Top 3 mountain passes in the Dolomites

Back in 2021, we emerged on a trip to Italy. While seaside vacation might seem like a perfect holiday idea, we took an opposite approach - the mountains were calling us. The Dolomites are spectacular, both in the winter, but even more so in the summer. We've been there many times, but rarely got the chance to focus on what is probably the best way for a petrolhead to spend time - mountain driving. There is a long list of mountain passes to discover in the area of Trentino Alto Adige, but if you're planning your first trip there, here are the 3 essential passes you have to visit (i.e. drive).

Passo Giau

It's best to approach it from Cortina d'Ampezzo side, via Pocol. If you're familiar with PowerslideLover on Instagram, this is his proving ground. Let the pictures speak for themselves.

Top of the pass:

Passo Pordoi

And on to the next one, probably the most iconic pass in the Dolomites (together with Passo dello Stelvio) - the Passo Pordoi. We approached it from Arabba side, where the road winds with some beautiful (not too tight) curves that put the suspension of any car (and the driver's stamina) to the test. You then reach the famous sign:

Make sure you take the cable car to Sass Pordoi (2950 m above sea level) to discover a mind blowing panorama of both sides of the pass:

Passo Gardena

Our selection is finished with another scenic mountain pass that you might recognize from your winter skiing trips (the road is closed in the winter and the pass is only accessible via ski lifts) - the Passo Gardena. It's definitely worth a visit in the summer, too! We decided to stay the night - Hotel Cir is highly recommended, but make sure you take a walk up to Rifugio Jimmi for some seriously good food! If you're into hiking, you couldn't have chosen a better starting point (more on that in another post). Enjoy the views:

And occasional car spotting:

To sum up, every petrolhead needs to visit the South Tyrol and the Dolomites at least once in his lifetime. The nature, the views, the roads, the food - there is hardly anything to fault. Make sure you make it your plan for the upcoming summer roadtrip.

There's a more detailed summary of the trip on my Instagram.

D.