
A memorable road trip to Pradarena Pass
Italy, europe
20.8 km
1,579 m
hard
Year-round
# Passo di Pradarena
Tucked away on the border between Emilia Romagna and Tuscany in northern Italy sits Passo di Pradarena, a seriously impressive mountain pass sitting pretty at 1,579 meters (5,180 feet) above sea level.
Getting to the top means tackling Strada Provinciale 12—a road that's technically paved, but let's just say it's seen better days. You're looking at plenty of tight hairpins and some genuinely steep sections that crank up to 15% gradient. Not exactly a leisurely cruise.
Choose your starting point wisely. Coming up from Giarola? Buckle in for 20.8 kilometers with 974 meters of elevation gain—that works out to an average of 4.7% gradient. Prefer starting from Piazza al Serchio? Same distance at 20.8 km, but you'll be grinding up 1,097 meters, averaging 5.3% gradient. Either way, you're in for a proper workout.
The scenery along this Tuscan-Emilian border route is absolutely worth the effort—just make sure your brakes are in top form and your nerve is steady before you hit those hairpins.
Where is it?
A memorable road trip to Pradarena Pass is located in Italy (europe). Coordinates: 42.7364, 12.2751
Road Details
- Country
- Italy
- Continent
- europe
- Length
- 20.8 km
- Max Elevation
- 1,579 m
- Difficulty
- hard
- Coordinates
- 42.7364, 12.2751
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