Pass miracle Eastern Alps
Set your sights higher and take on the mountain pass challenge
Austria: metres in altitude, classics & limitless possibilities
When you think of road cycling in Austria, you think of mountains, mountains, mountains. The perfect area for your mountain pass challenge. The ultimate highlight in Austria is the ride over the Grossglockner High Alpine Road - the queen of Alpine roads. Bend after bend, you wind your way up towards Fuscher Törl, always accompanied by the panorama of Austria's highest mountain. A climb that demands respect, brings contemporary history to life and gives you goose bumps.
The route continues no less spectacularly in Nauders in the Tyrolean mountains: on the Reschen Pass, you are in the middle of the border triangle. Over 20 passes lie at your feet in the surrounding area - including true legends such as the Stelvio Pass with its iconic hairpin bends. But road bike regions such as the Tannheimer Tal or the Bregenzerwald also offer perfect conditions for varied multi-pass tours - from flowing to challenging. In the Tannheimer Tal in Tyrol, you can follow in the footsteps of the famous Tannheimer Tal Cycle Marathon between the Alpine foothills and high mountains, while in the four-country Bregenzerwald in Vorarlberg, the dream passes are queuing up:
- Hochtannberg Pass
- Flexen Pass
- Faschinajoch
- Furka Pass
- Lorena Pass
- and if you want more, take on the challenging 3-pass tour - and marvel along the way at the 1.6 km long Flexengalerie, built in 1897 - an extraordinary alpine structure that should not be missing from any pass photo album
South of the Alps: Dolomites, dolce vita & pure legends
As soon as you cross the Alps to the south, not only the climate changes, but also the feeling in the saddle. In South Tyrol, alpine challenge meets Mediterranean ease - and an impressive density of legendary passes.
Around Cortina d'Ampezzo and Alta Badia, one highlight follows the next: the Passo Giau with its sweeping views, the Valparola Pass as a perfect combination ascent and the Passo Falzarego, famous from professional cycling. Each of these passes tells its own story and each one challenges you in its own unique way.
The Timmelsjoch and Jaufen Pass in the Passeiertal Valley are two more classics that perfectly combine sporting challenge and scenic beauty. And in the heart of the Dolomites UNESCO World Heritage Site, one thing is clear: you don't just ride passes here - you experience them with every pore.
Besides the legends: You should also know these passes
As iconic as the big names are - the Eastern Alps also live from their quieter, often underrated highlights. This is where the real adventure awaits those who want to delve deeper.
- The 1,363 metre-high Mendel Pass in South Tyrol and Trentino, for example, is considered a spectacular panoramic road with many hairpin bends that impresses with its fluid rhythm and perfect lines - ideal for anyone who loves the flow on the mountain.
- The 2,047 metre high Manghen Pass in the Lagorai group in Trentino is much more challenging: narrow, steep and wild with long ramps and a gradient of over 15%. A real insider tip for ambitious riders.
- There are also a few real gems hidden away from the main acts on the Austrian side: the approximately 28 km long Postalm road in the border region between SalzburgerLand and Upper Austria combines panoramic views with moderate gradients,
- while the Kitzbüheler Horn in Tyrol pushes even experienced racing cyclists to their limits with double-digit gradients of up to 22%. Your reward is a panoramic view of the Wilder Kaiser, the Hohe Tauern and the Kitzbühel Alps.
EXTRATIPP: Pantani's cult mountain
And then there are those special places with cult status: Monte Carpegna in the Marche region of Italy, Marco Pantani's training mountain. It's not the pass with the most metres in altitude, but it's hard to beat emotionally. A climb that impresses not with its numbers, but with its history. Pantani is said to have said "that the Carpegna recognises the form of a Giro rider."
More than just a climb: your personal mountain pass adventure
What makes the Eastern Alps so special? The combination of variety, density and genuine racing bike culture. You can collect several passes in one day, cross national borders and experience completely different landscapes. Sometimes rugged and high alpine, sometimes gentle and Mediterranean.
The passes are more than just sporting challenges - they are goals that you set yourself. And moments that you will never forget. The tingling sensation before the start, the steady pedalling uphill, the indescribable view of the valley - and finally arriving at the top when the world stops for a brief moment.
So: how high do you set your goals?
