A paved road to Predil Pass in the Julian Alps
Predel-Passo di Predil is an international mountain pass at an elevation of 1.156m (3,793ft), located on the border between Italy and Slovenia.
Is the road Predil Pass in the Julian Alps paved?
Set high in the Julian Alps, the road to the summit, also known as Predel Pass, is paved, but steep, hitting a 13.1% of maximum gradient through some of the ramps. It’s called Strada Statale 254 in Italy and 203 in Slovenia. It’s a difficult road, with countless turns and twists.
How long is Predil Pass in the Julian Alps?
The pass stretches for 7km (4.34 miles), connecting Cave del Predil in the Province of Udine, located in northeastern Italy's Friuli-Venezia Giulia region, to Strmec na Predelu in Slovenia's Littoral region. A prominent landmark along this route is a stone pyramid featuring a bronze statue of a lion in its death throes. This monument pays tribute to a group of Austrian soldiers who valiantly defended the fortress situated above the memorial during the Napoleonic wars.
When was the road to Predil Pass built?
The road traversing the pass has been a major trade route since at least Roman times. The first road through the pass was built in 1319. In 1903, a 4.5 km (2.8 mi) long tunnel (Štoln) was built beneath the pass, serving miners from Log pod Mangartom on their way to the lead mines in Cave del Predil.