ZDFreportage, 2020, 30 minutes
Everyone knows it: the Brenner Pass, the gateway to the south. Holiday route and bottleneck. It is the most frequented Alpine pass, this is where Italy begins. The espresso tastes great, the sun is shining, and the sea is getting closer. Every year, more than 14 million vehicles cross the lowest pass in the Alps - normally. But with the shutdown caused by the Corona pandemic, individual traffic came to a complete standstill. For many weeks, the Austrian-Italian border was closed to car traffic because of the Corona pandemic - with very few exceptions. Motorways and country roads were eerily empty. An extraordinary picture if you know the traffic jams and chaos on the route at holiday travel times.
For the traders who live from tourism along the Brenner route, a catastrophe. For residents who suffer from the traffic noise, a relief. On 15 June, the German Foreign Office lifts its travel warning for the European countries and from 16 June there are no more controls at the Austrian borders either: the gateway to the south is open again. Now the holiday season can begin.