Timmelsjoch is the name of a high (2474 meters above sea level) Alpine Mountain pass exactly on the border between Austria and Italy.
The border was established here after the First World War when Austria lost South-Tirol to Italy. It was decided that the border followed the main European water divide. So this border is thus not only an international border, but also a border between two river basins. Th water flowing into Austria flows into the Ötztaler Ache River, than the Inn River which flows into the Danube River. The Danube River ends in the Black Sea. On the other side, the Italian one, the water flows towards the Adige River (In the German the Etsch) which flows towards the Adriatic Sea.
Normally such borders are also a linguistic and cultural border, but not here, because of the decisions made after WWI. The language and cultural border, between the Italian and German/ Tiroler & Austrian language and culture is more towards the south: the castle ‘Haderburg’ at the Salurner Klause ( a gorge ) of the Adige River is considered the German/Italian language border.
It is a beautiful mountain pass, in the middle of the Eastern Alps , open from +/- June to November ( you have to pay a toll). Be sure your brakes are in a good condition ;-)!
