December · Mixed
Cold, often snowy, and the driving is functional rather than fun. December brings ski traffic back.
Verdict
Mixed
Where to base
Corvara, Ortisei or Cortina
Roads in the Atlas
9
Checked by the Drivers Atlas desk
Scored and written by the Drivers Atlas editorial desk, drawing on driven routes across the UK and Europe, mapping data and member road reports. Seasonal notes are reviewed against published closure dates and reopened each spring. How we score roads.
Last reviewed 24 June 2026
Context
A compact cluster of passes where you can drive four world class roads before lunch. The rock walls make it the most photogenic driving in Europe.
Roads
Dolomites
Four Dolomite passes in a single circuit of the Sella massif, the finest loop in Europe.
34.2 mi · Rating 9.7 / 10
All four passes need to be open, roughly May to October
Trentino and South Tyrol, Italy
Sheer Dolomite towers on both sides make this short link one of the world's great scenic drives.
6.8 mi · Rating 9.6 / 10
Closed roughly November to April
Veneto, Italy
Twenty nine hairpins climb to a wide open saddle ringed by the jagged Cinque Torri.
10.6 mi · Rating 9.6 / 10
Closed roughly November to April
Trentino and South Tyrol, Italy
Twenty eight numbered hairpins climb to the highest paved point of the Dolomites road network.
8.1 mi · Rating 9.5 / 10
Closed roughly November to April
Dolomites
War tunnels, a small lake and the Lagazuoi towers, quieter than its famous neighbours.
20.5 mi · Rating 9.4 / 10
Winter closure in heavy snow years
Dolomites
A brutal ramp to a dam under the Marmolada glacier, the roof of the Dolomites.
18.6 mi · Rating 9.3 / 10
Closed or difficult after heavy snow
Trentino
Open meadows under the Pale di San Martino, one of the great Dolomite views.
18.6 mi · Rating 9.1 / 10
Kept open in winter but often snowy
Trentino
Narrow, savage and empty, a proper hill climb road with no barriers to speak of.
24.9 mi · Rating 9.1 / 10
Closed by snow from November to May
Veneto and South Tyrol, Italy
The gentlest of the Sella Ronda passes but with knockout views of the Sella massif.
3.7 mi · Rating 8.9 / 10
Occasional winter closures in heavy snow