Brenner Pass
Photo: Sönke Kraft aka Arnulf zu Linden, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
The Brenner Pass is a pass through the Alps at the Austrian-Italian border, at 1,370 metres.
The pass has been one of the most important passages through the Alps since ancient times. Today it is traversed by highway E45 and a railway between Innsbruck and Bolzano. Construction is underway on a 55-km-long base tunnel to flatten and shorten the railway. It is expected to open in 2032.
In summer, the Brenner Pass is a gratifying route for hiking and cycling.
UnderstandAt a saddle height of "just" 1370 m in altitude, it was one of the lowest Alpine crossings before tunnels were built.
Get inIf you arrive by car, you'll have to get a Vignette (locally called "Pickerl" by some) for the Austrian highways.
Cities and towns* Brenner — a town of 2,000 people with an outlet shopping centre (supermarkets and stores), fruit stores, restaurants, cafés, hotels and a gas station
GoThe pass is the easiest way to cross the Alps and often used by long distance or touring cyclist.
Sources and licences
- Guide text adapted from the Wikivoyage article "Brenner Pass" by its contributors, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read on Wikivoyage · Contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Photo: Sönke Kraft aka Arnulf zu Linden, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons