Transfagarasan, Romania

[DawgHammarskjold]

Transfagarasan, Romania
This beauty of a road is one of Europe's most majestic mountain routes. The Transfagarasan begins in Cartisoara and ends in Curtea de Arges across Romania's beautiful Fagaras Mountains, also known as the Transylvanian Alps. It was built for military purposes in the 1970s to connect the provinces of Transylvania and Wallachia. Its 6,699 feet (2,041m) at its highest point and has a seemingly endless series of bends, tunnels and viaducts to keep drivers alert.

 

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Hana Highway, Hawaii
Maui's lush landscape is mesmerizing but so too is this winding road that snakes along the northeast coastline of the island. It takes drivers past rainforest, over little bridges, alongside trickling waterfalls and around numerous hairpin bends. The dramatic coastal road, which is 52 miles (84km) long and goes between Pa'ia and Hana

 

[DawgHammarskjold]

Stelvio Pass, Italy
Cyclists, motorbikers and motorists alike laud this infamous mountain pass in the Italian alps near the Swiss border as one of the ultimate roads. At just over 9,000 feet (2,743m), Stelvio Pass is the second highest mountain pass in the Alps. But it's the 48 hairpin turns that make it the most amazing. The original road dates back to the 1820s. It's open between May and November.

 

[DawgHammarskjold]

Trollstigen Mountain Road, Norway
Test your mettle on the fearsome-sounding Trollstigen, a mountain road that winds between the villages of Valldal in Indre Sunnmøre and Åndalsnes in Romsdalen and past awe-inspiring scenery. It opened in 1939 as an important transport passage and has become one of Norway's most popular sights. With 11 sharp bends (each named after one of the construction workers) and a steep incline, the incredible road was even hand hewn into the mountain in some parts. It's closed in winter however.

 

[DawgHammarskjold]

Dadès Valley, Ouarzazate province, Morocco
This sinuous road in the Dadès Valley in the Ouarzazate province snakes down into a gorge, past staggering mountain scenery and ancient kasbahs. You'll pass through some of the High Atlas Mountains' most dramatic scenery on this extreme section of the R704 road, which was built down into the red-hued canyon of the Dadès River. It makes for a hair-raising but thrilling drive.

 

[DawgHammarskjold]

The Great Ocean Road, Australia
Arguably Australia's most famous drive, the Great Ocean Road in Victoria is everything its name promises: soaring ocean vistas, sheer cliffs, and near-deserted surf beaches. The 151-mile-long (243km) road goes from Torquay in the east to Allansford and it was constructed along the storm-ravaged coast in the 1920s by Australian servicemen who returned from the First World War and is officially the world's largest war memorial. Its most famous feature is the Twelve Apostles, a striking rock formation.

 

[DawgHammarskjold]

Overseas Highway, Florida, USA
One of the longest overwater roads in the world, Florida's Overseas Highway stretches from Miami on the mainland to Key West, the furthest of the islands. Completed in 1938, many sections of the highway were built over the route of the Florida East Coast Railway, which was irrevocably damaged in a hurricane. It's 113 miles (182km) long and has 42 bridges, including the famous Seven Mile Bridge. The route offers drivers magnificent views of the Keys and the Florida Straits.

 

[DawgHammarskjold]

Djurdjevica Bridge, Montenegro
Spanning the Tara River in northern Montenegro, historic Djurdjevica bridge is one of the country's most spectacular sights and a wonder to drive across. Gaze across at the hills, river and at the gaping canyon below. The lofty arched bridge was built between 1939 and 1940 and was the biggest vehicular concrete arch bridge in Europe when it was completed. During the Second World War the central arch was detonated to halt the Italian invasion. It was rebuilt in 1946.

 

[DawgHammarskjold]

Skippers Canyon Road, New Zealand
Skirting along the face of Skippers Canyon near Queenstown with sheer cliff drops down to Shotover River and tight turns, this unpaved road is not for the faint-hearted. The narrow passageway was built between 1883 and 1890 using hand-drilling for the gold miners during the Gold Rush and remains largely unchanged.

 

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The Millau Suspension Bridge, France
Stretching proudly across the River Tarn in southern France, the Millau Suspension Bridge is an incredible structure. Follow the A75 autoroute to cross what is the world's tallest bridge and marvel at its engineering as well as the soaring views of the river and Massif Central mountains. In some parts, it's taller than the Eiffel Tower. The bridge, which opened in 2004, isn't accessible for pedestrians.

 

[DawgHammarskjold]

White Rim Road, Utah, USA
Four-wheel drive enthusiasts and mountain bikers love Canyonlands National Park in southeastern Utah for its network of off-road trails that have been forged around its deep canyons and dramatic landscapes. One of the best is the 100-mile White Rim Road, which loops around and below the towering Island in the Sky mesa.

 

[DawgHammarskjold]

Jebel Hafeet Mountain Road, Abu Dhabi
Snaking up and around Abu Dhabi's highest mountain, Jebel Hafeet, this seven-mile (11km) road has become a destination in its own right. As the road winds up the craggy limestone peaks, there are a couple of look-out points but push on to the summit for the best views across the desert and the city of Al Ain below.

 

[DawgHammarskjold]

Cabot Trail, Canada
Looping around Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia, this famous 185-mile (298km) route delivers dramatic coastal and highland scenery and all-round thrilling driving terrain. Start at Baddeck and go east or west to see the island's natural beauty flit by your window. Highlights include Cape Breton Highlands National Park and Pleasant Bay, a top whale watching spot.

 

[DawgHammarskjold]

Highway 163, Arizona and Utah, USA
If it's iconic roads as well as dramatic you're after, then look no further than the Highway 163 Scenic Drive that strikes a route through the red rock desert and extraordinary spires of the Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park. This scenic stretch of asphalt and surrounding epic landscape have starred in countless movies including the 1991 classic Thelma and Louise.

 

[DawgHammarskjold]

Bealach na ba, Scotland
Meaning pass of the cattle, this narrow old drover's road twists its way up the mountains of Applecross Peninsula with steep gradients, hairpin bends and distracting views aplenty. It was originally created in the 1820s. Now it's a tourist attraction with a parking lot at the summit which is 2,053-feet (625m) high so visitors can linger to admire the incredible beauty of the winding road, and gaze across to Skye and the Outer Hebrides.

 

[DawgHammarskjold]

Jacobs Ladder Road, Tasmania, Australia
As its name suggests, this is a seriously challenging road. Leading up to Ben Lomond National Park, an alpine plateau in northern Tasmania near Launceston, the steep and winding unsealed road features a series of mind-boggling switchbacks. It has become an attraction in its own right, especially for cyclists in training.

 

[DawgHammarskjold]

Three Level Zigzag Road, India
You'll get dizzy just looking at the Three Level Zigzag road, allegedly the most zig-zagging road in the world. Set in India's Sikkim state within the lower Himalayan mountains, the curvy road has a staggering amount of hairpin turns and sheer drops along the way too. It goes from the village of Dzuluk and climbs up the mountain to Thambi View Point, reaching an altitude of 11,200 feet (3,413m).

 

[SLC_Dawg]

Most of them have been featured on Top Gear, especially the roads in Romania and Italy

"And on that note . . ."