Mountain Passes #4

The fourth part of Stephan Zirwes’ filmic series on mountain passes portrays the highest pass of the Italian Alpes, Stilfser Joch. Shot with a drone and carefully framed, the photographic images meditate on these ancient imposing monuments:

More than a hundred years old – often the only connection between valleys and also cultures – open six months of a year and closed for six months in winter: mountain passes. In earlier times vitally important for commerce and strategic purposes, they become more and more important as tourist attractions today. Built with great human effort under hard conditions – constructions which hardly find attention although they are national monuments.

Plannings on Stilfser Joch started 1818 and were completed in 1825 on behalf of the Austrian empire. The pass was very important for military purposes.