Where is the Plöckenpass-Passo di Monte Croce Carnico?
Italy, europe
60 km
1,370 m
hard
Year-round
Okay, picture this: the Plöckenpass-Passo di Monte Croce Carnico, straddling the border between Austria and Italy high in the Carnic Alps at a cool 1,370m (4,494ft). This isn't just a road; it's a history lesson on wheels, connecting Udine in Italy's Friuli-Venezia Giulia region with Spittal an der Drau in Austria's Carinthia. Think medieval trade routes meeting modern asphalt.
This fully paved beauty stretches for about 60km (37 miles) from Tolmezzo in Italy up to Oberdrauburg in Austria. Don’t let the pavement fool you; it’s a wild ride. We're talking twelve hairpin bends, four tunnels, and some seriously steep sections hitting a 13% gradient! Trust me, the Italian descent is a blast. Just keep an eye out for rock slides and those narrow bits.
Good news: it's usually open year-round! Budget around 1 to 1.5 hours to drive it straight through, but why would you? Scattered along the route, you’ll find remnants of WWI bunkers and tunnels – seriously cool. The summit even has an open-air museum with restored trenches. Oh, and fun fact: back in the day, it was called Kreuzberg (Monte Crucis), which is where the Italian name comes from. Definitely worth the trip!
Road Details
- Country
- Italy
- Continent
- europe
- Length
- 60 km
- Max Elevation
- 1,370 m
- Difficulty
- hard
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