The Dolomites are a mountain range in Italy that is part of the Southern Limestone Alps. Typical for the Dolomites are the steep rock walls and peaks, which were created by erosion and weathering. The mountain range is split into two parts: the eastern and the western. The highest peak of the Dolomites, the Marmolada, is 3343 meters high. About 15 other mountains reach the 3000 meter mark. In 2009, the Dolomites were added to the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The route starts in Susch, again you can refuel shortly after the start if necessary. Once you have left the village, meander south along the Inn, in Zernez turn left onto the Ofen Pass. The Ofen Pass (Rhaeto-Roman: Pass dal Fuorn) is located in the east of the Swiss canton of Graubünden and forms the connection between the Engadin valley and the Val Müstair.
The Swiss National Park is located on the western side for a large part of the pass. From Zernez the broad road ascends moderately through the uninhabited valley of the river Spöl. At Punt la Drossa the road branches off to the right for the Munt la Schera tunnel (narrow and 3.4 km long), which forms the connection with the Italian Livigno. The road continues up through the Arven woods of the National Park. Two kilometers before the pass height is the Hotel Parc Nazional, which was once an iron smelter.
The mountain saddle of the Ofen Pass is below the tree line. At the highest point is the mountain hotel Süson Givè; the view from here on the Val Müstair is good. The Ofen Pass is a starting point for hikes. The descent is easy on the right road and after six kilometers the first village of Tschierv is reached. A little further on, the route starts to another pass: the Umbrail pass.

In Santa Maria you actually turn right onto the Umbrail pass. The Umbrail Pass (Italian: Giogo di Sta. Maria / alternative German name: Wormserjoch) is a mountain pass that lies on the border of Italy and Switzerland in the Stelvio National Park.
At the highest point an altitude of 2503m is indicated, where however the official height is 2501m, due to corrections to the altitude determination by the Swiss authorities. The pass height is not far from the 250 meters higher Stelvio pass, the Umbrail pass even leads to the Stelvio. In earlier times, the Umbrail Pass formed the connection between the Val Venosta (Vinschau) and the Valtellina. The current road was built in 1901. Due to heavy snowfall at the pass height, the road over the Umbrail is closed to traffic from October to May each year.
The ascent through the Val Muranzina leads with 34 hairpin bends through almost uninhabited area. The maximum gradient on this side is 14%. Until 2015, the road was not paved for several hundred meters halfway through, but this caused few problems.

At the top of the Umbrail you cross the border with Italy, a few tens of meters further you arrive at the Stelvio. You can go in two directions here, the route keeps left and goes to the top of the Stelvio Pass at 2758 meters. You can choose to keep to the right, but then you will miss one of the highlights of this trip. On top of the Stelvio Pass it is always very busy, many shops and stalls, restaurants and not forgetting the sausage sellers. A Bruno sausage is actually a must when you're here. :-)

The Passo dello Stelvio (German: Stilfserjoch) is a mountain pass located at an altitude of 2758 meters in the Italian Alps. The mountain pass is best known for cycling stages in the Tour of Italy. The Stelvio Pass is one of the highest paved mountain passes in the Alps; among others the Col de l'Iséran (Fra) is higher. The Col de la Bonette (Fra) is lower but because there is an extra loop at the top of the col, it is considered by some to be higher.
The Stelvio Pass is located on the border of the Italian-speaking province of Sondrio and German-speaking South Tyrol. East of the pass are the Ortler Alps with the highest point being the Ortler and even closer the Monte Livrio where the glaciers are skied during the summer season. To the north is the Dreisprachenspitze, the meeting point of three languages: Italian, German and Romansh. Finally, in the south, Monte Scorluzzo is one of the easiest to climb three-thousanders. The pass is located in the heart of the Stelvio National Park, one of the oldest (1936) and largest national parks in Europe.
At the beginning of the 19th century, Ferdinand I of Austria wanted to build a road that directly connected Val Venosta to Milan, which was then under Austrian rule. The road had to run over the mountain saddle northwest of the Ortler. Engineer Carlo Donegani from Sondrio, who had already built the Splügen Pass, was given the task of shaping the road. Construction started in 1822. The road was completed just three years later. Until 1915, the Stelvio Pass was ridden by carriages all year round. During the winter the road was kept passable by snow shovels. In 2019, however, the pass is closed to traffic from the end of October to the beginning of May. During the First World War, heavy fighting took place on the pass between the Italian and Austrian armies. From 1918, both sides of the pass height were Italian. The Stelvio Pass was no longer the important connection Milan-Vienna and was closed in winter just like the other high passes. After the Second World War, Giuseppe Pirovano of the Club Alpino Italiano established a ski school here and it was possible to ski on the vast glaciers in summer. In 2019 there are several large hotels at the pass height and several ski lifts go further into the mountains. The ATM of the Banco Popolare di Sondrio has the honor of being the highest ATM in Europe.

When you have finished eating you can continue the route by driving down again on the side where you came up, towards Bormio. This is a really beautiful descent with beautiful views. After you have reached the point where you have entered the Stelvio Pass, you have three more hairpin bends before you get a kind of plateau. Then a whole series of hairpin bends and a handful of tunnels. Tip: Watch out with sunglasses in these tunnels, because you won't see a hand in front of your eyes if you suddenly drive into the dark.

At the end of the descent you drive into Bormio, here you turn sharply left to drive towards the next pass, the Gaviapass. This is also one of the higher pass roads in Europe. The road leads right through the unspoilt Stelvio National Park. The road was built in the First World War to supply Italian soldiers who fought in the Italian-Austrian border area. The pass is one of the most beautiful in the Alps. Here lies the large Lago Bianco with, to the north, the mountain San Matteo (3684 meters). Lago Nero is slightly lower on the south side of the pass. Here the mountain group of the Adamello determines the view. There are many well-marked walks in the area. During the winter the pass is closed due to the heavy snowfall. The pass is often closed until May and June due to the large amount of snow.
The road section between Ponte di Legno and the pass height is very narrow, often no wider than three metres. Overtaking is almost impossible on the route, fall-back places have been constructed for this. Deep in the valley flows the river Frigidolfo. Along the deep precipices there is a guardrail in most places, but in some places it is missing. There begins the abyss of more than 500 meters deep next to the road. This makes this road one of the most dangerous mountain passes so beware! The side of Santa Caterina Valfurva is slightly wider and shorter.

After the descent, in Ponte Di Legno, turn left onto the SS42. You are immediately treated to a number of hairpin bends, or the next pass presents itself: Passo del Tonale. The Tonale Pass is a mountain pass on the border between the Italian regions of Lombardy and Trentino-Alto Adige. It is the connection between Ponte di Legno in the Val Camonica and Vermiglio in the Val di Sole. The Tonalepas can be ridden all year round. The pass height is a popular winter sports area in winter with over 100 kilometers of slopes. In summer it is a popular starting point for mountain hikers. South of the pass height rises the 3326 meter high La Presanella. During the ski season you can ski on the glaciers of this mountain.
During the First World War, the pass formed the border between Italy and Austria-Hungary and there was heavy fighting. A reminder of this is the war memorial west of the summit. A few kilometers away you can see at Forte Strino that there was a lot of fighting here in the First World War.

From the Passo del Tonale, keep following the SS42 until you reach Bolzano. On the way you pass the Mendel Pass, where it is high time for lunch. The Mendel Pass (Italian: Passo della Mendola) connects the Cles in the Valle di Non and Appiano sulla Strada del Vino in South Tyrol. The saddle is located between the Monte Penegal (1737 m) and the Monte Roen.
The SS42 runs over the mountain pass, starting in Lombardy Treviglio and ending in the town of Bolzano. The road over the Mendel Pass was built from 1880 to 1885. In the early twentieth century, the pass was a renowned holiday resort. Some famous persons who stayed there during this period are Franz Joseph I of Austria, Wilhelm Röntgen, Mahatma Gandhi and Elisabeth of Austria-Hungary.
When the weather is clear, the pass height offers a view of the Dolomites in the northeast. Some mountain formations that are clearly visible are Latemar, Rosengarten and Schlern.

After lunch you follow the SS42 as mentioned until Bolzano. There you drive over a traffic circle, it looks like spaghetti with all those roads that criss-cross over and under each other. Fortunately, the route you follow is not too difficult to follow, although you do have to pay attention. Then you drive a (boring) part through Bolzano, luckily this is not too long.
You soon turn off to the SS241, which takes you to the Passo di Costalunga. The Costalunga Pass (Italian: Passo di Costalunga / German: Karerpass / Ladin: Pas de Mont) is located on the border of the Italian provinces of Trento and South Tyrol. It is also the Italian-German language border, in the area east of the pass even a third language is spoken: Ladin. The Costalunga pass is open all year round. Together with the Pordoi Pass and Falzarego Pass, the Costalunga Pass forms the Dolomites Road.
The route to the pass from the west begins at Kardaun (Cardano) in the wide valley of the River Eisack (Isarco). Here the Valle d'Ega (Eggental) opens up, which forms a gorge in the first part. After a few kilometers the valley widens. The good road climbs through dense forests and villages in Tyrolean architecture up to the Lago di Carezza. The water has a clear blue-green color with dense coniferous forests in the background, above which the towers of the Latemar tower.
Just after the lake is Carezza al Lago. This place is an important tourist resort with large hotels, a golf course and a mountain railway to the Rifugio Paolina at 2126 meters altitude. At Carezza al Lago, the road branches off on the right to the Nigra Pass, which runs along the west flank of the Rosengarten massif. The pass height of the Costalunga is about three kilometers further. Here, the view of the southern flank of the Rosengarten and the distant Marmolada is good.

In Canazei you pass the last gas station in this route. Unfortunately there is no gas station in Selva di Val Gardena. So if you have run out of fuel, you have the option to fill the tank again.

The last pass in this route presents itself, the Sella pass. The Sella Pass (Italian: Passo di Sella, German: Sellajoch) forms the connection between the Val di Fassa and the Val Gardena (Gherdëina, Gröden) in Italy. The pass height also crosses the border between the Italian provinces of Trento and South Tyrol. The pass is often ridden in combination with the Pordoi pass, Campolongo pass and Gardena pass, which also surround the mighty mountain range of the Sella.
Canazei in the Valle di Fassa is the starting point on the south side. It is an important winter sports resort with the necessary ski and cabin lifts. From the center the road first climbs through the woods to Alp Roa, where the road branches off to the Pordoi Pass. The walls of the Sella massif rise vertically here. From this point it is another 5 kilometers to the top of the Sella Pass. The road is and remains good. The vegetation becomes thinner and stops near the height of the stride. Hotel Maria Flora is located almost at the highest point of the passage at 2244 meters.
The pass is located on a narrow mountain ridge. The view of the Val di Fassa and the Marmolada with its glacier is good, but it is the three peaks of the Sasso Lungo that attract the most attention. Various hiking tours depart from the pass height.
The descent to the Val Gardena is just as easy as on the other side. After 6 kilometers, branch off on the right-hand side towards the Gardena Pass. The road continues straight on to Selva di Val Gardena, which, like Canazei, is an important winter sports resort.

The end point is at Hotel Antares in Selva di Val Gardena. A nice hotel with swimming pool and sauna. From experience I can tell that the local pizza hut 50 meters away serves a great pizza. Diagonally across the street from the hotel is a good beer available on the terrace. The breakfast in the hotel is top class. Wide choice and very tasty.

Have fun driving this route!