15. The Overseas Highway – Florida Keys
The
Overseas Highway leaps from island to island across 42 bridges
southwest through Florida Keys and it was built in 1938 along the course
of an old railroad that has been destroyed by a hurricane. The highway
is mostly over water and in about four hours you can enjoy the beautiful
scenery and the ocean and of course, the incredible sunrises and
sunsets if you come here at the right time. During holidays the traffic
will make journeys through this highway a bit longer but I’m sure
everyone would love to stay on this road as long as possible.
14. Red Rock Scenic Road – USA
The
Red Rock Scenic Road winds through Sedona’s Red Rock Country, often
called a “museum without walls”. The road provides a splendid view of
the stunning red rocks which seem alive like a timeless spirit that
captivates and inspires everyone. The Red Rock Scenic byway also passes
through the Montezuma Castle National Monument and the Coconino National
Forest giving every driver an amazing sense of intimacy with nature.
13. Iroha-zaka – Japan
Iroha-zaka
is a winding road from Japan which connects central Nikko and
Oku-Nikko. The road comprises of 48 curves and each corner has an
ancient Japanese alphabet, starting in alphabetical order from I-ro-ha
which also gave this road’s name. Iroha-zaka is actually made of two
roads, one to come down and another to go up and they both have 48
curves matching the 48 letters of the ancient Japanese alphabet.
12. Atlantic Road – Norway
The
Atlantic Road was voted as the Norwegian construction of the century
and it’s a five mile long stretch of road connecting Molde and
Kristiansund in this country. The road rides above some rough and uneven
surfaces and it’s spectacular because it rises itself and falls at many
places like a sea at the time of a rough tide. Apart from the
incredible road itself, the scenery surrounding it could give any driver
shivers.
11. Oberalp Pass – Switzerland
The
Oberalp Pass in an incredible road in the high Swiss mountains that’s
an important link between Central Switzerland and the Graubunden
Oberland. The road is really popular for all drivers from Europe but
it’s only open during summer months. In winter this pass is closed for
road traffic and the road itself is used as a ski slope, toboggan run
and hiking trail!
10. North Yungas “Road of Death” – Bolivia
The
North Yungas Road is a 43 mile road connecting La Paz and Coroico deep
into the Bolivian Andes. The road is name by the locals “El Camino de la
Muerte” or the Road of Death and it was named the world’s most
dangerous road in 1995. The road, famous for its extreme danger has a
single lane width with terrifyingly drop offs, tight hairpins, narrow
passages and almost no guardrails at all. The fog and rain can make
visibility poor and the road surface muddy which adds even more dancer
to any journey on this road. On average, there is a fatal accident every
couple of weeks on this road and it is estimated that 200 to 300
travelers are killer per year on this treacherous road. Today however,
the Youngas road has less traffic and it used mostly by travelers who
want to feel its thrill.
9. Trollstigen – Norway
One
of the most notable attractions from the Fjord in Norway is the
Trollstigen road, a steep winding mountain road located in the Rauma
region. The word Trollstigen means the Troll Ladder in English and it
represents a series of stunning roads with a breathtaking view and a
couple of incredible waterfalls. This road is very narrow and leaves
very few possibilities for vehicles to pass each other and with its
steep 9% gradient and 11 hairpins it’s really, really challenging. But
it’s all worth it if you get to the top where you’ll see this amazing
road from above and the Stigfossen waterfall, a 320 m waterfall which
falls down the mountain side.
8. Guoliang Tunnel Road – China
The
Guoliang Tunnel Road was built by 13 local villagers headed in only
five years in the Taihang mountains in the Hunan province of China. Many
villagers lost their lives in accidents during the construction of this
tunnel but in 1977 it was opened to traffic. The tunnel carved from the
mountains is 1,200 meters long, 5 meters high and 4 meters wide and its
also one of the most dangerous roads in the world. This extremely
beautiful scenic route was dubbed as “the road that does not tolerate
any mistakes” and its a key destination on the Chinese tourism map.
7. San Bernardino Pass – Switzerland
Another
high mountain pass across the Swiss Alps is the San Bernardino Pass and
the road that goes through it and connects the Swiss towns Misox and
Hinterrhein is also one of the world’s greatest roads. The pass is
located at 2,065 meters and the road has incredibly smooth roads, a lot
of hairpins and challenging bends and of course, amazing scenic views.
The road also goes through an impressive 6.6 km long tunnel.
6. Los Caracoles Pass – Andes
Los
Caracoles Road passes through the harsh terrain of the Andreas
Mountains from the Andes on the way between Chile and Argentina. The
road has many hard switchbacks on an extremely steep incline and
numerous hairpins without any safety guard rails. For the most part of
the year, this pass is covered by snow and that makes it incredibly hard
to negotiate. Despite the fact that it’s one of the most challenging
roads in the world, the Los Caracoles Pass has a strong safety record.
5. Col de Turini – France
The
Col de Turini is situated in a mountain pass in the south of France in
the Alps at more than 1 mile above sea level. The road is included as
part of a 20 miles rally stage every year of the Monte Carlo Rally in
the World Rally Championship and it combines 34 hairpins and long
stretch lines where cars can reach top speeds of over 110 mph. This
stage is one of the most challenges stages from the WRC and apart from
the wonderful road, the scenery also makes it one of the most attractive
and exciting roads on Earth.
4. The Jebel Hafeet Mountain Road – UAE
The
Jebel Hafeet Mountain Road in the United Arab Emirates extends for 7.3
miles with 60 turns up the mountain of a height of 1,219 m. The UAE road
scales the mountain with a beautiful view of the desert below and ends
at a parking lot with only a hotel and of course, a palace, belonging to
the country’s rulers. The road is a mixture of fast straights and
sweeping curves that merge perfectly from one to another forming this
amazing driving road in the middle of the desert.
3. Lysebotn Road – Norway
The
Lysebotn Road is considered one of the most breathtaking roads in
Europe and it all starts with the narrow road up the steep walls of the
Lysefjord, Norway. The road includes 27 challenging hairpins and a 1.1
km long tunnel at the bottom which also has 3 switchbacks inside to make
things even more interesting. The surface of the road is perfect and
the ones who were already on this road think of it as a rollercoaster.
It’s probably the most fun road from Norway and its last 30 km to
Lysebotn will put a smile on every driving enthusiast’s face.
2. Stelvio Pass – Italy
From
the Eastern Alps in Italy, the Stelvio Pass Road connects the
Valtellina with Merano and the upper Adige valley. This is the second
highest paved mountain road in the Alps and its situated at an altitude
of around 1.7 miles (about 2,757 meters) above sea level. The Stelvio
Pass is one of the best continuous hairpin routes in the world and its
fame came from the presence of 48 hairpin bends and the fact that the
road becomes very narrow at some points and it has a couple of very
steep inclines. This road is regarded by many car enthusiasts as one of
the most challenging roads in the world and it’s scenery is absolutely
breathtaking and spectacular.
1. Transfagarasan – Romania
The
Transfăgărășan (that’s the exact spelling) is the highest and most
dramatic paved road from Romania. Built as a strategic military route by
the former dictator Nicolae Ceausescu between 1970 and 1974, this road
connects the historic regions of Transylvania and Wallachia, and the
cities of Sibiu and Pitesti. The Transfagarasan represents 90 km of
twists and turns run North to South across the tallest sections of the
Carpathian Mountains between the highest peaks of the mountain in this
country.
On
top of the mountains this road provides access to Balea Lake, a glacier
lake which has been here for thousands of years and it also has an
almost 1 km long tunnel straight through the mountain’s top. The road
was built at a high cost both financially and from a human standpoint
with more than 6 million kilograms of explosive being used on the
northern face and official records of 40 soldiers who lost their lives
while building it. Unofficial records however mention that only the
tunnel took about 400 lives.
The
north end of the road is the most spectacular and it’s dotted with
steep hairpin turns, long S curves and sharp descents combined with an
absolutely stunning view! Between October and June this road is under
the snow and usually closed so… that means only a couple of months in
the summer it’s available to enjoy a pure driving pleasure. Top Gear
also named this road as the best road in the world !
Honorable mentions:
Millau Viaduct – France
Autobahn – Germany
Great Ocean Road – Australia
Taroko Gorge Road -Taiwan
Leh–Manali Highway – India
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