Timmelsjoch
Encyclopedia
Timmelsjoch (el. 2509 m./8232 ft.) is a high mountain pass
that creates a link through the Ötztal Alps
along the border between Austria
and Italy
.
The Timmelsjoch connects the Ötztal
valley in the Austrian state of Tyrol to the Passeier valley
, later Adige
Valley, in the Italian province of South Tyrol
, as it bridges the saddle point between the Jochköpfl (10,305 ft./3,141 m.) and Wurmkogl (10,112 ft/3,082 m) peaks to its northeast and southwest, respectively. The pass is sometimes called the "secret passage" because it is little-used compared to the much easier and lower Brenner Pass
some 15 miles/25 km to its east, and Reschen Pass some 40 miles/60 km to its west.
By 3,000 BC, the glaciers of the last Ice Age were retreating, but the Alps remained grim and forbidding. Solitary hunters, fugitives, and scattered tribes were the only people who ventured this high. The lure of treasure, however, brought adventurers from the early Bronze Age to extract the copper. Later in the Middle Ages, mining influenced the development of a road network. Marble quarries, semiprecious stones, and oil shales were all exploited.
Travellers, pedlars, and those with pack-animals all sought the shortest route across the main Alpine ridge. The Timmelsjoch was always one of the most important of these routes, due to the political development of the region throughout the centuries. The road leads from Meran, the old capital, through the Passer valley. At Sankt Leonhard
the roads forks, one crossing the Timmelsjoch saddle and continuing on through the Ötztal (Ötz valley) to the Inn valley, while the other leads to the Jaufenpass and down to Sterzing
, then joining the Brenner Pass road. Saint Leonhard is the patron saint of carters and was also venerated by peddlers.
The Timmelsjoch is the deepest non-glaciated indentation in the main Alpine ridge between the Reschen and Brenner Passes. Its name is older than that of the Brenner, first documented in 1241 as “Thymelsjoch” in a letter written by the Bavarian Counts of Eschenlohe. For centuries, the spelling “Thimmeljoch” prevailed, only changing to “Timmelsjoch” during the construction of the paved road in the twentieth century, when modern surveying techniques were applied to earlier cartographic ideas to determine the best route.
On July 7, 1959, after four years of construction, the 12-kilometre road was finally opened to the public. The road was well-engineered and integrated into the landscape.
While the road up from the Ötz valley was built for tourism purposes, the situation in the Passer valley (south side) was very different: as in many other parts of the Italian Alps, Mussolini, the ruler from 1922 to 1945, had numerous military roads built up towards Italy's international borders. Construction of the road from Moos in Passeier
, 10 km south-east from the pass commenced in the 1930s. After the meeting between Mussolini and Hitler on the Brenner in 1939, construction work ceased. The road was narrow and rough, but had almost been completed (the last, 700m-long tunnel had been dug through - just the remaining 2 km stretch from its end to the pass had not been built; the tunnel partly collapsed in the following years).
During the period 1939 to the mid 1960s, the unfinished, grassed-over road was only used for forestry purposes. Construction work resumed in the mid 1960s and the road was completed to the pass and opened to through traffic in 1967.
The road on the Ötz valley side is called the Timmelsjoch Hochalpenstrasse.
The pass is now popular with car and motorbike tourists. Due to its elevation, steepness, and narrow road, the pass is closed to lorries and vehicles with trailers. The pass road is open to traffic from app. the first half of June to the second half of October (the exact dates depend on snow conditions) daily from 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM. The Ötz valley side is subject to a toll charge.
The road has, on account of the dramatic scenery particularly on the south side, become popular with cyclists too. On the last Sunday in August, several thousand cyclists taking part in the Ötz Valley Cycling Marathon (Ötztaler Radmarathon) crawl up the 29 kilometre-long section from St. Leonhard in Passeier (672m) to the pass, gaining 1800 m (6000 ft) - this is the fourth and final pass included in the gruelling 238 kilometre marathon.
Mountain pass
A mountain pass is a route through a mountain range or over a ridge. If following the lowest possible route, a pass is locally the highest point on that route...
that creates a link through the Ötztal Alps
Ötztal Alps
The Ötztal Alps are a mountain range in the central Alps of Europe, part of the Central Eastern Alps. They are arrayed at the head of the Ötztal, a side valley of the Inn River southwest of Innsbruck, Austria; the line of summits forms part of Austria's border with Italy.The western border is the...
along the border between Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
and Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
.
The Timmelsjoch connects the Ötztal
Ötztal
The Ötztal is a 65-kilometer long alpine valley in the Austrian state of Tyrol. The Ötztaler Ache river flows through the valley in a northern direction. The Ötztal separates the Stubai Alps in the east from the Ötztal Alps in the west. The northern end of the valley is at the confluence of the...
valley in the Austrian state of Tyrol to the Passeier valley
Passeier Valley
The Passeier Valley is the valley of the Passer river, in the mountains of South Tyrol, northern Italy. The Passer river is a left-bank tributary to the Adige. At the mouth of the valley, where the two rivers join, stands the town of Meran...
, later Adige
Adige
The Adige is a river with its source in the Alpine province of South Tyrol near the Italian border with Austria and Switzerland. At in length, it is the second longest river in Italy, after the River Po with ....
Valley, in the Italian province of South Tyrol
South Tyrol
South Tyrol , also known by its Italian name Alto Adige, is an autonomous province in northern Italy. It is one of the two autonomous provinces that make up the autonomous region of Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol. The province has an area of and a total population of more than 500,000 inhabitants...
, as it bridges the saddle point between the Jochköpfl (10,305 ft./3,141 m.) and Wurmkogl (10,112 ft/3,082 m) peaks to its northeast and southwest, respectively. The pass is sometimes called the "secret passage" because it is little-used compared to the much easier and lower Brenner Pass
Brenner Pass
- Roadways :The motorway E45 leading from Innsbruck via Bolzano to Verona and Modena uses this pass, and is one of the most important north-south connections in Europe...
some 15 miles/25 km to its east, and Reschen Pass some 40 miles/60 km to its west.
By 3,000 BC, the glaciers of the last Ice Age were retreating, but the Alps remained grim and forbidding. Solitary hunters, fugitives, and scattered tribes were the only people who ventured this high. The lure of treasure, however, brought adventurers from the early Bronze Age to extract the copper. Later in the Middle Ages, mining influenced the development of a road network. Marble quarries, semiprecious stones, and oil shales were all exploited.
Travellers, pedlars, and those with pack-animals all sought the shortest route across the main Alpine ridge. The Timmelsjoch was always one of the most important of these routes, due to the political development of the region throughout the centuries. The road leads from Meran, the old capital, through the Passer valley. At Sankt Leonhard
St. Leonhard in Passeier
St Leonhard in Passeier is a comune in the Passeier Valley in South Tyrol, northern Italy, located about 80 km north of Trento and about 35 km north of Bolzano .-Geography:...
the roads forks, one crossing the Timmelsjoch saddle and continuing on through the Ötztal (Ötz valley) to the Inn valley, while the other leads to the Jaufenpass and down to Sterzing
Sterzing
Sterzing is a comune in South Tyrol in the region of Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, Italy. It is the main village of the southern Wipptal, and the Eisack River flows through the medieval town.-Origin:...
, then joining the Brenner Pass road. Saint Leonhard is the patron saint of carters and was also venerated by peddlers.
The Timmelsjoch is the deepest non-glaciated indentation in the main Alpine ridge between the Reschen and Brenner Passes. Its name is older than that of the Brenner, first documented in 1241 as “Thymelsjoch” in a letter written by the Bavarian Counts of Eschenlohe. For centuries, the spelling “Thimmeljoch” prevailed, only changing to “Timmelsjoch” during the construction of the paved road in the twentieth century, when modern surveying techniques were applied to earlier cartographic ideas to determine the best route.
On July 7, 1959, after four years of construction, the 12-kilometre road was finally opened to the public. The road was well-engineered and integrated into the landscape.
While the road up from the Ötz valley was built for tourism purposes, the situation in the Passer valley (south side) was very different: as in many other parts of the Italian Alps, Mussolini, the ruler from 1922 to 1945, had numerous military roads built up towards Italy's international borders. Construction of the road from Moos in Passeier
Moos in Passeier
Moos in Passeier is a comune in the Passeier Valley, in South Tyrol in the Northern Italian region Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol...
, 10 km south-east from the pass commenced in the 1930s. After the meeting between Mussolini and Hitler on the Brenner in 1939, construction work ceased. The road was narrow and rough, but had almost been completed (the last, 700m-long tunnel had been dug through - just the remaining 2 km stretch from its end to the pass had not been built; the tunnel partly collapsed in the following years).
During the period 1939 to the mid 1960s, the unfinished, grassed-over road was only used for forestry purposes. Construction work resumed in the mid 1960s and the road was completed to the pass and opened to through traffic in 1967.
The road on the Ötz valley side is called the Timmelsjoch Hochalpenstrasse.
The pass is now popular with car and motorbike tourists. Due to its elevation, steepness, and narrow road, the pass is closed to lorries and vehicles with trailers. The pass road is open to traffic from app. the first half of June to the second half of October (the exact dates depend on snow conditions) daily from 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM. The Ötz valley side is subject to a toll charge.
The road has, on account of the dramatic scenery particularly on the south side, become popular with cyclists too. On the last Sunday in August, several thousand cyclists taking part in the Ötz Valley Cycling Marathon (Ötztaler Radmarathon) crawl up the 29 kilometre-long section from St. Leonhard in Passeier (672m) to the pass, gaining 1800 m (6000 ft) - this is the fourth and final pass included in the gruelling 238 kilometre marathon.
See also
- List of highest paved roads in Europe
- List of mountain passes