The Passo di San Marco (1,992 m) connects the Brembana Valley north of Bergamo with the Valtellina on the other side. The road up is a classic mountain drive, winding through tight hairpins past stone villages and thick forests until the trees give out and the high pastures open. At the top, views unfold across the Orobie Alps in every direction.
The pass has been a trade route since the Middle Ages, when the Republic of Venice used it to move goods north — the name itself nods to Venice's patron saint. Today it draws motorcyclists and cyclists in summer, both for the climb and the descent. Several well-marked hiking trails start from the top, including paths to the Rifugio Cà San Marco, where you can break for a plate of pizzoccheri before heading back.
On the way up, stop in San Pellegrino Terme to see the ornate Art Nouveau casino and grand hotel, relics of the town's spa heyday. The pass road is typically open from June to October, weather permitting; outside those months the upper section is closed by snow. From Bergamo the drive takes about an hour and a half — a half-day outing on its own, or the spine of a longer loop into the Valtellina.