Passo Stalle
Sitting at an elevation of 2,052 meters, Passo Stalle (or the Staller Sattel) is a high-altitude border crossing connecting the Antholz Valley in Italy with the Defereggen Valley in Austria. It is famous for its unique traffic management; the Italian side is so narrow that it operates on a strict timed one-way system, where drivers and cyclists can only ascend or descend during specific 15-minute windows each hour. For road cyclists, the pass is a category 1 climb with gradients hitting up to 10.9%, offering a technical challenge that rewards riders with a scenic plateau featuring the crystal-clear Lake Obersee at the summit. In the realm of world-class athletics, Passo Stalle overlooks one of the most iconic winter sports venues in the world: the Südtirol Arena. Located just below the pass on the Italian side, this stadium is the heart of biathlon in South Tyrol and is serving as a primary venue for the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics. While the pass itself is usually closed in the winter, the Olympic fever is palpable in its shadow, as the world’s best biathletes compete for gold on the legendary trails of Antholz. Whether you are grinding up the switchbacks on a carbon frame or cheering from the Olympic grandstands, the pass remains a monumental landmark in the Alps.
Region: Trentino-Alto Adige
City: Zona Artigianale Rasun di Sotto
Distance: 27.11 km
Elevation Gain: 1093 m
Elevation Loss: 244 m
Difficulty: 915 (Hard)
FIETS Index: 4.89 FIETS
Avg Grade: 4.65 %
Max cat climb: HC
Min elevation: 1006 m
Max elevation: 2058 m
Ride Category: Climb