Falzarego Pass is a road with 38 sharp hairpin bends

Passo di Falzarego is a stunning high mountain pass sitting at 2,105m (6,906ft) in the Belluno province of Italy's Veneto region. Trust us, the views are absolutely worth the climb.

This legendary pass has serious historical chops—it was a crucial battleground during World War II's Dolomite war between the Austrians and Italians, and you'll still find moving war memorials scattered throughout the area. The name itself, "false king" in the local Ladin language, adds to its mystique. The road section was inaugurated on September 13th, 1909, making it the final piece of the Great Dolomite Road to open. Over a century later, it's still celebrated as an engineering marvel.

Running 37.9 km (23.54 miles) east-west from Cortina d'Ampezzo to Arabba, this fully paved route (Strada Regionale 48) is a rider's dream and a driver's challenge. You're looking at 38 hairpin bends, a handful of tunnels, and a gnarly 12.6% maximum gradient that'll get your heart pumping. But here's the payoff: those 360-degree Dolomite vistas are absolutely breathtaking, and the road itself is a technical masterpiece of curves, sweepers, and straightaways.

The pass is so legendary that it's a key stage of the Giro d'Italia—Italy's prestigious cycling tour. From the summit, you can continue north on SP24 toward Val Badia, passing below Sas de Stria and through Valparola Pass for even more alpine adventure.