Passo Giau
Spectacular Dolomite pass, 2,236 m
Photo: Frisia Orientalis / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
At 2,236 m, the Passo Giau is regarded as one of the most beautiful Dolomite passes and is ringed by striking peaks such as the Ra Gusela and the Nuvolau. The winding pass road is popular with motorcyclists and cyclists; from the top, scenic hikes start with all-round views of the Ampezzo Dolomites.
Highlights
- One of the most beautiful Dolomite passes
- Summit backdrop Ra Gusela and Nuvolau
- Popular with motorbikes and road bikes
- Scenic hikes from the top of the pass
Good to know
| Elevation | 2,236 m |
| Backdrop | Ra Gusela, Nuvolau, Averau |
| Location | near Cortina d'Ampezzo |
| World Heritage | UNESCO Dolomites |
Practical info
Getting there: By car/motorcycle over the pass road from Cortina or Selva di Cadore.
Best time: Roughly June to October (partly closed in winter, please verify).
Cost: Pass free; huts payable (please verify).
Safety: Winding mountain road; trails marked.
Tips:
- At sunset the surrounding walls glow (Enrosadira)
Background & History
The Passo Giau, at around 2,236 metres, is among the most beautiful and most feared passes of the Dolomites in Veneto. In endless hairpins the road winds up between Cortina d’Ampezzo and the Val Fiorentina and opens up a magnificent all-round panorama of some of the most famous rock figures of the region, above all the striking tooth of the Ra Gusela and the mighty pyramid of the Monte Pelmo. Among cyclists the pass summit is notorious, for its consistently steep ramps make it one of the hardest tests that the Giro d’Italia sets in the high mountains.
Like all the Dolomites, the mountain world around the Giau consists of pale limestone and dolomite rock, the petrified remains of primeval coral reefs, which in the evening light glow in that warm pink that the locals call enrosadira. The surrounding valleys belong to the cultural realm of the Ladins, whose ancient world of legend has always peopled the strangely shaped rock towers with kings, witches and enchanted realms. Anyone pausing at the pass thus stands not only at a famous viewpoint, but in the midst of one of the most myth-rich landscapes of the Alps.
To make your trip run smoothly , our guides and gear tips for this destination:
