Mendola Pass

The Passo della Mendola mountain pass between Mt. Penegal in the north and Mt. Roen in the south connects the Oltradige area with the Val di Non valley, in other words South Tyrol and the Trentino. The street which leads on the Mendola Pass is a route which is very popular with cyclists and bikers, as it is characterised by its 17 sharp bends as well a great panoramic view. In the 19th and at the beginning of the 20th century, the Mendola Pass (Mendelpass, in German) was a popular health resort, above all with aristocrats and emperors.

The Mendola Funicular was built in 1903 by the renowned Swiss architect Emil Strub to connect the locality of Gries (Bolzano) with the top of the pass. Even today it is still in operation - it starts in Caldaro and is one of the steepest funicular railways throughout Europe. Nowadays, on the pass there are numerous small holiday homes, in which people from Caldaro and Appiano spend their weekends or summer holidays. Particularly in July and August the Passo della Mendola is animated. In winter, however, there is the small Mendola/Ruffrè skiing area.