Crossing the Brenner Pass with Instagram
I guess we have crossed the Brenner Pass around 60 times over the past 20 years. And still I marvel over the wonderful scenery surrounding Autostrada A22.
Motorway E45 starts in Karesuando in Northern Sweden and ends up in Gela on the southern tip of Sicily. It runs 4,920 kilometres through Europe passing through Denmark, Germany and Austria along the way. And even though we try to find alternate routes for our returning trips between Copenhagen and Puglia we almost always end up on E45/A22 crossing the Brenner Pass and Trentino-Alto Adige as witnesses by these Instagram shots.
Instagram photos posted from motorway A22 on the Italian side of the Brenner Pass.
The lowest Alpine pass
With an elevation of just 1,370 metres the Brenner Pass is the lowest Alpine pass, and it has been used since the 2nd century AD by expansionistic tribes and emperors on their expeditions to Italy. It has remained one of the main north-south going corridors in Europe ever since, and every summer the four-lane motorway is jammed with Danish, German and Dutch cars and caravans heading south for the holidays.
In 2013 a new building was erected in the place where the customs between Italy and Austria once stood. The Plessi Museum is a permanent exhibition space directly on a highway, dedicated to the video artist Fabrizio Plessi. The museum has been launched as a conference venue, but to those of us crossing the Brenner Pass on a regular basis it is mostly a rest stop. Though a lot more interesting and attractive than the average Autogrill.
Wonderful shots and a great use of Instagram. Did you use a camera or camera phone for these? Either way, you have a great eye.
These photos were taken with my phote. Photography always helps to quench boredom on the road.
Beautiful place…
It is – even when you speed by.
Great job with Instagram and that is one long freeway! I did the metric conversions on both how long it is and how high Breener Pass is. Sure gave me an appreciation of the majesty of the Alps, Mette! :)
I’ve almost saved you the plane ticket then, Mike:)
It looks very pretty. I can’t get over how many times you have driven that road.
No, it’s is kind of scary considering that Brenner is about 1200 km from both our homes. Still, the figure is pretty accurate.
I’ve only crossed the Brenner pass once, on a summer school trip. I was 15, and paid much more attention to the cute guys on the bus than to the landscape. I see I really missed something.
I’m not sure the teenagers we have dragged along have seen much of the scenery either. It’s an age thing, I guess.
I hadn’t realized there was a road that exists from North to South and that you take road trips to Italy from Denmark. The scenery looks so pretty and I don’t think I’d get tired of that view. That new museum sounds like a wonderful pit stop.
The idea of a road from north to south Europe, is rather fascinating. But although it is longer, E45 does not have the status of Route 66 in the US.
Thanks for putting the best of your Instagram pics here. Great job!
We appreciate the feedback:)
I love that there is an espresso involved :-)
Yes. It makes everything easier to swallow.
The scenery does look amazing! I can’t believe you’ve driven it nearly 60 times either. Considering how beautiful it is, that number will probably only get higher!
I certainly hope so. And it won’t be many weeks either.