzerland to Italy. But where the majority opt for the tunnel, it is precisely the pass that really completes the holiday. The Gotthard Pass has a length of about 26 kilometers and reaches a maximum height of 2106 meters. The route is beautiful and takes you along old villages and beautiful views.

The Silvretta High Alpine Road and Silvretta Pass:
The Paznaun Valley in Tyrol and the Montafon in Vorarlberg are connected by the Silvretta High Alpine Road. The route has a length of 22.3 kilometers and leads from Galtür to Partenen in 34 hairpin bends, via the 2032 meter high Bielerhöhe. The Silvrettasee is also located at this point, where you can enjoy a lovely walk. The pass is closed in winter due to snowfall.

The Simplon Pass:
Just like the Gotthard Pass, many holidaymakers also travel over the Simplon Pass every year. This mountain pass connects the Rhone Valley in the canton of Valais with the Valle d'Ossola in Piemonte. The pass is open all year round and reaches a maximum height of 2005 meters. Along the way you pass a number of buildings, including the well-known Simplon Hospiz from 1825. The hospiz is managed by the monks of St. Bernard. From the highest point on the pass, all kinds of hiking routes are possible and you will also come across a hotel where you can spend the night.

The Gerlos Pass:
The Gerlos Pass connects the Salzach Valley in the Salzburgerland with the Zillertal Valley in Tyrol. The pass is part of the Gerlos Alpenstraße and runs right through the Hohe Tauern National Park. Along the way you can enjoy beautiful views of the surroundings. The pass has a length of 12 kilometers and reaches a maximum height of 1531 meters. A ride over the Gerlos Pass can be ideally combined with a visit to the Krimmler Wasserfälle.

The Great St. Bernard Pass:
The Great St. Bernard Pass, better known as Col du Grand Saint Bernard, connects the Italian province of Valle d'Aosta with the Swiss canton of Valais. The pass is one of the highest in Switzerland and reaches a maximum height of 2469 meters. Like a number of other mountain passes in this list, the Great St. Bernard Pass has also been used as a connecting road for centuries. The pass is named after the St. Bernard dogs that used to help stranded travelers along with the monks. The pass is closed in winter.

The Timmelsjoch High Alpine Road:
The Timmelsjoch High Alpine Road connects the towns of Sölden in the Ötztal and Meran in South Tyrol. Tolls must be paid on the Hochgurgl - Moos route. Via a mountain road with about 60 hairpin bends you drive through a beautiful mountain world. With the Timmelsjoch Experience you can learn more about the history, the road and the environment via various stations. You can also visit the Top Mountain Crosspoint museum.

Col de l'Iseran:
With a maximum pass height of 2770 meters, the Col l'Iséran is one of the highest mountain passes in the Alps. The pass connects Bourg-Saint-Maurice with Bonneval-sur-Arc. Via a road full of hairpin bends you pass, among other things, Val-d'Isère and a side valley of the Maurienne that lies entirely in the National Park de la Vanoise. You can spot animals such as marmots and chamois and there is also a restaurant with a chapel on top of the pass.

The Gavia Pass:
The Gavia Pass (Italian Passo di Gavia) is a mountain pass in the Italian Alps, in the Lombardy region.
It is one of the highest pass roads in Europe. The road leads through the unspoilt Stelvio National Park. The road was built in the First World War to supply Italian soldiers who fought in the Italian-Austrian border area. The pass height is one of the most beautiful in the Alps. Here is the large Lago Bianco with, to the north, the mountain San Matteo (3684 meters). Lago Nero is slightly lower on the south side of the pass. Here the mountain group of the Adamello determines the view. There are many well-marked walks in the area. During the winter the pass is closed due to the heavy snowfall. The pass is often closed until May and June due to the large amount of snow.


Promoter has made a selection of the 24 Most Beautiful Alpine routes that they have set out in recent years.

The routes go through:
France
Austria
Switzerland
Italy

The most beautiful roads, the most beautiful views, the most beautiful viewpoints. The highest mountains, the fastest descents, hairpin bend after hairpin bend, you name it you can't get enough of it.

If you go on holiday in this region, take advantage of it, ALL routes in this collection have been checked and made equal for TomTom, Garmin and MyRoute-app Navigation by a MyRoute-app RouteXpert.

Have fun with this collection and while driving one of these routes. Enjoy all the beauty that the Alps and the Dolomites have to offer. Click on “View route” to read the review of the chosen route.

I would like to hear your findings about the route(s).



View Route Collection
24 Routes
8059.29 km
171h 24m
11 day trip from the Netherlands
8 countries in 11 days; The Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Italy, Switzerland, France, Luxembourg and Belgium. This route collections consists of 10 routes that I have driven with friends in the summer of 2019.

The start is in Geldermalsen Netherlands, the first 7 days you drive through the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Italy, Switzerland, France and a piece of Luxembourg with overnight stays in hotels.

The last three days you stay in Barweiler (D) in the Eifel and you drive two beautiful tours through the Eifel, Luxembourg and parts of the Belgian Ardennes.

There is no highway in the routes, only beautiful provincial and country roads, many beautiful passes with beautiful panoramas.

Be sure to check whether the passes are open before you leave.

These are routes for experienced drivers.

View Route Collection
10 Routes
3266.98 km
62h 32m
MyRouteApp B.V. 2025 (C) all rights reserved.
Bredewater 16, 2715 CA Zoetermeer
The Netherlands
+31 79 3636040
Support
Community Forum Contact FAQ Redeem Code
MyRoute-app
About us Legal RouteXperts Pricing Press & Business
Keep up to date with the latest news
Invalid email