Car-free mountain passes in 2026: Love Parade at the Stelvio, Gavia and Mortirolo Passes

What a parade of hairpin bends in the Stelvio National Park: on Friday 28 August, warm up by pedalling up the 1,852-metre-high Mortirolo Pass and soak up that first taste of Marco Pantani’s spirit on a 23 per cent gradient. On Saturday, the journey continues to the Hairpin Bends Festival at the Stelvio Pass, where 48 bends, offering panoramic views of the Ortler, wind their way up the mountainside over a distance of 17 kilometres and an elevation gain of 1,733 metres. And to top it all off, on Sunday there’s the legendary, 2,621-metre-high Gavia Pass between Bormio and Ponte di Legno. That adds up to a total of 50 unforgettably peaceful kilometres and 3,342 metres of exhaust-free climbing, which will be felt in your legs long after this weekend is over.

Gavia – the pros have never suffered more at the Giro

​ The ancient Venetians called the Gavia Pass the “Strada Imperiale” in the 16th century, because it quickly became their most important trade route across the Alps. But whenever avalanches, fog and rockfalls once again disrupted their trade, they were quick to refer to it as the “Passo della Testa di Morto” – in English: “Skull Pass”. In fact, this main route between Venice and Northern Europe often made life difficult for caravans of traders. Many lost their lives in the process. To this day, the 2,621-metre-high pass between Bormio and Ponte di Legno is only open to traffic in summer (June to mid-October).

It was only in 2022 that its bends were completely resurfaced, making it particularly attractive to motorcyclists, but also to cyclists on two days of the year. On those days, the Gavia is closed to motorised traffic and reserved for noise- and emission-free vehicles for four hours. A scenic, panoramic route through the Stelvio National Park, featuring a 1,400-metre climb and a number of steep gradients, but offering breathtaking views.

You simply have to decide which side you’d like to tackle the legendary Giro d’Italia pass from: the wider northern approach, with a steeper gradient and ten tight hairpin bends halfway up through the forest, or perhaps the southern side. This side of the pass has only been fully tarmacked since the 1990s and is in places so narrow and winding that traffic has to be restricted to a single lane.

The only thing that matters is that the Gavia is bathed in glorious sunshine on 30 August. Only then can the panorama of the Ortler and the glacier – which grows more impressive with every hairpin bend you tackle – really be appreciated. Unfortunately, the pass is better known for its summer snowstorms when it comes to cycling events. The last time the Giro d’Italia peloton raced through its hairpin bends, back in June 1988, snow and sleet were falling from the sky. These were the harshest weather conditions ever endured during the Giro. A few years ago, the BIKE Transalp was also in the starting blocks in mid-July when a massive thunderstorm swept across the Gavia and the stage had to be cancelled.

But the car-free mountain-pass days are, after all, events without a stopwatch. Perhaps the weather gods will be kind to us then. Taking part in all three car-free mountain-pass days is free of charge and open to cyclists of all levels. There’s no need to register either.

North ramp of the Gavia Pass:

• Starting point: Bormio (1,217 m)
• Length: 26 km
• Ascent: 1,401 metres

​The 26-kilometre northern approach from Bórmio (1,217 m) up to the Gavia Pass leads through the Valfurva and initially follows the Torrente Frodolfo – the wild meltwater from the Forni Glacier – as far as S. Caterina (1,736 m). These first 13 kilometres already feature a few 12 per cent gradients. The hairpin bends begin in the forest. The road narrows and winds its way through ten challenging bends. But then the trees recede and the view of Punta San Matteo (3,678 m) opens up. The road flattens out; you pass the Rifugio A. Berni, and from there it’s just two kilometres of panoramic riding to the top of the pass.

Southern ramp of the Gavia Pass:

• Starting point: Ponte di Legno (1,258 m)
• Length: 18 kilometres
• Ascent: 1,360 metres

​15 hairpin bends: The southern approach from Ponte di Legno (1,258 m), with its 15 hairpin bends, is considerably more relaxed and perhaps even a touch more scenic: in Sant’Apollonia, the first ten hairpin bends wind their way up into the Stelvio National Park. The road then narrows to a single lane, with gradients of 14 and 16 per cent, but opens up to offer views in both directions along a straight stretch. However, this is only once you have passed through the 800-metre-long tunnel. The bypass around the old route is currently cordoned off with a construction fence. However, it was not possible to ascertain whether or when renovation work is due to take place. On the final three kilometres, more hairpin bends lead up a rocky outcrop, offering a stunning view of Lago Nero in its high-alpine alpine meadow setting.

The three car-free days in August 2026:​

• ​Mortirolo Pass: 28 August (Friday, 8.30 am – 12 noon) from Mazzo in Valtellina and Monno
• Stilfserjoch: 29 August (Saturday, 8 am – 4 pm) from Bormio, Trafoi and Santa Maria in Val Müstair
• Gavia Pass: 30 August (Sunday, 9 am – 1 pm) by Caterina Valfurva and S. Apollonia

Info: valtellina.it/en