Ultimate 4wd destination: Laghi di Cedec
Italy, europe
1.4 km
2,833 m
hard
Year-round
# Laghi di Cedèc: A Wild Alpine Adventure
Want to experience one of Italy's most dramatic high-altitude drives? Laghi di Cedèc is a stunning mountain lake sitting pretty at 2,833 meters (9,294 feet) in the Sondrio province of Lombardy, nestled within the magnificent Parco Nazionale dello Stelvio in the northern Alps.
Fair warning: this isn't your average Sunday drive. The road here is completely off-limits during winter, and year-round access is restricted to authorized vehicles only. The entire route is unpaved, so if you're not comfortable tackling serious mountain tracks, this probably isn't for you. You'll definitely need a proper 4x4 to make it work.
Starting from Santa Caterina di Valfurva, you're looking at an 11.8 km (7.33 mile) climb with a brutal 1,104-meter elevation gain—that's an average gradient of 9.35%. Translation? Steep doesn't even begin to cover it. This ranks among Italy's highest roads for a reason.
Be particularly prepared for the roughest section: the first 1.4 km beyond Rifugio Pizzini (at 2,706m/8,877ft) features some genuinely gnarly terrain that'll test your driving skills and your vehicle's suspension.
If you've got a solid 4x4 and nerves of steel, the views and sense of accomplishment at the top make this epic journey absolutely unforgettable.
Where is it?
Ultimate 4wd destination: Laghi di Cedec is located in Italy (europe). Coordinates: 41.6671, 14.1770
Road Details
- Country
- Italy
- Continent
- europe
- Length
- 1.4 km
- Max Elevation
- 2,833 m
- Difficulty
- hard
- Coordinates
- 41.6671, 14.1770
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