Passo Giau is one of the most beautiful roads to take by motorbike in the Dolomites. Itinerary from Cortina D'Ampezzo to Alleghe.
On our tour in the Dolomites, we decided to take a short but beautiful stretch, to be enjoyed kilometer after kilometer, starting from the famous Cortina D'Ampezzo towards Alleghe, a small village overlooking the lake of the same name in a designer setting.
| Altitude (meters above sea level) | 2.230 |
| Length | 28 Km |
| connection | Cortina D'Ampezzo - Selva di Cadore |
| Number of hairpin bends | 62 |
| Winter closure | October> April |
| Road conditions and notes | excellent asphalt - pay attention to grazing animals |
Content index
Cortina d'Ampezzo
Arrive and depart from Cortina d'Ampezzo it is always a strong emotion. The beauty of the Ampezzo Valley, the large and sunny basin that hosts Cortina, attracts visitors from all over the world at any time of the year. It is surrounded by The Dolomites, Patrimony UNESCO. Monumental peaks such as the Cristallo, the Tofane, the Cinque Torri, the Pomagagnon, the Becco di Mezzodì are among the most beautiful mountains in the world. For the motorcyclists it is one of the best starting points to visit in motorcycle the peaks and the passivated most beautiful in Italy, from Falzarego to the Sella Group, from Cadore Three peaks of Lavaredo. In addition to the numerous churches, Cortina was the site of the 1956 Olympics and among the various places to visit we also recommend the historic sites of the Great War, as the Fort of the three stones. Here we recommend a guided tour by expert local guides who will tell you many anecdotes handed down over time that cannot be read in history books.
The perfect photo: Passo Giau
Whether or not you "extend" to visit the war museum, from Cortina, heading south, take the SP638 heading south. From here begins our splendid brushstroke of curves, first through the woods and then the panorama opens onto the peaks of the Dolomites. We find ourselves driving with the sun that perfectly illuminates the mountains and each from the south clearing it is tempting to stop and photograph the scenery. And you arrive smoothly in the large parking lot of the Passo Giau at 2.236 meters of share. It is located in the center of a vast mountain pasture, at the foot of Nuvolau (2.574 m) and Averau (2.647 m) from which it is possible to easily reach Monte Pore (2.405 m) or even the Mondeval alp. The view is something incredible and no photo can make the emotions you feel. You can admire: to the west, towards Colle Santa Lucia, the Pale di San Martino, the Cime D'Auta, the Marmolada, the Piz Boè and the Setsass, to the east the basin of Cortina D'Ampezzo, with the Tofane, the Croda Rossa, the Pomagagnon, the Cristallo, Croda da Lago, Lastoni di Formin.
Alleghe and the lake
From this marvel of Nature we begin our descent towards Forest of Cadore. Once in Codalonga you can choose whether to take the more tortuous road through Colle Santa Lucia, or from Selva di Cadore take the more direct Provincial 20 towards Caprile. Once you reach the Cordevole torrent, the road goes straight and you can finally relax to enjoy the arrival at the lake. Alleghe is a pretty mountain village set in a unique and extraordinary natural context on the shores of the homonymous lake and at the foot of the majestic Civetta Mount, in the geographical heart of the Dolomites, a Natural World Heritage Site UNESCO. The village has unfortunately also become known for the Mysteries of Alleghe. From 1933 to 1946 one chain of four murders, which took place near Lake Alleghe and inside an important hotel in the town, becomes known as "the mysteries of Alleghe", from the title of the book written by Sergio Saviane in 1964, anticipated by one of his articles for Il Illustrated work of April 1952. The journalistic investigation led to the launch of an investigation conducted by the carabinieri which ended with the arrest of those responsible for the chain of murders. These crimes also inspired the television miniseries Dark in the valley of 1984.
