Alpine Passes

Mountain Roads of Europe

Plöcken Pass

Plöcken Pass

Plöckenpass / Passo di Monte Croce Carnico

Austria · Carinthia

1,360m

Key Facts

Elevation
1,360m
Route length
17 km
Max gradient
14%
Hairpins
20
Driving difficulty
Challenging (3/5)
Surface
Fair
Open
Year-round

Route & Map

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Route

SKötschach-Mauthen
17 km · max 14%
Plöcken Pass (1,360m)
Descent
ETimau (IT)
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A border crossing between the Gailtal in Austria and Friuli in Italy. Site of fierce World War I fighting with a museum and memorials at the summit. The Italian side has dramatic hairpin bends.

Weather & Conditions

Driving Experience

Elevation Profile

698m869m1,040m1,210m1,381m0 km5 km10 km15 km20 km1,381m
778m gain
701m loss
790m → 1,381m → 867m

Difficulty

Challenging

3/5 — car driving difficulty

Based on steepness, elevation gain, hairpins, road length & surface quality

Hairpin Turns

20

Serious switchback territory

When to Drive

Year-round (best: July - September)

  • Open year-round, though winter conditions may require snow equipment.
  • Morning hours offer the best driving conditions with less traffic.
  • Steep gradients demand good brakes. Use low gears on descent to avoid brake fade.

Coordinates

Summit
46.6053°N, 12.9458°E
Start (Kötschach-Mauthen)
46.6792°N, 12.9956°E
End (Timau (IT))
46.5833°N, 12.9833°E
#border-crossing#wwi-history#memorial

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Image: Jeroen Komen from Utrecht, Netherlands / CC BY-SA 2.0