Prato allo Stelvio, or Prad am Stilfserjoch in German, is a village of around two and a half thousand people in the Val Venosta, in South Tyrol, at 915 metres above sea level. It is the doorstep of the Stelvio Pass from the eastern side, and the place where most riders who approach from the Vinschgau valley fill up, have a coffee and gather their courage. Almost everyone speaks German first and Italian second, and the village looks more Austrian than Italian, with painted house fronts and flower boxes.
The valley itself is a rain-shadow, one of the driest in the Alps, and the sunny slopes are covered with apple orchards that bloom white in April and carry red fruit in autumn. The apples of the Val Venosta are sold all over Europe. Along the road toward Spondinig you pass the pale marble quarries at Laas, where white marble has been cut for centuries and used in buildings around the world.
From the village, the Stelvio road begins immediately, climbing through forest and past the hamlet of Gomagoi, and then rising in a famous sequence of forty-eight numbered hairpins on this side to the summit at 2,757 metres, one of the highest paved passes in the Alps. The tarmac is generally good, but the road is narrow and busy, with coaches, cyclists and fellow riders, so patience is needed. The pass is open usually from late May or early June until October, depending on snow, and it is worth checking before setting out. It can be cold and windy at the top even in summer.
There is fuel in the village, and it makes sense to fill up here, since the road ahead is steep and prices on the pass are higher. Several bakeries and cafes serve South Tyrolean breakfasts, with speck, rye bread, strudel and strong coffee, and the portions are generous.
Start early, before the traffic builds up, and you will have the first hairpins to yourself with the sun just reaching the upper valley.