Where is Umbrail Pass?
Switzerland, europe
13.2 km
2,506 m
hard
Year-round
Umbrail Pass! Straddling the Swiss-Italian border, this beauty clocks in at a whopping 2,506 meters (8,221 feet) above sea level, making it Switzerland's highest paved road and one of the highest in the Alps.
You'll find it linking Lombardy in Italy with the Swiss canton of Graubünden. Keep an eye out for the war monument dedicated to "Piz Umbrail," the mountain that gave the pass its name.
The road is fully paved, so no need for off-road tires! It's a hidden gem compared to other Alpine passes, meaning fewer crowds and more pure driving pleasure.
Heads up – it's usually closed from October to June due to snow. Also, bigger vehicles aren't allowed (over 18 tons, 2.50m wide, or 10m long).
This climb is a leg in the Giro d’Italia! Starting in Sta Maria, the 13.2 km ascent gains a hefty 1,126 meters, averaging 8.5% with some sections hitting a max of 14.0%. Brace yourself for 35 hairpin turns!
Parts of the road are narrow and missing guardrails. We're talking serious vertical drops, so take it easy on the descent. The northern climb from Santa Maria is a proper Alpine experience, while the southern side is quite short.
The hairpins can be tight and steep, so watch your line, especially in wet conditions. And keep an eye out for customs agents – they're known to patrol the area. Overall, it's a moderately challenging drive with incredible high-Alpine scenery.
The 13.2 km route runs from the Strada Statale 38 del Stelvio up to the charming village of Santa Maria, near Val Müstair, in Switzerland. Prepare for an unforgettable adventure!
Road Details
- Country
- Switzerland
- Continent
- europe
- Length
- 13.2 km
- Max Elevation
- 2,506 m
- Difficulty
- hard
Related Roads in europe
moderateA trip through the challenging Roki Tunnel
🌍 Russia
Okay, adventure-seekers, picture this: you're cruising along the Transcaucasian Highway, high in the Greater Caucasus Mountains, right on the border between Russia and Georgia. You're about to enter the Roksky Tunnel! This bad boy is HUGE – the largest tunnel in the European part of Russia, clocking in at 3,730 meters (over 12,000 feet!). Built back in '84, it bypasses the crazy high Roki Pass, which is only passable in the summer. The road itself stretches for 58 km (36 miles) between Gori and Java. Word of warning: winter can be dicey. Avalanches are a real threat, and the road often closes. Also, legend has it that the tunnel has a shady side, with whispers of it being a smuggling route for contraband moving in both directions. But hey, that just adds to the adventure, right?
moderateWhere is Kop Dağı Geçidi?
🇹🇷 Turkey
Kop Dağı Geçidi is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 2.423m (7,949ft) above sea level located on the boundary between Bayburt and Erzurum provinces, in Turkey. Where is Kop Dağı Geçidi? Set high on the eastern part of the country, it is an important passage separating the Eastern Anatolia Region and the Black Sea Region. Traffic is equally intense. Is Kop Dağı Geçidi paved? The road to the summit is entirely paved (in pretty bad conditions). It’s called D915, part of the European Route 97. It’s pretty steep. It is difficult to keep the pass open to traffic during the winters because of the harsh weather conditions due to high altitude. Due the dangerous weather conditions, a new tunnel is being built to bypass the most defiant parts of the pass. How long is Kop Dağı Geçidi? The pass road is 24.9km (15.47 miles) long, running north-south from Çalıdere (Bayburt Province) to Bozburun (Erzurum Province). Is Kop Dağı Geçidi worth it? At the summit, there’s a memorial (Kop Şehitler Abidesi). The Kop Martyrs Monument was built on the summit of Kop Mountain in 1963 in memory of the soldiers who resisted the enemy in the Kop Pass and Coruh Basin in 1916 and were martyred in this resistance. In the construction of the monument, generally cut stone and occasionally concrete and marble were used. Not far from the summit, there’s a bar-restaurant. If you've got your own vehicle, it's worth stopping for the views. The Road to Yagdonduran Gecidi in Sivas: A Challenging Winter Journey Take the Scenic Route and Discover Cam Pass in the Black Sea region Embark on a journey like never before! Navigate through our to discover the most spectacular roads of the world Drive Us to Your Road! With over 13,000 roads cataloged, we're always on the lookout for unique routes. Know of a road that deserves to be featured? Click to share your suggestion, and we may add it to dangerousroads.org.
extremeIf you love to drive, you’ll love the road to Madone d'Utelle
🇫🇷 France
Okay, picture this: the Madone d'Utelle, a mountaintop sanctuary chilling at 1,177 meters (3,861 feet) in the Alpes-Maritimes, France. Getting there? It's an adventure! The M132 is paved, but seriously narrow. Think "hold your breath and pray no one's coming" narrow. Reversing skills? Essential. Motorbikers, you'll love this! The M32 and M132 are hairpin heaven, steep as heck, and wonderfully tight. Just brace yourself for some traffic until you hit Utelle. This road is so epic, it's been featured in the Paris-Nice race! The climb is a leg-burner, reaching a max gradient of 14% in spots. From the M32, it's a 5.6 km push, gaining 357 meters, averaging a 6.37% gradient. Once you reach the sanctuary, the road tempts you onwards another 800 meters, even narrower now, to an orientation table (1,194m) and the TDF antenna. The payoff? Killer views of the mountains, Nice, and the sparkling sea. Seriously stunning stuff!
hardWhere is Col d'Errozate?
🇫🇷 France
Okay, picture this: you're straddling the border between Spain and France, high up in the Pyrenees, at the Collado de Errozate-Col d'Errozate pass. We're talking a lofty 1,076m (3,530ft) above sea level. The climb, kicking off from the French D301 road, is a short but intense 3.4km (2.11 miles) to the tippy-top at 1,281m (4,202ft). Now, here's the thing: there's NO road on the Spanish side, so this is a there-and-back kinda adventure. Word to the wise: this drive isn't for the faint of heart. The road is super narrow, barely wider than a single lane, with some seriously gnarly drop-offs. Add in some broken asphalt and hairpin turns, and you've got yourself a recipe for needing your A-game. And hold on tight, because some sections hit a whopping 18.5% gradient! If reversing isn't your strong suit, maybe sit this one out. But the views? Absolutely killer!