Driving the legendary Via del Sale road to Colle del Garezzo

# Colle del Garezzo: A Wild Alpine Adventure

Ready for something truly off the beaten path? Colle del Garezzo sits at a dramatic 1,795m (5,889ft) in Imperia province, Liguria—smack in the Italian Alps. This isn't your typical smooth mountain crossing, so buckle up.

The approach is a mixed bag: starts paved, transitions to gravel, and gets pretty gnarly near the summit. You're looking at 19.5km climbing at a steady 7%, with the last 7km turning into proper dirt. The descent is no joke either—18km at 7.2% with some genuinely steep sections, though at least you've got tarmac under your wheels most of the way down.

Now for the real character builders: there's a 70-meter unlit tunnel carved right through, and a mandatory 20km/h speed limit through the pass. The unpaved sections demand respect—honestly, bring something with decent clearance. Standard cars? Yeah, probably leave those at home. Fair warning: the road officially closes November 1st through March 31st, so plan accordingly.

But here's why it's worth the effort. This route is part of the legendary Via del Sale—a medieval salt-trading path that connected the Mediterranean to Turin. Come WWII, it became a strategic military road linking border forts. Today? It's pure alpine magic, hugging the Maritime Alps ridgeline between Italy and France with jaw-dropping views of sea and mountains stretched out below you. This is the road less traveled, and it absolutely delivers.