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Car park · Alpe Arera

Parcheggio a pagamento dell'Alpe Arera (quota 1600)

The Alpe Arera car park at 1,600 metres: 4 euros a day, where to buy the ticket, when the road from Plassa is open and the rules for driving up.

It is the highest car park in the municipality and the one from which the Capanna 2000 hut is closest: it lies at 1,600 metres, at the end of the road that climbs from Plassa, below the old ski lifts of the Alpe Arera. From here the hut is about an hour's walk and 400 metres of ascent according to the Rifugi di Lombardia portal; as the crow flies it is just over 1.2 kilometres.

Parking is charged for every vehicle: 4 euros a day. The ticket must be bought before driving up, in the participating shops in the village or at the Plassa parking meters, in front of the apartment blocks before the climb begins, and displayed so it can be seen. The council also sells a 30-euro season pass, valid until the road closes.

The road is not always open. Every spring a mayor's order reopens it provisionally and every autumn another closes it: in 2026 it reopened from 22 April, and the winter before it was closed to all vehicles from 18 November 2025. It can also close for a few hours or a few days, because of snow or for a race.

What you'll find

  • Paid parking, 4 euros a day
  • Season pass, 30 euros
  • Tickets in participating shops and at the Plassa parking meters
  • Unsurfaced, unattended

Opening hours

  • Road from Plassa reopened from 22 April 2026 (order no. 5/2026)
  • Winter 2025-26: closed to all vehicles from 18 November 2025
  • As of 1 October 2026 the order for winter 2026-27 has not been published

How much it costs and how to pay

According to the council's notice of 21 April 2026 the charge is 4 euros a day for any vehicle. You do not buy the ticket up at the car park: you buy it before the climb, in the participating shops or at the parking meters installed at Plassa, in front of the apartment blocks, and display it so it can be seen. The season pass costs 30 euros and is valid until the road closes; ask the council for it.

The solar-powered parking meter serving the 1,600-metre car park was bought by the council in 2014 and placed at the start of the access road, at Plassa; in December 2025 the council commissioned maintenance work on it. OpenStreetMap describes the car park as an unsurfaced, unattended area.

When the road is open

The stretch from Plassa to Arera 1600 is open provisionally, pending its final inspection: the 2026 reopening order says so, referring back to the first provisional opening in 2010. So every year the mayor signs one order in spring and one in autumn, and short closures can come in between. Before driving up, check the council's online noticeboard, where the orders are published.

Orders on the Plassa-Arera 1600 road

WhenOrderWhat it provides
11 April 2025Order no. 4/2025Temporary opening for the summer period
From 18 November 2025Order no. 32/2025Ban on all vehicles, also on the bypass next to the avalanche barrier on via Plassa
From 22 April 2026Order no. 5/2026Provisional reopening to motor traffic, with limits and bans
14 and 15 May 2026Order no. 9/2026Immediate closure because of snowfall below 1,300 metres
5 September 2026, 7.30-10.30Order no. 32/2026Closure for transporting MAGA Skyrace athletes

Online noticeboard of the council of Oltre il Colle; order no. 4/2025 is cited in order no. 32/2025. As of 1 October 2026 the order for winter 2026-27 has not been published.

The rules on the road from Plassa

Order no. 5 of 21 April 2026, which reopened the road, sets precise rules. The road has asphalt and crash barriers but has not passed its final inspection, so the order imposes restrictions:

  • Speed limit of 30 km/h along the whole stretch
  • Ban on vehicles with a tow hook pulling a trailer that carries other vehicles
  • Ban on vehicles over 3.5 tonnes, because there is no equipped area and the uninspected road surface may not be stable
  • Ban on parking at the roadside or anywhere outside the designated spaces
  • For those who break the order, a fine and removal of the vehicle

From the car park to the Capanna 2000 hut

According to the Rifugi di Lombardia portal, from the 1,600-metre car park you reach the hut, at 1,969 metres, in less than an hour on CAI path 221, or on the vehicle track, which makes a wider loop and climbs more gently to Pian Cansaccio, where the hut stands. The same portal gives one hour and 400 metres of ascent from the Alpe Arera, against one hour fifty and 900 metres starting on foot from Zambla Alta. In the hut's entrance hall there is a defibrillator registered by AREU.

In winter: where to leave the car

When the road is closed you park lower down, at Plassa. At the start of the road to Monte Arera there is the car park next to the Camping Arera, which since 2023 the council has entrusted by agreement to the campsite operator for its management, supervision, maintenance, snow clearing and upkeep of the green areas; the agreement requires it to be usable at least from June to September, at Christmas, at Easter, on public holidays and at weekends, and it authorises charging points for e-bikes.

From there you go up on foot or on snowshoes: route, times and precautions are in the guide's page on the snowshoe walk to the Capanna 2000.

Good to know

The car park for the Capanna 2000 hut and the Sentiero dei Fiori, at the top of the road that climbs from Plassa. Parking costs 4 euros a day for any vehicle: buy the ticket before driving up, in the participating shops or at the Plassa parking meters, and leave it on display. Season pass: 30 euros.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions: Parcheggio a pagamento dell'Alpe Arera (quota 1600)

How much does it cost to park at the Alpe Arera?

Four euros a day for any vehicle, according to the council. There is also a 30-euro season pass, valid until the road closes.

Where do I buy the ticket for the Alpe Arera car park?

Before driving up: in the participating shops in Oltre il Colle or at the Plassa parking meters, in front of the apartment blocks, before the climb begins. The ticket must be displayed so it can be seen.

Is the road to the Alpe Arera open?

As of 1 October 2026, yes: it reopened from 22 April 2026 and the closing order for winter 2026-27 has not yet been published. In winter 2025-26 it was closed to all vehicles from 18 November. Before driving up, check the council's online noticeboard.

Can I drive up to the Alpe Arera with a camper van or a trailer?

The 2026 order bans vehicles over 3.5 tonnes and those pulling a trailer that carries other vehicles; it also bans parking outside the designated spaces. There are no specific bans for lighter vehicles.

How long does it take from the Alpe Arera car park to the Capanna 2000?

About an hour on foot and 400 metres of ascent according to the Rifugi di Lombardia portal, on CAI path 221; the vehicle track is longer but gentler.

Where do I park in winter to walk up to the Capanna 2000?

At Plassa, because in winter the road to 1,600 metres is closed by order: there is the car park next to the Camping Arera, run by the campsite under an agreement with the council.

Sources

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