Stella Alpina Military Road Circuit

The Stella Alpina winds through high-altitude military positions built during WWI when this was the Austrian front line. You’ll navigate narrow ledge roads carved into limestone cliffs, pass through the ruins of Fort Tre Sassi, and tackle the infamous Passo Valparola switchbacks where Austrian soldiers once hauled artillery. The route connects multiple fortified positions including the underground galleries of Lagazuoi, demanding precise wheel placement on exposed sections above 2,000-meter drops.

This is expert-level alpine driving requiring a capable 4WD with low range, skid plates, and recovery gear. Roads turn treacherous with weather changes, and several sections demand spotting around blind hairpins. Best tackled June through September when snow clears the high passes. Fuel up in Cortina d’Ampezzo before starting—no services exist on the circuit. What you get is unmatched Dolomites scenery, WWI history you can touch, and technical driving that’ll test your limits on some of Europe’s most dramatic mountain roads.