Gardena Pass crosses the Dolomites of South Tyrol at 2,136 m (7,008 ft), connecting Sëlva in Val Gardena on the west with Corvara in Val Badia on the east. The road climbs through nineteen unnumbered hairpin bends and forms one quarter of the Sella Ring, the circuit of four passes — Gardena, Sella, Pordoi and Campolongo — around the Sella group. Tourist accommodation stands at the top, hikers start from the pass, and the Pizes de Cir ridge with the 2,592 m Gran Cir rises to the north.
Gardena Pass
Local name: Ju de Frara
Mid-December puts men's World Cup ski racing on both sides of the pass at once — the downhill at Val Gardena, the Gran Risa giant slalom at Alta Badia.
- Parking
- Gravel car park about 45 m from the pass, chargeable. A second car park 80 m away is free but reserved for customers.
- Difficulty
- Drive-up: car parks lie within 45–80 m of the pass.
- Transport
- Bus stop Jëuf de Frea – Grödnerjoch – Passo Gardena, about 220 m from the pass.
- Hours
- Open at any hour, all year round.
What makes it special
The road up to the top turns nineteen times, and none of the bends carry numbers. At 2,136 m (7,008 ft) the pass sits between Sëlva in Val Gardena and Corvara in Val Badia, with the walls of the Sella group standing over it. It is one leg of the Sella Ring, the circuit of four passes — Gardena, Sella, Pordoi and Campolongo — that runs right around that massif. North of the road the Pizes de Cir ridge rises to the 2,592 m Gran Cir. Most people pull in for the viewpoints and the photographs, then drive on; hikers use the top as a starting point for walking into the mountains.
Good to know
- Parking: the gravel car park about 45 m from the pass is chargeable; the free one 80 m away is reserved for customers.
- No toilets: none within 800 m of the pass. The nearest drinking water is a free tap around 770 m away.
- Roadworks: stretches of roadworks slowed the crossing in June 2026 — build spare time into the drive.
- Stop only in the allocated parking places. The route becomes busy with tourists, motorcyclists and cyclists in summer.
- Information boards stand roughly 100 m from the pass, and there is tourist accommodation at the top itself.
Getting there
You drive it. The pass road climbs from Sëlva in Val Gardena on the west side and from Corvara in Val Badia on the east, nineteen hairpin bends either way, and the car parks sit at the top — the gravel one about 45 m from the viewpoint, a second one 80 m off — so the walk from the car is a matter of metres. The bus stop is about 220 m from the pass.
Best time to visit
Better: early summer, when snow still lies on the high peaks and flowers are out along the road. Avoid: the height of summer, when the route fills with tourists, motorcyclists and cyclists.
Summer is when the pass carries the most traffic, and the car parks at the top are the only places to pull in — stopping anywhere else on the bends is not an option.
Sun & daylight
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Frequently asked questions
How high is Gardena Pass, and what does it link?
The pass tops out at 2,136 m (7,008 ft) and links Sëlva in Val Gardena on the west with Corvara in Val Badia on the east.Is the road over the pass surfaced all the way?
Yes — asphalt over the whole crossing, through nineteen unnumbered hairpin bends.Is Gardena Pass part of a cycling race?
It is the fourth of the seven Dolomite passes crossed in the Maratona dles Dolomites, the annual single-day race.What is there to do here in winter?
Skiing. There are hotels and cable cars around the pass, and the slopes on both sides are in use through the winter.