Timmelsjoch
Photo: Kiss Tamás (Kit36a at Hungarian Wikipedia), CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
The Timmelsjoch (Italian: Passo del Rombo) mountain pass 2509 m above sea level between the Ötztal and Stubai Alps connects the Ötz Valley (Ötztal) in Northwest Tyrol, Austria with the Passei Valley (Passeital) in South Tyrol, Italy. Across the pass goes the Timmelsjoch High Alpine Road, a scenic route that can be enjoyed from a car, motorcycle, bike or on foot, and is generally open from mid-June to mid-October.
UnderstandThe name Timmel derives from the old Romansh word tömbl, meaning "small hill". It doesn't refer to the pass as such but to the round boulders created by glaciers that are visible along the route.
Get inExit the Inntal Autobahn A12 (between Innsbruck and Feldkirch) at exit number 123 Ötztal. Then drive along the Ötztalstrasse B186 through the Ötztal to the ski resort of Sölden and on to Obergurgl.
GoThe route is usually open to traffic between June and October from 07:00 to 20:00.
SeeIn addition to the mountain views, there are also some other attractions along the route:
Stay safeAdjust your driving speed according to the conditions and visibility, and don't overestimate your skills (this goes especially for motorcycle drivers). You can't know what may await you around that curve.
Go nextOn the Austrian side, the road will go past the ski resorts of Obergurgl and Sölden, and on to the Autobahn A13. From here you can explore the rest of Tyrol and continue on to Germany, Switzerland or Liechtenstein.
Sources and licences
- Guide text adapted from the Wikivoyage article "Timmelsjoch" by its contributors, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read on Wikivoyage · Contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Photo: Kiss Tamás (Kit36a at Hungarian Wikipedia), CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons