Passo dello Stelvio HD-HQ

The original road was built in 1820-25 by the Austrian Empire to connect the former Austrian province of Lombardia with the rest of Austria, covering a climb of 1871 m. The engineer and project manager was Carlo Donegani (1775-1845). Since then, the route has changed very little. Its sixty hairpin turns, 48 of them on the northern side numbered with stones, are a challenge to motorists. Even Stirling Moss went off the road here during a vintage car event in the 1990s, with an onboard video of his incident being shown on satellite TV.

Before the end of World War I, it formed the border between the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the Italian Kingdom. Even the Swiss had had an outpost and a hotel (which was destroyed) on the Dreisprachenspitze. During World War I, fierce battles were fought in the ice and snow of the area, with gun fire even crossing the Swiss area at times. The three nations made an agreement not to fire over Swiss territory, which jutted out in between Austria (to the north) and Italy (to the south). Instead they could fire down the pass, as Swiss territory was up and around the peak. After 1919, with the expansion of Italy, the pass lost its strategic importance.

The Stilfser Joch retains an importance for sport when it is open from June to September. Countless cyclists and motorcyclists struggle to get to the highest stretch of road in the Eastern Alps. The Giro d'Italia often crosses the Stilfser Joch (it was crossed by the Giro for the first time in 1953, when Coppi beat Koblet). The last winner on the pass was José Rujano in 2005, when the Stelvio was crossed for the ninth time in Giro history.

Bormio regularly hosts World Cup ski racing; its Pista Stelvio is among the most challenging men's downhill courses on the circuit.

The Stelvio Pass was also picked by the British automotive show Top Gear as its choice for the "greatest driving road in the world", although their search was concentrated only in Europe. This conclusion was reached after the team went in search of a road that would satisfy every "petrolhead's" driving fantasies in the premiere of the show's 10th season. However, in Season 14, after visiting the Transfăgărăşan Highway in Romania, also known as "Ceauşescu's folly", presenter Jeremy Clarkson claimed they had made a mistake in naming the Stelvio Pass as the best road in the world.

In 2008, Moto Guzzi started selling a Stelvio model, named after the famous mountain pass.

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[10081974full]

@Kinderschreck88 :D

[Kinderschreck88]

or by bike ;)

[10081974full]

@FBMToW  Summer is perfect, and only with a good car ... :)

[FBMToW]

Great Video =) I want to go there too.