The library
253 roads worth going out of your way for, across 26 countries. Every one is rated out of ten for driving quality and for scenery, with the seasonal catches that decide whether a pass is open when you arrive.
Open any road for its map, its numbers and the places to stay within easy reach, then send it straight to a journey with the planner.
253 roads shown
Country
D64, Alpes-Maritimes, France
Col de la Bonette
A looping summit road above 2800 metres that circles the peak itself for maximum theatre.
9.7 / 10 · 24 km · 14.9 mi
D902, Savoie and Hautes-Alpes, France
Col du Galibier
The spine of the Route des Grandes Alpes, a relentless climb to one of driving's holiest summits.
9.6 / 10 · 18.1 km · 11.2 mi
D71, Var, France
Gorges du Verdon, Corniche Sublime
Cliff hugging ledge road staring straight down into Europe's grandest limestone canyon.
9.6 / 10 · 24 km · 14.9 mi
D902, Savoie, France
Col de l'Iseran
The roof of the Route des Grandes Alpes, a stark granite amphitheatre above 2700 metres.
9.6 / 10 · 16 km · 9.9 mi
D81, Corse-du-Sud, Corsica, France
Calanques de Piana
Impossibly narrow ledge road through blood red granite pinnacles above the Gulf of Porto.
9.6 / 10 · 12 km · 7.5 mi
D902, Hautes-Alpes, France
Col d'Izoard
Hairpins through larch forest give way to the lunar Casse Deserte, a surreal high altitude finale.
9.5 / 10 · 33 km · 20.5 mi
D918, Hautes-Pyrenees, France
Col du Tourmalet
The highest paved pass in the Pyrenees and the Tour de France's most storied climb.
9.5 / 10 · 19 km · 11.8 mi
D23, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, France
Route des Cretes, Verdon
A vertiginous loop skimming the canyon rim with balcony viewpoints at every bend.
9.4 / 10 · 23 km · 14.3 mi
D918, Pyrenees-Atlantiques, France
Col d'Aubisque
Cliff cut hairpins and cirque views link two valleys via the dramatic Litor shelf.
9.4 / 10 · 30 km · 18.6 mi
D205T, Hautes-Alpes, France
Col Agnel
Remote high altitude pass to the Italian frontier with tight ribbons and stark empty scenery.
9.3 / 10 · 22 km · 13.7 mi
D907bis, Lozere, France
Gorges du Tarn
A river hugging road beneath towering limestone cliffs, one of the Massif Central's great drives.
9.3 / 10 · 52 km · 32.3 mi
D2564, Alpes-Maritimes, France, above Monaco
Grande Corniche
Napoleon's high road above Monaco, immortalised on film, staring down onto the principality.
9.3 / 10 · 16 km · 9.9 mi
D84, Haute-Corse, Corsica, France
Scala di Santa Regina
A narrow gorge road blasted into red granite walls, the gateway to Corsica's high interior.
9.3 / 10 · 25 km · 15.5 mi
D268, Corse-du-Sud, Corsica, France
Col de Bavella
Needle like granite spires tower over this pass linking Corsica's interior to the east coast.
9.3 / 10 · 38 km · 23.6 mi
D926, Savoie and Isere, France
Col de la Croix de Fer
Turquoise lakes and jagged aiguilles frame this classic crossing of the Grandes Alpes.
9.2 / 10 · 30 km · 18.6 mi
D290, Ardeche, France
Gorges de l'Ardeche
A dramatic corniche skimming turquoise river bends beneath the Pont d'Arc natural arch.
9.2 / 10 · 32 km · 19.9 mi
D70, Alpes-Maritimes, France
Col de Turini
Legendary Monte Carlo Rally stage stitching together forested hairpins above the Roya valley.
9.1 / 10 · 17 km · 10.6 mi
D141, Bouches-du-Rhone, France
Route des Cretes, Cassis
A clifftop road above Europe's highest maritime cliff with the Mediterranean glittering below.
9.1 / 10 · 15 km · 9.3 mi
D2202, Alpes-Maritimes, France
Col de la Cayolle
A quiet pastoral pass with a gorge finale through the narrow Gorges du Bachelard.
9.0 / 10 · 48 km · 29.8 mi
D918, Hautes-Pyrenees, France
Col du Soulor
A dramatic balcony road along the Litor cliff face connecting straight into the Aubisque.
9.0 / 10 · 19 km · 11.8 mi
D1091, Hautes-Alpes, France
Col du Lautaret
A broad glacier flanked highway linking the Romanche and Guisane valleys beneath the Meije massif.
8.9 / 10 · 38 km · 23.6 mi
D213, Savoie, France
Col de la Madeleine
A punishing Tour de France staple threading pine forest to a panorama of the Vanoise peaks.
8.9 / 10 · 19.3 km · 12 mi
N98, Var, France
Corniche de l'Esterel
Red volcanic rock plunges into azure sea along this coastal corniche below the Esterel massif.
8.9 / 10 · 25 km · 15.5 mi
D6007, Alpes-Maritimes, France, above Monaco
Moyenne Corniche
The middle ribbon of the three Riviera corniches, threading Eze's clifftop village.
8.9 / 10 · 16 km · 9.9 mi
N85, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence to Alpes-Maritimes, France
Route Napoleon
Sweeping historic highway tracing Napoleon's 1815 march through lavender country and pine ridges.
8.8 / 10 · 72 km · 44.7 mi
D211, Isere, France
Alpe d'Huez
Twenty one numbered switchbacks, each hairpin named for a Tour de France stage winner.
8.8 / 10 · 13.8 km · 8.6 mi
D623, Haute-Corse, Corsica, France
Vallee de la Restonica
A tight riverside track climbing into a glacial valley beneath jagged Corsican granite peaks.
8.8 / 10 · 16 km · 9.9 mi
D680, Cantal, France
Pas de Peyrol, Puy Mary
A steep col cresting a green volcanic ridge with huge views over the Cantal massif.
8.7 / 10 · 27 km · 16.8 mi
D618, Haute-Garonne, France
Col de Peyresourde
A classic Pyrenean crossing of open pasture and hairpins on the Route des Pyrenees.
8.7 / 10 · 18 km · 11.2 mi
D430, Vosges, France
Route des Cretes, Vosges
A ridge road built for wartime supply lines, tracing rounded Vosges summits above the Rhine.
8.7 / 10 · 83 km · 51.6 mi
D902, Hautes-Alpes, France
Col de Vars
A gentler Alpine link road with sweeping meadows between two harder edged giants.
8.6 / 10 · 20 km · 12.4 mi
D25, Jura, France
Route des Cretes du Haut-Jura
A high plateau ridge road with sweeping Mont Blanc panoramas across the Leman basin.
8.6 / 10 · 40 km · 24.9 mi
D983, Puy-de-Dome, France
Col de la Croix Morand
Volcanic puys unroll beneath this switchbacked crossing of the Auvergne's Chaine des Puys.
8.5 / 10 · 22 km · 13.7 mi
D132, Pyrenees-Atlantiques, France
Col de la Pierre Saint-Martin
A wild limestone plateau climb through the karst country of the western Pyrenees.
8.5 / 10 · 24 km · 14.9 mi
D6098, Alpes-Maritimes, France
Basse Corniche
A sea level corniche skimming every harbour and cove between Nice and the Italian border.
8.4 / 10 · 22 km · 13.7 mi
D35, Alsace, France
Route des Vins d'Alsace
A meandering vineyard route strung between half timbered villages beneath the Vosges foothills.
8.4 / 10 · 170 km · 105.6 mi
D437, Doubs, France
Corniche de Goumois
A quiet river hugging corniche along the French and Swiss border deep in the Jura forests.
8.4 / 10 · 20 km · 12.4 mi
D992, Aveyron, France
Causse du Larzac
Rolling limestone plateau roads that deliver a dramatic view of the record breaking viaduct.
8.3 / 10 · 22 km · 13.7 mi
D417, Vosges, France
Col de la Schlucht
A forested pass over the main Vosges ridge, popular with cyclists and motorbikes alike.
8.3 / 10 · 22 km · 13.7 mi
N5, Ain, France
Col de la Faucille
A historic Jura pass with a famous belvedere overlooking Lake Geneva and the Alps beyond.
8.3 / 10 · 13 km · 8.1 mi
D784, Finistere, Brittany, France
Cap Sizun coast road
A wind scoured finger of Breton coast road ending at France's dramatic westernmost headland.
8.3 / 10 · 16 km · 9.9 mi
D788, Cotes-d'Armor, Brittany, France
Cote de Granit Rose
A pink granite coastline unfurls beside this road linking fishing ports of northern Brittany.
8.3 / 10 · 22 km · 13.7 mi
D31, Dordogne, France
Cingle de Tremolat
A looping riverside lane tracing the Dordogne's dramatic horseshoe meander below limestone cliffs.
8.2 / 10 · 14 km · 8.7 mi
D706, Dordogne, France
Vallee de la Vezere
A limestone valley drive past troglodyte cliffs and prehistoric caves along the storied Vezere.
8.2 / 10 · 25 km · 15.5 mi
D940, Seine-Maritime, Normandy, France
Cote d'Albatre coast road
Chalk cliffs plunge to the Channel along this rolling route past Etretat's famous arches.
8.1 / 10 · 45 km · 28 mi
Country
Applecross, Scottish Highlands
Bealach na Ba
Britain's highest road climbs via hairpins to a wild moonscape pass above Applecross.
9.9 / 10 · 18.5 km · 11.5 mi
Lake District, England
Hardknott Pass
England's steepest road gradient, a brutal one in three climb over Roman ruins.
9.5 / 10 · 5 km · 3.1 mi
Wester Ross, Scotland
Applecross Coast Road
A lochside single track with views straight across to Skye and the Cuillins.
9.4 / 10 · 25 km · 15.5 mi
A82, Glen Coe, Scottish Highlands
Glencoe Road
A sweeping run through Rannoch Moor beneath the brooding Buachaille Etive Mor.
9.4 / 10 · 30 km · 18.6 mi
A4069, Brecon Beacons, Wales
Black Mountain Pass
A ribbon of hairpins climbing a bare Welsh moorland made famous by Top Gear.
9.4 / 10 · 19 km · 11.8 mi
A894, Sutherland, Scotland
Kylesku to Durness
A remote NC500 highlight of sea lochs, switchbacks and empty moorland roads.
9.3 / 10 · 45 km · 28 mi
Isle of Skye, Scotland
Quiraing Road
A high single track skirting the surreal landslipped pinnacles of the Trotternish ridge.
9.3 / 10 · 13 km · 8.1 mi
B5289, Lake District, England
Honister Pass
A steep slate quarry pass squeezed between towering fells above Buttermere.
9.3 / 10 · 6.5 km · 4 mi
A4086, Snowdonia, Wales
Llanberis Pass
A dramatic pass beneath Snowdon's crags linking two of Wales's most storied villages.
9.3 / 10 · 16 km · 9.9 mi
A87, Kintail, Scottish Highlands
Glen Shiel Road
A fast sweeping glen road beneath the jagged Five Sisters of Kintail ridge.
9.2 / 10 · 38 km · 23.6 mi
Lake District, England
Wrynose Pass
Narrow single track linking Langdale to Duddon Valley over the ancient Three Shire Stone.
9.1 / 10 · 6.5 km · 4 mi
B6270, Yorkshire Dales, England
Buttertubs Pass
Tour de France famous climb past limestone potholes between two classic dale villages.
9.1 / 10 · 11 km · 6.8 mi
A686, North Pennines, England
Hartside Pass
A biker's classic with wide open views across the Eden Valley to the Lakeland fells.
9.1 / 10 · 13 km · 8.1 mi
Antrim Coast, Northern Ireland
Torr Head Coast Road
A hair raising cliff edge single track with views across to the Mull of Kintyre.
9.1 / 10 · 13 km · 8.1 mi
A2, Antrim Coast, Northern Ireland
Causeway Coastal Route
One of the world's great coast roads, hugging cliffs beneath nine dramatic glens.
9.1 / 10 · 48 km · 29.8 mi
A57, Peak District, England
Snake Pass
Sweeping moorland A road that rolls and dips across the wild Pennine spine.
8.9 / 10 · 16 km · 9.9 mi
A537, Peak District, England
Cat and Fiddle Road
A biker and driver favourite of fast open curves past England's second highest pub.
8.9 / 10 · 11.5 km · 7.1 mi
Forest of Bowland, England
Trough of Bowland
A ribbon of tarmac threading heather fells said to mark the centre of Britain.
8.9 / 10 · 10 km · 6.2 mi
A83, Argyll, Scotland
Rest and Be Thankful
A dramatic zigzag climb through Glen Croe famous for its recurring landslides.
8.9 / 10 · 13 km · 8.1 mi
A543, Denbigh Moors, Wales
Evo Triangle, A543
One leg of the legendary Evo Triangle, a flowing high speed moorland test road.
8.9 / 10 · 24 km · 14.9 mi
Black Mountains, Wales
Gospel Pass
Wales's highest surfaced road climbs open sheepwalks above the Wye valley.
8.9 / 10 · 11 km · 6.8 mi
A896, Wester Ross, Scotland
Lochcarron Coastal Road
A narrow, twisting sea loch road with constant views over to the Applecross hills.
8.9 / 10 · 25 km · 15.5 mi
A5, Snowdonia, Wales
Evo Triangle, A5
The connecting stretch of the Evo Triangle beloved for its rhythmic fast corners.
8.8 / 10 · 10 km · 6.2 mi
A542, Denbighshire, Wales
Horseshoe Pass
A famous horseshoe bend switchback climbing out of the Vale of Llangollen.
8.8 / 10 · 18 km · 11.2 mi
A93, Cairngorms, Scotland
Cairnwell Pass
Britain's highest classified road climbs a bleak ski pass above Glenshee.
8.8 / 10 · 16 km · 9.9 mi
A835, Wester Ross, Scotland
Corrieshalloch Road
A flowing highland road that skirts a spectacular hidden gorge and waterfall.
8.7 / 10 · 19 km · 11.8 mi
A592, Lake District, England
Kirkstone Pass
The highest road pass in the Lakes open to through traffic, with sweeping fell views.
8.7 / 10 · 11 km · 6.8 mi
B4518, Mid Wales
Elan Valley Road
A serene reservoir road threading dams and pine forest deep in mid Wales.
8.7 / 10 · 10 km · 6.2 mi
A470, Snowdonia, Wales
Crimea Pass
A former mountain pass road with fast sweepers overlooking slate valleys.
8.6 / 10 · 13 km · 8.1 mi
A9, Caithness, Scotland
Berriedale Braes
Two tight hairpin descents drop the A9 into a dramatic cliffside river gorge.
8.5 / 10 · 6 km · 3.7 mi
A487, Ceredigion, Wales
Cardigan Coast Road
A rolling coastal A road with sweeping bends and constant glimpses of Cardigan Bay.
8.5 / 10 · 39 km · 24.2 mi
Forest of Bowland, England
Long Preston to Slaidburn
An overlooked back road across rolling limestone fells with almost no traffic.
8.3 / 10 · 14 km · 8.7 mi
B6318, Northumberland, England
Military Road
An arrow straight Roman era road that rolls dramatically beside Hadrian's Wall.
8.3 / 10 · 32 km · 19.9 mi
A719, Ayrshire, Scotland
Electric Brae Road
A coastal optical illusion road where cars appear to roll uphill on their own.
8.2 / 10 · 8 km · 5 mi
Peak District, England
Goyt Valley Road
A quiet forested run past reservoirs favoured by locals over the busier Cat and Fiddle.
8.2 / 10 · 8 km · 5 mi
A9, Cairngorms, Scotland
Drumochter Pass
Scotland's highest main road summit crossing wide open Cairngorm moorland.
8.2 / 10 · 33 km · 20.5 mi
A6, Sperrin Mountains, Northern Ireland
Glenshane Pass
Northern Ireland's highest main road crossing sweeps over bleak Sperrin moorland.
7.9 / 10 · 18 km · 11.2 mi
Country
SS38, Lombardy and South Tyrol, Italy
Passo dello Stelvio
Eighty four hairpins stacked above the treeline make this Europe's most theatrical mountain pass.
9.9 / 10 · 49 km · 30.4 mi
SS163, Campania, Italy
Amalfi Coast Road
A cliffside ribbon of hairpins clinging above turquoise water and pastel towns.
9.7 / 10 · 50 km · 31.1 mi
SS300, Lombardy, Italy
Passo di Gavia
A narrow, unguarded ribbon past Lago Nero that feels wilder than its famous neighbour.
9.6 / 10 · 31 km · 19.3 mi
SS242, Trentino and South Tyrol, Italy
Passo Sella
Sheer Dolomite towers on both sides make this short link one of the world's great scenic drives.
9.6 / 10 · 11 km · 6.8 mi
SR638, Veneto, Italy
Passo Giau
Twenty nine hairpins climb to a wide open saddle ringed by the jagged Cinque Torri.
9.6 / 10 · 17 km · 10.6 mi
SS48, Trentino and South Tyrol, Italy
Passo Pordoi
Twenty eight numbered hairpins climb to the highest paved point of the Dolomites road network.
9.5 / 10 · 13 km · 8.1 mi
SS243, South Tyrol, Italy
Passo Gardena
Limestone spires of the Sella group frame every one of this pass's flowing bends.
9.3 / 10 · 12 km · 7.5 mi
SP38, Lombardy, Italy
Strada della Forra
A tunnel like gorge road carved into rock above Lake Garda, once called the world's best road.
9.2 / 10 · 7 km · 4.3 mi
Piedmont, Italy
Colle delle Finestre
A gravel topped final stretch of tight hairpins made famous by the Giro d'Italia.
9.1 / 10 · 19 km · 11.8 mi
Lombardy and Graubunden
Passo dell'Umbrail
Switzerland's link into the Stelvio is a quieter alternative with the same drama.
9.0 / 10 · 15 km · 9.3 mi
SP105, Piedmont, Italy
Colle dell'Agnello
One of the Alps' highest paved passes, remote and narrow near the French border.
9.0 / 10 · 20 km · 12.4 mi
SS244, Veneto and South Tyrol, Italy
Passo Campolongo
The gentlest of the Sella Ronda passes but with knockout views of the Sella massif.
8.9 / 10 · 6 km · 3.7 mi
SR222, Tuscany, Italy
Chianti Classico Road
Rolling cypress lined curves through vineyards link two of Tuscany's finest cities.
8.9 / 10 · 45 km · 28 mi
Lombardy, Italy
Passo del Mortirolo
Cycling's cruellest climb doubles as a brutally steep, tightly hairpinned driving test.
8.7 / 10 · 12.5 km · 7.8 mi
SS1, Liguria, Italy
Passo del Bracco
A ridge top Ligurian road with sweeping sea glimpses above the Cinque Terre coastline.
8.4 / 10 · 38 km · 23.6 mi
SS456, Liguria and Piedmont, Italy
Passo del Turchino
A historic road linking Genoa to the Piedmont plains through wooded Apennine ridgelines.
7.8 / 10 · 30 km · 18.6 mi
Country
Ma-2141, Mallorca, Spain
Sa Calobra Road
A driver's icon that loops through a knotted 270 degree hairpin down to the cove.
9.6 / 10 · 12 km · 7.5 mi
Ma-10, Mallorca, Spain
Ma-10 Serra de Tramuntana
Mallorca's spine road strings together sea cliffs, terraces and mountain villages.
9.5 / 10 · 75 km · 46.6 mi
AS-262, Asturias, Spain
Lagos de Covadonga Road
Hairpins climb from the Covadonga basilica into limestone peaks above two glacial lakes.
9.4 / 10 · 24 km · 14.9 mi
TF-21, Tenerife, Canary Islands
TF-21 Teide Road
Volcanic moonscape unfolds as the road spirals up past pine forest into Teide's caldera.
9.4 / 10 · 45 km · 28 mi
GC-210, Gran Canaria, Canary Islands
GC-210 Roque Nublo Road
Ridge top curves reveal the volcanic finger of Roque Nublo above pine covered barrancos.
9.2 / 10 · 22 km · 13.7 mi
CL-625, Castilla y Leon, Spain
Puerto de Panderrueda
A ribbon of tarmac threading beech forests beneath the jagged western Picos de Europa.
9.1 / 10 · 30 km · 18.6 mi
A-372, Andalusia, Spain
Sierra de Grazalema Road
Whitewashed villages and vulture cliffs frame this twisting run over the Palomas pass.
9.1 / 10 · 30 km · 18.6 mi
AS-227, Asturias, Spain
Puerto de Somiedo
Tight switchbacks climb past bear country lookouts to a windswept pass over 1400 metres.
9.0 / 10 · 25 km · 15.5 mi
A-136, Aragon Pyrenees, Spain
Valle de Tena to Portalet
A long alpine valley run past reservoirs and ski towns to the French border ridge.
9.0 / 10 · 45 km · 28 mi
LP-2, La Palma, Canary Islands
LP-2 Cumbre Vieja Road
A ridge road along the volcanic spine of La Palma with views to both Atlantic coasts.
9.0 / 10 · 28 km · 17.4 mi
HU-631, Aragon Pyrenees, Spain
Road to Ordesa Valley
A short dramatic climb into a canyon rimmed by sheer limestone walls and waterfalls.
8.9 / 10 · 8 km · 5 mi
A-366, Andalusia, Spain
Ronda to Coin Road
Endless third gear curves cut through cork oak hills between two fine Andalusian towns.
8.9 / 10 · 50 km · 31.1 mi
A-4132, Sierra Nevada, Spain
Road to Trevelez
Terraced Alpujarra villages give way to Spain's highest inhabited settlement on this climb.
8.9 / 10 · 35 km · 21.7 mi
A-395, Sierra Nevada, Spain
Carretera del Veleta
Europe's highest paved road climbs relentlessly toward Veleta's summit above the treeline.
8.9 / 10 · 32 km · 19.9 mi
Country
Ticino, Switzerland
Tremola, the old Gotthard road
A cobbled historic switchback climb that predates the modern Gotthard highway entirely.
9.5 / 10 · 13 km · 8.1 mi
Valais and Uri, Switzerland
Furka Pass
Bond film hairpins skirt the Rhone Glacier on this high, exposed Alpine crossing.
9.4 / 10 · 16 km · 9.9 mi
Bern and Uri, Switzerland
Susten Pass
A flowing, beautifully engineered road beneath the Steingletscher ice cliffs.
9.4 / 10 · 47 km · 29.2 mi
Graubunden, Switzerland
Bernina Pass
Glaciers hang over the road as it threads past turquoise Lago Bianco to the Poschiavo valley.
9.3 / 10 · 33 km · 20.5 mi
Bern and Valais, Switzerland
Grimsel Pass
Granite reservoirs and stark rock walls line this dramatic climb from the Bernese Oberland.
9.2 / 10 · 26 km · 16.2 mi
Graubunden, Switzerland
Maloja Pass
Tight zigzags drop dramatically off the Engadine plateau toward the Italian border.
9.1 / 10 · 30 km · 18.6 mi
Graubunden, Switzerland
Splugen Pass
Wild, narrow hairpins on the Italian side rank among the Alps' most intense single lane drives.
9.1 / 10 · 19 km · 11.8 mi
Graubunden, Switzerland
Julier Pass
A fast, sweeping Roman era route across a bare, boulder strewn Engadine watershed.
8.9 / 10 · 36 km · 22.4 mi
Uri and Glarus, Switzerland
Klausen Pass
A historic race road with narrow forested switchbacks opening onto high pastureland.
8.9 / 10 · 48 km · 29.8 mi
Graubunden, Switzerland
Fluela Pass
A remote, boulder strewn crossing linking Davos to the wild Lower Engadine.
8.8 / 10 · 26 km · 16.2 mi
Graubunden, Switzerland
Albula Pass
Tight forested hairpins give way to a bare summit above the Albula rail viaducts.
8.7 / 10 · 36 km · 22.4 mi
Graubunden, Switzerland
San Bernardino Pass
A smooth historic alternative to the motorway tunnel with long views into the Misox valley.
8.6 / 10 · 13 km · 8.1 mi
Uri and Graubunden, Switzerland
Oberalp Pass
A high, wide open pass paralleling the scenic Glacier Express rail line.
8.5 / 10 · 22 km · 13.7 mi
Country
B308, Bavarian Alps, Germany
Deutsche Alpenstrasse West
The western German Alpine Road weaves past castles beneath jagged limestone peaks.
9.4 / 10 · 90 km · 55.9 mi
B305, Bavarian Alps, Germany
Deutsche Alpenstrasse Ost
Sweeping alpine curves link lake resorts on the way to the Austrian border.
9.4 / 10 · 150 km · 93.2 mi
Eifel, Germany
Nurburgring Nordschleife
The Green Hell loops through Eifel forest with 73 legendary corners open to the public.
9.3 / 10 · 21 km · 13 mi
Bavarian Alps, Germany
Rossfeld Panoramastrasse
Germany's highest through road climbs to the border with views over the Watzmann massif.
9.3 / 10 · 16 km · 9.9 mi
B500, Black Forest, Germany
Schwarzwaldhochstrasse
Germany's original scenic highway rolls along a forested ridge with panoramic Alpine views.
9.2 / 10 · 60 km · 37.3 mi
B53, Mosel, Germany
Mosel Wine Road
The river road twists beneath vineyard slopes past the hairpin loop at Bremm's Calmont.
8.9 / 10 · 95 km · 59 mi
B31, Black Forest, Germany
Hoellental Gorge Road
The Hoellental route squeezes through granite walls beside a rushing mountain stream.
8.8 / 10 · 30 km · 18.6 mi
B49, Mosel, Germany
Cochem to Koblenz Mosel Road
Riverside curves trace the Mosel's serpentine loops beneath castle ruins and steep vineyards.
8.8 / 10 · 50 km · 31.1 mi
L186, Black Forest, Germany
Kandelhoehenstrasse
Tight forested hairpins climb to a summit famed among motorcyclists for its sweeping bends.
8.7 / 10 · 13 km · 8.1 mi
B4, Harz, Germany
Harz Panoramastrasse
Dense spruce forest and granite tors frame this rolling route beneath the Brocken summit.
8.5 / 10 · 30 km · 18.6 mi
B172, Saxon Switzerland, Germany
B172 Saxon Switzerland Road
The Elbe riverside road runs beneath dramatic sandstone table mountains near the Bastei.
8.5 / 10 · 22 km · 13.7 mi
B242, Harz, Germany
Hochharzstrasse
A short forested climb linking two Harz resort towns with tight wooded bends.
8.3 / 10 · 12 km · 7.5 mi
Country
B107, Salzburg and Carinthia, Austria
Grossglockner Hochalpenstrasse
Austria's grandest high alpine road climbs to Franz Josefs Hohe beneath the country's tallest peak.
9.8 / 10 · 48 km · 29.8 mi
Tyrol and South Tyrol
Timmelsjoch Hochalpenstrasse
A high toll road crossing into Italy with a dramatic glass museum perched at the summit.
9.5 / 10 · 30 km · 18.6 mi
B188, Vorarlberg and Tyrol, Austria
Silvretta Hochalpenstrasse
Thirty four hairpins climb past the turquoise Silvretta reservoir to a glacier ringed summit.
9.3 / 10 · 22 km · 13.7 mi
B78, Carinthia, Austria
Nockalmstrasse
A rounded, grassy high plateau road with dozens of curves and long views over the Nockberge.
8.7 / 10 · 34 km · 21.1 mi
B165, Tyrol and Salzburg, Austria
Gerlos Alpine Road
A scenic connector road ending near Austria's tallest waterfalls at Krimml.
8.4 / 10 · 30 km · 18.6 mi
B108, Tyrol and Salzburg, Austria
Felbertauernstrasse
A tunnel linked high road threading the Hohe Tauern range with fine glacier views.
8.4 / 10 · 30 km · 18.6 mi
B197, Tyrol and Vorarlberg, Austria
Arlberg Pass Road
The old road over the Arlberg saddle offers a quieter, scenic option beside the tunnel.
8.3 / 10 · 12 km · 7.5 mi
Salzburg, Austria
Gaisbergstrasse
A historic hillclimb road with sweeping bends and views over Salzburg and its lakes.
8.3 / 10 · 11 km · 6.8 mi
B3, Lower Austria, Austria
Wachau Danube Road
A gently curving riverside road past terraced vineyards, abbeys and medieval ruins.
8.2 / 10 · 33 km · 20.5 mi
B91, Carinthia, Austria
Loibl Pass
A historic Karawanks crossing with tight forested bends toward the Slovenian border.
8.0 / 10 · 15 km · 9.3 mi
B161, Salzburg and Tyrol, Austria
Pass Thurn
A gentle wooded pass linking the Kitzbuhel valley to the high Pinzgau region.
8.0 / 10 · 24 km · 14.9 mi
Country
Biokovo, Dalmatia
Sveti Jure Road
A single track climb from sea level to 1762 metres above the Makarska Riviera.
9.6 / 10 · 23 km · 14.3 mi
D8, Dalmatian Coast
Adriatic Highway, D8
The Magistrala hugs bare karst cliffs above island studded blue water for hours.
9.4 / 10 · 180 km · 111.8 mi
D523, Velebit
Mali Alan Pass
A wild Velebit crossing of endless hairpins between the Zrmanja canyon and the sea.
9.3 / 10 · 33 km · 20.5 mi
D414, Peljesac, Dalmatia
Peljesac Ridge Road
A ridgetop ribbon along a vineyard peninsula with sea on both sides most of the way.
9.2 / 10 · 65 km · 40.4 mi
D64, Istria
Ucka Pass Road
A hairpin climb over the Ucka massif with the whole Kvarner gulf laid out below.
9.1 / 10 · 22 km · 13.7 mi
D52, Lika
Plitvice Forest Road, D52
Deserted forest curves through the Lika highlands towards the famous lakes.
8.8 / 10 · 70 km · 43.5 mi
D8, Dubrovnik region
Konavle Coast Road
Cliff terraces above the old city walls before dropping into the Konavle valley.
8.8 / 10 · 22 km · 13.7 mi
D48, Istria
Istrian Hill Town Road
Vineyard ridges and truffle woods link two of Istria's medieval hill towns.
8.7 / 10 · 18 km · 11.2 mi
D3, Gorski Kotar
Gorski Kotar Forest Road
Deep green fir forest and cool switchbacks in Croatia's most alpine corner.
8.6 / 10 · 30 km · 18.6 mi
D33, Sibenik hinterland
Krka Zagora Road
Empty inland karst roads swing past waterfalls and abandoned stone hamlets.
8.4 / 10 · 50 km · 31.1 mi
Country
N222, Douro, Portugal
N222 Douro Valley Road
Voted among the world's best roads, it snakes above terraced vineyards along the Douro.
9.3 / 10 · 27 km · 16.8 mi
N339, Serra da Estrela, Portugal
N339 Serra da Estrela
Mainland Portugal's highest road crosses granite boulder fields to the Torre summit.
9.2 / 10 · 50 km · 31.1 mi
N304, Minho, Portugal
N304 Peneda Geres
Portugal's only national park unfolds in granite crags, waterfalls and wild ponies.
9.1 / 10 · 55 km · 34.2 mi
ER103, Madeira, Portugal
ER103 Ribeiro Frio to Portela
Laurel forest tunnels and sheer drops make this ridge road one of Madeira's most thrilling.
9.1 / 10 · 15 km · 9.3 mi
ER202, Madeira, Portugal
Pico do Arieiro Road
A short dramatic ascent above the clouds to Madeira's third highest peak.
9.1 / 10 · 11 km · 6.8 mi
N202, Peneda Geres, Portugal
Mezio to Lamas de Mouro
A lonely ridge road through the Peneda massif with sweeping views over granite peaks.
8.9 / 10 · 25 km · 15.5 mi
N226, Douro, Portugal
N226 to the Tua Valley
Quiet switchbacks descend through schist vineyard terraces to the meeting of two rivers.
8.8 / 10 · 22 km · 13.7 mi
N266, Algarve hinterland, Portugal
Monchique Hills Road
Eucalyptus scented hairpins rise from the spa town of Monchique over the Foia ridge.
8.5 / 10 · 35 km · 21.7 mi
N124, Algarve hinterland, Portugal
N124 Serra do Caldeirao
A quiet cork oak and schist road climbing into the wild interior hills behind the coast.
8.2 / 10 · 18 km · 11.2 mi
Country
Fv63, More og Romsdal, Norway
Trollstigen
Eleven hairpins claw up a sheer valley wall beneath waterfalls and the Trolltindene peaks.
9.7 / 10 · 20 km · 12.4 mi
Fv63, More og Romsdal, Norway
Geirangerveien
Hairpins spiral down to the Geirangerfjord past waterfalls with names like the Seven Sisters.
9.6 / 10 · 106 km · 65.9 mi
Fv500, Rogaland
Lysebotn Road
Twenty seven hairpins drop 900 metres to the head of the Lysefjord.
9.6 / 10 · 30 km · 18.6 mi
Fv64, More og Romsdal, Norway
Atlantic Road
A low bridge skips between skerries with the open Norwegian Sea breaking either side.
9.3 / 10 · 8.3 km · 5.2 mi
Fv243, Sogn og Fjordane, Norway
Aurlandsfjellet, Snow Road
A high plateau road across bare tundra ending at a stark concrete lookout above the fjord.
9.3 / 10 · 47 km · 29.2 mi
Fv258, Stryn
Gamle Strynefjellsvegen
A gravel and tarmac heritage road between glacier tongues and turquoise meltwater.
9.3 / 10 · 27 km · 16.8 mi
Rv7, Hardanger
Hardangervidda, Rv7
Europe's largest mountain plateau crossed by a road with no trees and no traffic.
9.0 / 10 · 95 km · 59 mi
Fv13, Sogn og Fjordane, Norway
Gaularfjellet
A scenic tourist route climbing past waterfalls and glacial lakes between two fjord towns.
8.9 / 10 · 63 km · 39.1 mi
Country
US 212, Montana and Wyoming
Beartooth Highway
Swaths of switchbacks climb to 3337 metres past alpine lakes and snowfields.
9.7 / 10 · 109 km · 67.7 mi
Montana
Going to the Sun Road
A cliff shelf road through Glacier National Park under hanging valleys.
9.5 / 10 · 80 km · 49.7 mi
SR 1, California
Highway 1, Big Sur
The Pacific coast at its most theatrical, cliff curves above the open ocean.
9.5 / 10 · 145 km · 90.1 mi
US 550, Colorado
Million Dollar Highway
A mining road cut into the San Juan cliffs with sheer drops and no barrier.
9.5 / 10 · 40 km · 24.9 mi
US 129, Tennessee and North Carolina
Tail of the Dragon, US129
318 curves in 11 miles, the most famous stretch of asphalt in America.
9.3 / 10 · 18 km · 11.2 mi
Virginia and North Carolina
Blue Ridge Parkway
A ridgeline parkway with no trucks, no billboards and endless mountain overlooks.
9.1 / 10 · 700 km · 435 mi
SR 2, California
Angeles Crest Highway
Los Angeles's mountain playground, hours of clean sweepers above the basin.
9.1 / 10 · 106 km · 65.9 mi
HI 360, Hawaii
Road to Hana
620 curves and 59 bridges through rainforest and waterfalls on Maui's north shore.
9.1 / 10 · 84 km · 52.2 mi
Country
R574, Beara Peninsula
Healy Pass
Tight hairpins over the Caha Mountains linking Cork and Kerry above two bays.
9.3 / 10 · 12 km · 7.5 mi
R560, Dingle Peninsula
Conor Pass
Ireland's highest pass, a shelf road with lakes hanging above the Atlantic.
9.3 / 10 · 12 km · 7.5 mi
N70, County Kerry
Ring of Kerry
The classic Irish coastal loop, best at dawn before the tour buses wake.
9.1 / 10 · 110 km · 68.4 mi
R115, County Wicklow
Wicklow Military Road
Empty moorland tarmac over the Sally Gap, minutes from Dublin but utterly wild.
9.1 / 10 · 45 km · 28 mi
Connemara
Sky Road
A narrow loop climbing over headland above the drowned islands of Connemara.
8.9 / 10 · 16 km · 9.9 mi
R559, Dingle Peninsula
Slea Head Drive
Cliff edge tarmac facing the Blasket Islands and the open Atlantic.
8.9 / 10 · 30 km · 18.6 mi
R759, Wicklow Mountains, Ireland
Sally Gap Road
A lonely blanket bog crossing through the wildest heart of the Wicklow Mountains.
8.7 / 10 · 20 km · 12.4 mi
Country
B100, Victoria
Great Ocean Road
Cliff hugging coastal curves past surf breaks and the Twelve Apostles.
9.3 / 10 · 243 km · 151 mi
B500, Victoria
Great Alpine Road
Australia's highest sealed road, a long alpine climb over Mount Hotham.
9.3 / 10 · 110 km · 68.4 mi
Kimberley
Gibb River Road
A red dirt outback crossing of gorges, cattle stations and river fords.
9.2 / 10 · 660 km · 410.1 mi
New South Wales
Thunderbolts Way
An empty escarpment road climbing from cattle country onto the New England plateau.
9.0 / 10 · 160 km · 99.4 mi
C535, Victoria
Mount Buffalo Road
A granite plateau climb of clean hairpins used by Australian hillclimbers for a century.
8.9 / 10 · 30 km · 18.6 mi
B65, New South Wales
Grand Pacific Drive
Sea cliff bridge curves out over the ocean below the Illawarra escarpment.
8.8 / 10 · 90 km · 55.9 mi
Country
Northern Alps
Norikura Skyline
Japan's highest paved road climbs above 2700 metres on the Norikura volcano.
9.4 / 10 · 14 km · 8.7 mi
R120, Nikko
Irohazaka Winding Road
Forty eight lettered hairpins climb to Lake Chuzenji, one way in each direction.
9.3 / 10 · 16 km · 9.9 mi
Kanagawa
Hakone Turnpike
The toll road every Japanese car magazine uses, fast sweepers with Fuji ahead.
9.2 / 10 · 14 km · 8.7 mi
Fukushima
Bandai Azuma Skyline
A volcanic moonscape crossing with sulphur vents beside the tarmac.
9.2 / 10 · 29 km · 18 mi
Nagano
Venus Line
A high grassland ridge road with volcano views and long open curves.
9.1 / 10 · 76 km · 47.2 mi
R440, Ehime
Shikoku Karst Highland
A ridge road over limestone pasture with cattle and horizon on both sides.
9.0 / 10 · 40 km · 24.9 mi
Country
SH94, Fiordland
Milford Road
A glacial valley run to the Homer Tunnel and a fiord surrounded by vertical rock.
9.6 / 10 · 119 km · 73.9 mi
Otago
Crown Range Road
New Zealand's highest sealed road with a hairpin stack above the Cardrona valley.
9.5 / 10 · 70 km · 43.5 mi
SH6, West Coast
Haast Pass
Rainforest and waterfall canyon roads link the lakes to the wild West Coast.
9.3 / 10 · 145 km · 90.1 mi
SH73, Canterbury
Arthur's Pass
Braided rivers, beech forest and the dramatic Otira viaduct across an alpine fault.
9.3 / 10 · 90 km · 55.9 mi
SH60, Nelson
Takaka Hill
Marble mountain switchbacks between Tasman Bay and Golden Bay.
9.0 / 10 · 34 km · 21.1 mi
SH25, Coromandel
Coromandel Coast Road
A narrow shoreline road under pohutukawa trees with the Firth of Thames alongside.
8.9 / 10 · 55 km · 34.2 mi
Country
Hwy 93, Alberta
Icefields Parkway
Glacier after glacier lines a road through the spine of the Canadian Rockies.
9.5 / 10 · 232 km · 144.2 mi
Hwy 99, British Columbia
Duffey Lake Road
An empty mountain road of long climbs and glacial lakes beyond Whistler.
9.4 / 10 · 99 km · 61.5 mi
Nova Scotia
Cabot Trail
A headland loop of steep coastal climbs on Cape Breton, magic in autumn.
9.3 / 10 · 298 km · 185.2 mi
Hwy 99, British Columbia
Sea to Sky Highway
Fjord walls on one side, coastal peaks on the other, all the way to Whistler.
9.2 / 10 · 120 km · 74.6 mi
Hwy 5, Yukon
Dempster Highway
A gravel road across the Arctic Circle through tundra and unbroken silence.
9.1 / 10 · 736 km · 457.3 mi
Country
R203, High Atlas
Tizi n'Test
A colonial era mountain road with hundreds of unguarded bends over the High Atlas.
9.5 / 10 · 180 km · 111.8 mi
R704, Dades Valley
Dades Gorge Hairpins
A stack of orange hairpins climbs out of a red rock gorge into empty highland.
9.5 / 10 · 63 km · 39.1 mi
N9, High Atlas
Tizi n'Tichka
The rebuilt main Atlas crossing, wide fast sweepers to the edge of the Sahara.
9.3 / 10 · 196 km · 121.8 mi
P1506, Jebel Saghro
Tizi n'Tazazert
A remote volcanic massif crossing of black rock spires and nomad camps.
9.2 / 10 · 80 km · 49.7 mi
N9, Draa Valley
Road of a Thousand Kasbahs
Palm oasis after palm oasis along a desert river valley lined with mud fortresses.
8.9 / 10 · 165 km · 102.5 mi
Country
DN7C, Fagaras Mountains
Transfagarasan, DN7C
Ceausescu's mountain folly, the most photographed hairpin stack in Europe.
9.9 / 10 · 90 km · 55.9 mi
DN67C, Parang Mountains
Transalpina, DN67C
Romania's highest road runs along bare alpine ridgelines with almost no barriers.
9.6 / 10 · 148 km · 92 mi
DN12C, Eastern Carpathians
Bicaz Gorge
Vertical limestone walls close in over a road carved into the gorge floor.
9.3 / 10 · 50 km · 31.1 mi
DN71, Bucegi Mountains
Transbucegi, DN71
A steep dead end climb onto a high plateau of wind carved rock formations.
9.0 / 10 · 30 km · 18.6 mi
DN7, Valcea
Olt Valley Road, DN7
A river carved corridor through the Carpathians, fast and endlessly flowing.
8.7 / 10 · 100 km · 62.1 mi
Country
P0334, Karoo
Swartberg Pass
A hand built dry stone gravel pass twisting through folded red rock strata.
9.7 / 10 · 24 km · 14.9 mi
M6, Cape Peninsula
Chapman's Peak Drive
A toll corniche blasted into a sea cliff with 114 curves above the Atlantic.
9.4 / 10 · 9 km · 5.6 mi
R45, Western Cape
Franschhoek Pass
Wine valley hairpins climb to a viewpoint over the whole Franschhoek bowl.
9.2 / 10 · 30 km · 18.6 mi
R301, Western Cape
Bainskloof Pass
An old mountain shelf road along a boulder river, narrow and beautifully engineered.
9.1 / 10 · 30 km · 18.6 mi
R532, Mpumalanga
Panorama Route
Escarpment road past God's Window and the vast Blyde River Canyon.
9.1 / 10 · 60 km · 37.3 mi
Country
D915, Bayburt to Trabzon
D915 Derebasi Bends
Thirteen stacked hairpins on a cliff face make this one of the world's scariest roads.
9.6 / 10 · 106 km · 65.9 mi
D400, Antalya
Lycian Coast, D400
A Mediterranean corniche of pine forest, ruins and turquoise bays all the way.
9.2 / 10 · 190 km · 118.1 mi
D925, Rize to Erzurum
Ovit Pass
A 2600 metre Kackar crossing of grass slopes, shepherd huts and switchbacks.
9.2 / 10 · 70 km · 43.5 mi
D010-06, Trabzon
Uzungol Road
A green gorge climb through tea terraces to an alpine lake in the Pontic mountains.
8.9 / 10 · 42 km · 26.1 mi
D300, Kayseri
Erciyes Mountain Road
A volcano flank road with long open bends above the Cappadocian plateau.
8.6 / 10 · 45 km · 28 mi
Country
RN7, Mendoza
Los Caracoles
A stack of Andean snail bends beneath Aconcagua on the road to Chile.
9.5 / 10 · 100 km · 62.1 mi
RN52, Jujuy
Cuesta de Lipan
A dizzying climb from painted desert hills to a blinding white salt flat.
9.4 / 10 · 65 km · 40.4 mi
RN40, Santa Cruz
Ruta 40, Patagonia
Endless steppe straights ending with the Fitz Roy massif filling the windscreen.
9.1 / 10 · 215 km · 133.6 mi
RN40, Mendoza
Ruta 40, Mendoza Wine Roads
Vineyard straights and gentle curves with the Andes as a permanent backdrop.
8.8 / 10 · 235 km · 146 mi
Country
N62, Spa area, Belgium
Spa Francorchamps Ridge Road
Following the Spa Francorchamps ridge line, the road mimics the famous Raidillon esses.
8.6 / 10 · 15 km · 9.3 mi
N83, Ardennes, Belgium
Semois Valley Road
The road tracks the looping Semois river through steep wooded meanders and riverside villages.
8.4 / 10 · 30 km · 18.6 mi
N676, Ardennes, Belgium
Hautes Fagnes Ridge Road
An open moorland ridge road crosses Belgium's highest plateau through the Hautes Fagnes.
8.3 / 10 · 25 km · 15.5 mi
N89, Ardennes, Belgium
N89 Ardennes Road
Rolling forested curves link the river town of La Roche to the historic Bastogne plateau.
8.2 / 10 · 30 km · 18.6 mi
Country
Ruta 7, Aysen
Carretera Austral
Patagonia's legendary road through rainforest, fjords and hanging glaciers.
9.4 / 10 · 600 km · 372.8 mi
Ruta 41, Coquimbo
Paso Agua Negra
A 4780 metre Andean crossing past penitentes ice spikes and no traffic at all.
9.3 / 10 · 180 km · 111.8 mi
G-21, Santiago Metropolitan
Valle Nevado Road
Forty numbered hairpins climb from the capital straight into the high Andes.
9.3 / 10 · 57 km · 35.4 mi
Ruta 225, Los Lagos
Route of the Seven Lakes
Volcano views over deep blue lakes with a smoking Osorno cone alongside.
9.0 / 10 · 70 km · 43.5 mi
Country
Ras Al Khaimah
Jebel Jais Road
A billion dirham mountain road of perfect asphalt to the highest point in the UAE.
9.4 / 10 · 36 km · 22.4 mi
Al Ain
Jebel Hafeet Mountain Road
Sixty bends and flawless surface, often called the world's greatest driving road.
9.3 / 10 · 11.7 km · 7.3 mi
E102, Sharjah
Khor Fakkan Road
A modern mountain highway with tunnels and viaducts over the Hajar range.
9.1 / 10 · 95 km · 59 mi
E44, Dubai
Hatta Mountain Road
Desert straights give way to rocky Hajar gorges and dam lake curves.
8.7 / 10 · 130 km · 80.8 mi
Country
N278, Limburg, Netherlands
Vaalserberg Road
The highest Dutch hills produce genuine curves near the three country border point.
7.8 / 10 · 15 km · 9.3 mi
N57, Zeeland, Netherlands
Zeeland Delta Dyke Road
A long flowing dyke top route crosses the storm barrier between islands and open sea.
7.7 / 10 · 45 km · 28 mi
N786, Veluwe, Netherlands
Veluwezoom Park Road
A quiet heathland road rolling through the Veluwezoom national park's wooded dunes.
7.4 / 10 · 10 km · 6.2 mi