The Road to Rifugio Cornisello in the Alps is Not for Timid Drivers

# The Wild Ride to Rifugio Cornisello

Looking for one of Italy's most heart-pounding drives? Head to the Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol region and buckle up for the road to Rifugio Cornisello, sitting pretty at 2,160m (7,086ft) in the stunning Parco Naturale Adamello Brenta Geoparco.

This beast of a road was carved out in the 1950s to support dam construction near the Cornisello lakes, and it's earned its reputation as Italy's most nerve-wracking drive. Starting from Sant'Antonio di Mavignola at 1,077m, you're looking at a 12.3 km (7.64 miles) climb that'll gain you 1,109m of elevation—that's a punchy 9.01% average gradient, folks.

What awaits you? Seventeen hairpin turns that'll test your driving skills, mostly on paved asphalt that's in fair condition (though potholes and water can surprise you). The real kicker? A pitch-black, unlit one-lane tunnel mid-climb that's genuinely terrifying. Add in the narrow lanes, minimal guardrails except on the gnarliest curves, and that rough, unpaved final stretch, and you've got yourself a serious challenge.

Fair warning: this road is only passable from July to September when the snow clears. Come October, it's locked up tight until June. Plus, tourist season brings crowds and inexperienced drivers, cranking up the difficulty even more.

But here's the payoff—those epic views of the Brenta Group are absolutely worth every white-knuckle moment. Mountain refuges pepper the route if you need to catch your breath and soak in the Alpine scenery.