Kartitsch Saddle

The Kartitscher Sattel is a high mountain pass in the Gail valley, East Tyrol, standing at 1 525 metres between the Karnian Alps to the south and the Lienz Dolomites to the north. On its eastern side lies Obertilliach, while the village of Kartitsch gives the pass its name on the western side. Fifteen hundred metres apart, two streams rise at the col: the Gail flowing east and the Gailbach flowing west. The pass is reached by the Gailtal road, a local route linking the Plöcken Pass to the south with the Gailberg Pass to the north. From the col the Gail valley opens northwards, giving access to most of East Tyrol and onward routes through the Felbertauern tunnel and Toblach field. To the south the road leads to the Nassfeld ski area and the South Autobahn. Visitors find open meadows and sweeping views across the high valley. The col itself is marked by a simple stone cairn beside the road, while the surrounding peaks rise steeply on both sides. The contrast between the two river valleys is clear: one flowing toward the Adriatic, the other toward the Danube.