Alpine passes in numbers.
By Edoardo · published November 3, 2026
We counted and measured the 425 road passes above 1,000 metres in Italy, Switzerland and Austria that make up our atlas. Here is what the data says: where they are, how high they are and how many are paved.
In short
Our atlas holds 425 Alpine road passes above 1,000 m: 270 in Italy, 68 in Switzerland and 87 in Austria. 68 are higher than 2,000 m and only 6 higher than 2,500 m. The highest is Stelvio Pass (2,758 m), followed by Colle dell'Agnello (2,744 m). 384 of 425 are paved (90%).
OpenStreetMap data extracted between 15 and 29 October 2026.By country
| Country | Passes | Average altitude | Highest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Italy | 270 | 1,549 m | Stelvio Pass · 2,758 m |
| Switzerland | 68 | 1,697 m | Umbrailpass · 2,501 m |
| Austria | 87 | 1,377 m | Hochtor (Großglockner) · 2,504 m |
How high they are
The average altitude is 1,537 m. More than half the passes are below 1,500 m: the big climbs above 2,000 m number 68, one in six.
| 1,000–1,499 m | 227 | |
| 1,500–1,999 m | 130 | |
| 2,000–2,499 m | 62 | |
| over 2,500 m | 6 |
The 15 highest passes
| Pass | Altitude | Country | Surface | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stelvio Pass | 2,758 m | Italy | paved |
| 2 | Colle dell'Agnello | 2,744 m | Italy | paved |
| 3 | Passo di Gavia | 2,621 m | Italy | paved |
| 4 | Colle del Nivolet | 2,612 m | Italy | paved |
| 5 | Hochtor (Großglockner) | 2,504 m | Austria | paved |
| 6 | Umbrailpass | 2,501 m | Switzerland | paved |
| 7 | Colle Fauniera | 2,481 m | Italy | paved |
| 8 | Nufenenpass | 2,480 m | Switzerland | paved |
| 9 | Timmelsjoch | 2,474 m | Austria | paved |
| 10 | Colle dell'Assietta | 2,472 m | Italy | gravel |
| 11 | Great St Bernard Pass | 2,469 m | Switzerland | paved |
| 12 | Colle del Vallonetto | 2,447 m | Italy | paved |
| 13 | Furkapass | 2,429 m | Switzerland | paved |
| 14 | Fuscher Törl (Großglockner) | 2,428 m | Austria | paved |
| 15 | Colle Valcavera | 2,416 m | Italy | paved |
By region, canton and state
The area with the most passes is Lombardy (72). In Switzerland and Austria we count cantons and states.
| Area | Country | Passes |
|---|---|---|
| Lombardy | Italy | 72 |
| Piedmont | Italy | 44 |
| Trentino | Italy | 44 |
| Veneto | Italy | 44 |
| Styria | Austria | 26 |
| South Tyrol | Italy | 23 |
| Tyrol | Austria | 21 |
| Friuli Venezia Giulia | Italy | 19 |
| Valais | Switzerland | 18 |
| Carinthia | Austria | 17 |
| Liguria | Italy | 17 |
| Graubünden | Switzerland | 15 |
| Bern | Switzerland | 10 |
| Salzburg | Austria | 9 |
| Vorarlberg | Austria | 9 |
| Aosta Valley | Italy | 7 |
| Vaud | Switzerland | 6 |
| Lower Austria | Austria | 5 |
| Ticino | Switzerland | 3 |
| Uri | Switzerland | 3 |
| Obwalden | Switzerland | 3 |
| Schwyz | Switzerland | 3 |
| St. Gallen | Switzerland | 2 |
| Appenzell Ausserrhoden | Switzerland | 2 |
| Appenzell Innerrhoden | Switzerland | 1 |
| Zug | Switzerland | 1 |
| Lucerne | Switzerland | 1 |
Paved and gravel
384 passes are paved, 37 are gravel and 4 are partly paved. The highest unpaved one is Colle dell'Assietta (2,472 m).
Colle dell'Assietta (2,472 m), Passo di Vizze (2,251 m), Passo Duron (2,204 m), Colle delle Finestre (2,176 m), Colle Rastcias (2,176 m)
Tolls and regulated access
On 7 passes there is a toll or access is regulated on some days or periods: always check the operator's website before you go.
- Colle del Nivolet · 2,612 m · limited access in summer (max 350 vehicles a day, motorbikes included), with a €10 NivoletCard on some days in July, August and September (2026).
- Hochtor (Großglockner) · 2,504 m · Grossglockner High Alpine Road, a toll panoramic road: motorbikes €36.50 a day (2026); open in season only.
- Timmelsjoch · 2,474 m · toll road on the Austrian side: motorbikes €18 one way, €25 return (2026); open in season only.
- Colle dell'Assietta · 2,472 m · gravel road open from 1 July to 31 October; in July and August closed to motor vehicles on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 9am to 5pm; 30 km/h limit (2026).
- Fuscher Törl (Großglockner) · 2,428 m · Grossglockner High Alpine Road, a toll panoramic road: motorbikes €36.50 a day (2026); open in season only.
- Bielerhöhe (Silvretta) · 2,037 m · Silvretta High Alpine Road: the Vorarlberg side is closed for works, reopening expected in 2030; from Tyrol (Paznaun) it is open in summer, toll-free until then.
- Schiestelscharte · 2,024 m · Nockalm Road, a toll panoramic road: motorbikes €18.50 a day (2026); open from early May to late October.
How we did the maths
Where the data comes from
Names, positions and road surface come from OpenStreetMap (ODbL licence), altitudes from the EU-DEM terrain model via Open Topo Data. Extracts dated 15 October (Italy), 19 October (Switzerland) and 29 October 2026 (Austria).
What we count
A pass is a crossing on a road open to traffic, above 1,000 metres, in the Italian, Swiss and Austrian Alps (the Swiss Jura and Austrian uplands outside the Alps are excluded). Border passes count once, in the country where the point lies.
Limits
Altitudes may differ by a few metres from road signs. A pass on the list is not automatically open or rideable: always check season, local rules and weather.
You can use them
You may quote these figures with a link to this page as the source. The underlying data remains © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Frequently asked questions
- How many Alpine road passes are there?
- Our atlas lists 425 road passes above 1,000 metres in the Alps of Italy, Switzerland and Austria: 270 in Italy, 68 in Switzerland and 87 in Austria.
- What is the highest Alpine pass?
- Across Italy, Switzerland and Austria the highest road pass is Stelvio Pass, at 2,758 m, followed by Colle dell'Agnello (2,744 m). In France the Col de l'Iseran is higher, but it is not part of our atlas.
- What is the highest pass in Switzerland and Austria?
- In Switzerland it is Umbrailpass (2,501 m), in Austria Hochtor (Großglockner) (2,504 m), on the Grossglockner High Alpine Road.
- How many passes are above 2,000 metres?
- 68 of 425, about one in six. Only 6 are above 2,500 metres.
- How many Alpine passes are paved?
- 384 of 425, 90%. The rest are gravel or partly gravel.
- Which region has the most passes?
- Lombardy, with 72 road passes above 1,000 metres.