South Tyrol / Veneto · Italy
Passo Monte Croce di Comelico
SS52San Candido to Santo Stefano di Cadore
The Kreuzbergpass at 1636 m, a well-graded SS52 saddle between the Sesto Dolomites and the Carnic Alps, linking San Candido to Santo Stefano di Cadore.
The SS52 Strada Carnica climbs from San Candido in the Puster valley over the 1636 m Kreuzbergpass, the dividing line between the Sesto Dolomites to the west and the Carnic Alps to the east, then runs down the Val Padola to Santo Stefano di Cadore. It is fully paved and in good order, with sweeping curves rather than extreme hairpins, and an old Roman trade route beneath it. A relaxed but scenic Dolomite crossing that has featured in the Giro d’Italia. Mind the moderate to heavy summer traffic, the steeper twistier descent toward Santo Stefano, and trucks using it as a through route.
On the road
The road runs from San Candido to Santo Stefano di Cadore. Heading up the Sesto valley, the SS52 gains about 470 metres in roughly 9 miles (15 km). There is only one true hairpin on this side, and the steepest pull comes just after the village of Moso. Look out for the peaks of the Sexten Sundial, among them the Neuner, Zehner and Elfer.
The top is a broad, gentle saddle with a hotel, a restaurant and paid parking. A wooden cross remembers the dead of the First World War, when the pass marked the frontier between Italy and Austria-Hungary. The modern road dates from the 1930s. Beyond the summit it narrows and is not always two lanes wide, and the few real hairpins drop towards Padola. One motorbike guide recommends driving from the south-east, so you climb those bends rather than descend them.
Below Padola the road runs almost level to Candide, then drops through woods for about 5 miles (8 km) to Santo Stefano. The Cascata del Pissandolo waterfall sits just below the pass on the Padola side. The pass is normally open all year, though bad winter weather can close it for short spells.
Scenery
Best seasons
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Passo Monte Croce di Comelico on the map22.9 mi · point to point
Navigate to the start: Apple Maps · Google Maps
Character
Corners
busiest around mile 14Elevation
under 4%4 to 8%over 8%910 to 1,642 mFrom the road
Points of interest3 stops
- Passo Monte Croce di ComelicoViewpoint9.9 mi in
- Monumento all’emigranteLandmark23 mi in
- Cascata del PissandoloLandmark11 mi in
Hazards
- Moderate to heavy through traffic in summer
- Trucks on the SS52 corridor
- Snow and ice outside the warm months
Sources
“A 5-Star Road to Monte Croce di Comelico Pass”
Route traced from OpenStreetMap, with its stats measured from that line. How the roads are mapped
Routes for iPhone carries Passo Monte Croce di Comelico offline, with live weather and a 7 day forecast.
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