Timmelsjoch / Passo del Rombo

The road winds about 50 km in 44 long bends up and down the mountain, offering magnificent panoramic views of the surrounding North and South Tyrolean Alps. The route leads from Sölden in Tyrol to St. Leonhard in Passeier, on Italian or South Tyrolean soil. Incidentally, the Timmelsjoch is not only considered the highest road border crossing in Austria, but also the highest unglaciated passage between the Reschen and Brenner passes.

The mountain pass road is closed during the winter months - from around mid-October to the end of May - and during the summer, due to a nighttime driving ban, it is also only possible to use it between 07:00 and 20:00. The toll booth is located on the NW ramp of the pass, and the following fees are only collected on the Austrian side: €12 for motorcycles and €14 for cars. Special rates are available for a round trip (€14 or €18) [as of 2014], and it is not necessary to return on the same day.

Since its opening in 2010, the Timmelsjoch can rightly be called an "experience path." Five architectural sculptures are planned, with the Pass Museum and The Garnet already realized. The toll road in Austria is in a perfectly developed state, while the switchbacks along the Italian SE ramp may not be everyone's cup of tea in terms of driving technique.

The Timmelsjoch High Alpine Road crosses the Ötztal Alps on its way from Merano to the Inn Valley. The Italian side of the Passo del Rombo is not only toll-free, but also closed to trucks, buses, caravans, and vehicles with trailers (driving ban for vehicles over 8 tons or 10 meters and for trailers over 4.5 m).

For those who want to continue their route, there are worthwhile connecting points at the Jaufen Pass on the SE side and the Kühtai Saddle on the NW side. The Ötztal Glacier Road branching off from Sölden to the Rettenbach and Tiefenbach Glaciers is also worth a detour. Bikers are highly recommended to take a round trip over the Timmelsjoch, the Jaufen Pass, and Kühtai.

While the southeast ramp coming from Passeier was built almost to the pass summit as early as 1933, the northwest ramp was only built from 1955-1959 for a proud 2 million euros. It took until 1968 for the Timmelsjoch route to be officially opened in both directions. The history of Tyrol is also closely linked to a specific person: the freedom fighter Andreas Hofer, who was born here in Passeiertal in 1767. Hofer successfully resisted Napoleon's troops and thwarted three attacks by the French on Tyrol. However, in the fight for his beloved homeland, which was then to fall to Bavaria, he was captured and executed (1810).

Sport is Murder

Every year in August, the Ötztaler Radmarathon takes place here. The Timmelsjoch, with one of the longest continuous climbs in the Alps (about 12%), poses quite a sporty challenge. Approximately 1,800 meters in altitude must be covered by bike, distributed over about 30 km from St. Leonhard to the summit. Especially the winding final climb through the steep mountainside is literally breathtaking, as many riders have already covered the route from Sölden via Kühtai, Innsbruck, the Brenner and Jaufen passes.