South Tyrol · Italy
Penser Joch (Passo Pennes)
SS508Vipiteno to Sarentino
Long high South Tyrol pass on the most direct Bolzano to Sterzing road.
The SS508 over the 2211 m Penser Joch links Sterzing in the Wipptal with Bolzano via the remote Sarntal, the most direct road between the two. It is a long, sweeping climb with hundreds of curves, a handful of genuine hairpins and a fine surface, topping out at a lonely summit guesthouse. The Sarntal side feels notably wild and lightly trafficked. Mind the steeper ramps that reach around 13 percent, the long exposed high-altitude section prone to sudden weather, and snow closing the pass in winter.
Scenery
Best seasons
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Where it runs24.9 mi · point to point
Navigate to the start: Apple Maps · Google Maps
Character
Steeper than 9 in 10 roads here in the catalogue.
Corners
busiest around mile 5Elevation
under 4%4–8%over 8%942.2 – 2,197.7 mFrom the road
Points of interest3 stops
- Penser Joch – Passo di PennesViewpoint9.8 mi in
- SeiterbergjochViewpoint9.3 mi in
- Gänsekragenspitze – Punta di CampoViewpoint9.6 mi in
Hazards
- Very steep ramps
- Exposed high-altitude weather
- Winter closure
Is Penser Joch (Passo Pennes) open? Typical season and live summit weather ›
Sources
“The road is pretty challenging, with hundreds of turns and a few hairpin turns.”
Verified route: mapped from real road geometry and fact-checked by a human editor. How roads get checked
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