Passo dello Stelvio
Climb · Stelvio
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part of: Hairpin heaven: the most switchbacks on one climbpart of: The vertical kilometre clubpart of: Roads built as statementspart of: The sting in the tailpart of: When the pass opens
Passo dello Stelvio is a 24.0 km cycling climb averaging 7.7% (+1834 m), rising from 912 m to 2746 m in Stelvio.
The Giro's roof: the defining venue of the Cima Coppi, first raced in 1953 when Coppi went over clear and dropped into Bormio to seal his fifth Giro. Donegani's 1825 imperial road carries the 48 numbered hairpins, and on Stelvio Bike Day each late August riders have it to themselves.
24.0 km · +1834 m · 7.7% avg · ~17.5% max · 912 → 2746 m · 40 hairpins
Stats computed from OpenStreetMap and satellite elevation data — approximate.
Download GPX ↓Navigate to the foot ↗
Gradient by colour: ● <3% ● 3–6% ● 6–9% ● 9%+
Where it bites
Steepest 500 m: 17.5% (km 16.7–17.2).
| km | to | avg |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 934 m | 2.3% |
| 2 | 989 m | 5.7% |
| 3 | 1057 m | 6.2% |
| 4 | 1110 m | 5.5% |
| 5 | 1161 m | 5.2% |
| 6 | 1235 m | 7.5% |
| 7 | 1296 m | 6.4% |
| 8 | 1358 m | 6.1% |
| 9 | 1450 m | 8.6% |
| 10 | 1505 m | 5.4% |
| 11 | 1580 m | 7.7% |
| 12 | 1656 m | 7.5% |
| 13 | 1740 m | 8.6% |
| 14 | 1812 m | 8.0% |
| 15 | 1912 m | 9.2% |
| 16 | 1992 m | 8.0% |
| 17 | 2156 m | 16.0% |
| 18 | 2245 m | 9.5% |
| 19 | 2333 m | 9.1% |
| 20 | 2426 m | 8.7% |
| 21 | 2514 m | 8.6% |
| 22 | 2599 m | 8.4% |
| 23 | 2680 m | 8.1% |
What it’s like to ride
Prato allo Stelvio sits at 918 m, and the first 8 to 10 km are the kind part: about 5 to 6% on a fairly straight road through pine forest beside a loud river, past the cafes at Gomagoi and Trafoi. Above Trafoi it steepens and stays steep, the rest of the climb averaging a little over 8%, with a kilometre at 10% near the 16 km mark, a few short tunnels, and a last kilometre close to 10% into very tight bends. The treeline breaks near 2,000 m and everything after that is in the open, the numbered hairpin signs counting down towards one across a grey rocky valley with snow on the peaks above, and Berghotel Franzenshöhe at hairpin 22 is the last proper stop before the pass. Carry two full bottles, because there is very little to refill from once the villages end, though there is plenty to buy at the top. The summit at 2,758 m is a fairground of souvenir stalls, bratwurst stands, bars and hotels. It can be cold or snowing up there in any month, and cars and motorbikes take the road over during the day, so start early and pack more than you think you need.
History
The road was built for the Austrian Empire, which had gained Lombardy at the Congress of Vienna in 1815 and wanted a carriage route linking the new province to Tyrol. Engineer Carlo Donegani began work in 1820 and the pass opened in 1825, built by more than two thousand labourers, and he was ennobled for it in 1840. His eastern ramp is the one carrying the 48 signposted hairpins, and it is where Giro d'Italia racing on the Stelvio started on 1 June 1953: Fausto Coppi attacked on the way up from Prato, went over the 2,758 m summit clear of Hugo Koblet and dropped into Bormio three and a half minutes ahead of him, taking the stage and his fifth Giro. When the race introduced the Cima Coppi award in 1965 for the highest point of each edition, the Stelvio became its defining venue, the highest ground the Giro has ever reached. The 2020 race came up the Val Venosta to climb this side again on the queen stage to Laghi di Cancano, Rohan Dennis leading over the top. In late August the road closes to motor traffic from Trafoi to the pass between 8am and 4pm for Stelvio Bike Day, when riders have it to themselves.
Common questions
- How long and steep is Passo dello Stelvio?
- Passo dello Stelvio is a 24.0 km cycling climb averaging 7.7% (+1834 m), rising from 912 m to 2746 m in Stelvio.
- Where is Passo dello Stelvio steepest?
- The steepest 500 m averages 17.5%, between km 16.7 and km 17.2 of the climb.
- How many hairpins does Passo dello Stelvio have?
- Passo dello Stelvio has 40 hairpin bends, counted from the road's map geometry (a hairpin here means at least 150 degrees of turning completed within 150 metres of road). Painted corner numbers on some climbs count gentler bends too, so the two figures can differ.