Col de la Lombarde

Pack your bags, check your tire pressure, and get ready for a border-crossing adventure of a special kind: the *Col de la Lombarde* (Italian: *Colle della Lombarda*). While the masses pile up on the neighboring Col de la Bonette, the Lombarde is the insider tip for bikers who love it wild, narrow, and steeped in history. Here's the report from the saddle – with a healthy dose of adrenaline and a glance in the rearview mirror of history: The Summit Storm Between Worlds (2,350 m) When you ride the Lombarde, you experience a true "Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde" scenario on two wheels. The route connects the French Tinée Valley near Isola with the Italian Valle Stura near Vinadio. The French Side: Curve Frenzy and Resort Charm From Isola, you wind your way up on perfectly paved asphalt. First, you'll zip through the ski resort *Isola 2000*. Okay, architecturally, the village is more "functional concrete," but the road leading there? A dream! Wide curves, a flowing rhythm – here you can really lean your machine from one side to the other. But as soon as you leave Isola 2000 behind, the road gets narrower, the air thinner, and your grin wider. The Italian Side: The Hairpin Massacre As soon as you pass the wooden pass sign at *2,350 meters* and dive into Italy, everything changes. The road becomes a "handkerchief" – narrow, winding, and technically demanding. This is where the wheat is separated from the chaff. The descent to Vinadio is a wild ride through larch forests and past rugged rocks. Every hairpin demands full concentration, because oncoming traffic (even if rare) becomes a millimeter game here. A Ride Through History: The Spirit of the "Vallo Alpino" What makes the Lombarde so special is its atmosphere. You're not just riding over asphalt here, but through an open-air museum of the 20th century. * *Stone Relics:* All around the pass summit, you'll find remnants of barracks, bunkers, and trenches. They belong to the *Vallo Alpino* (the Alpine Wall), which Mussolini had built in the 1930s. * *Military Strategy:* The road itself was originally built for military purposes, to quickly move troops to the border. When you ride past the ruins of *Camp des Fourches* (not far from the Bonette) or the fortifications directly on the Lombarde today, you can feel the breath of history. Where soldiers once stood guard in the icy wind, today we enjoy the freedom on two wheels. * *The Name:* "Lombardo" is, by the way, the Provençal name for the northeast wind. And it whistles around your helmet up there – a sign that you've arrived in the high mountains. Why You'll Love the Lombarde: 1. *Santuario di Sant’Anna:* Just a few turns below the pass summit on the Italian side, a road branches off to *Europe's highest pilgrimage site* (2,035 m). An espresso up there is a must – the view is divine, I promise! 2. *Solitude Instead of Mass Tourism:* While other passes are clogged with motorhomes, you often have peace and quiet here. Just you, your engine, and the whistle of marmots. 3. *Scenic Contrast:* From the barren lunar landscape at the summit to the deep green valleys of Piedmont – the visual variety is incredible. *My Biker Tip:* Ride the Lombarde from Italy to France if you prefer the tight ascent uphill, or vice versa if you want to prove yourself as a "descent king." But no matter what: Keep the GoPro rolling – you'll definitely want to rewatch the ruins and the hairpin ballet when you get home.