The Stelvio Pass (Stilfser Joch in German, 2758 m above sea level) is an Alpine pass in the Rhaetian Alps, as well as the highest automobile pass in Italy, in front of the Agnello hill[N 1], and the second in Europe[ N 2] and behind the Iseran hill.[N 3]
Located between Trentino-Alto Adige and Lombardy, within the Ortles Alps (Ortles-Cevedale group) and the Stelvio national park, close to important massifs such as Ortles, Umbrail, Mount Livrio and Mount Scorluzzo, it divides from the point of view geomorphologically the western Rhaetian Alps from the southern ones and is not only an important connection between Valtellina and Val Venosta, but also a popular destination for skiers, hikers, cyclists and motorcyclists. The state road of the same name that crosses it, which connects Bormio (Braulio valley, Valtellina) with Prato allo Stelvio (Trafoi valley, Val Venosta), is asphalted, two-lane and suitable for carriages, and has eighty-eight hairpin bends, of which forty-eight on the South Tyrolean side and forty on the Lombard side. On the Lombard side, at an altitude of around 2,500 m, the road connects with the nearby Giogo di Santa Maria, a pass that leads into Swiss territory (Canton of Grisons; although the road actually crosses an international border, there is no customs). On all three sides, the two Italian ones and the Swiss one, the pass remains closed seasonally between November and May.
Various hiking routes branch off from the top of the pass, including the path to Cima Garibaldi (2,843 m above sea level) and the dirt road that reaches the Pirovano refuge (3,028 m above sea level).