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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.



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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.

Crossing the Brenner Pass

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.

More on traffic like ‘Crossing the Brenner Pass with Instagram’

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Service on the autostrada in Italy

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18 replies
  1. Maria Falvey
    Maria Falvey says:
    June 15, 2014 at 9:39 pm

    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.

    Reply
    • admin
      admin says:
      June 19, 2014 at 5:25 pm

      These photos were taken with my phote. Photography always helps to quench boredom on the road.

      Reply
  2. Muza-chan
    Muza-chan says:
    June 16, 2014 at 6:06 am

    Beautiful place…

    Reply
    • admin
      admin says:
      June 19, 2014 at 5:26 pm

      It is – even when you speed by.

      Reply
  3. Mike
    Mike says:
    June 18, 2014 at 1:04 am

    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! :)

    Reply
    • admin
      admin says:
      June 19, 2014 at 5:43 pm

      I’ve almost saved you the plane ticket then, Mike:)

      Reply
  4. Leigh
    Leigh says:
    June 18, 2014 at 11:41 pm

    It looks very pretty. I can’t get over how many times you have driven that road.

    Reply
    • admin
      admin says:
      June 19, 2014 at 5:57 pm

      No, it’s is kind of scary considering that Brenner is about 1200 km from both our homes. Still, the figure is pretty accurate.

      Reply
  5. Sophie
    Sophie says:
    June 20, 2014 at 6:18 am

    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.

    Reply
    • admin
      admin says:
      June 22, 2014 at 4:06 pm

      I’m not sure the teenagers we have dragged along have seen much of the scenery either. It’s an age thing, I guess.

      Reply
  6. Mary {The World Is A Book}
    Mary {The World Is A Book} says:
    June 20, 2014 at 7:59 am

    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.

    Reply
    • admin
      admin says:
      June 22, 2014 at 4:11 pm

      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.

      Reply
  7. Laura @Travelocafe
    Laura @Travelocafe says:
    June 20, 2014 at 7:16 pm

    Thanks for putting the best of your Instagram pics here. Great job!

    Reply
    • admin
      admin says:
      June 22, 2014 at 4:12 pm

      We appreciate the feedback:)

      Reply
  8. Stephanie - The Travel Chica
    Stephanie - The Travel Chica says:
    June 25, 2014 at 12:52 am

    I love that there is an espresso involved :-)

    Reply
    • admin
      admin says:
      June 25, 2014 at 5:41 pm

      Yes. It makes everything easier to swallow.

      Reply
  9. Vanessa @ Green Global Travel
    Vanessa @ Green Global Travel says:
    June 25, 2014 at 6:14 am

    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!

    Reply
    • admin
      admin says:
      June 25, 2014 at 5:44 pm

      I certainly hope so. And it won’t be many weeks either.

      Reply

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