What are the most spectacular roads in Italy?

Located in the southern part of Europe, Italy is a dream for drivers as it hosts mountain passes (the Alps), coastal drives (Adriatic, Ionian, Tyrrhenian, and Ligurian), and some of the most famous scenic routes in the world. 

It’s nearly impossible to choose only a few roads to drive in the country, as there are about 600 of the most spectacular roads in the world. Stelvio Pass is Europe's most famous road. At an elevation of 2.757m (9,045ft) above sea level, the pass is located in the northern part of the country. It's one of the highest roads of Europe. Featuring 48 hairpin turns, the road through the summit is a marvel of engineering.  

If you prefer coastal drives, you must Experience the Breathtaking Amalfi Coast Road. The road follows the shoreline from Sorrento south to Salerno. The road has been featured in films for as long as cameras have rolled at 24 frames per second. If you want to feel like James Bond, don’t skip Strada della Forra. A small car with a functioning horn is recommended. For skilled drivers only. The drive is known by motorcyclists from all over Europe, as it is impressive and not exactly without danger in a few narrow and steep spots. If you prefer roads with a story, don’t miss Strada delle 52 Gallerie, a WWI military mule road. Built on the massif of Pasubio, it was constructed in this position to stay away from Austro-Hungarian artillery fire.

Lago Laudemio is a high mountain lake at an elevation of 1.575m (5,167ft) above the sea level, located in the Southern Italian region of Basilicata.

Passo Palombino is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 2.035m (6,676ft) above the sea level, located in the Carnic Alps, in Italy.

Rifugio Marinelli (aka Forcella Morareto) is a high mountain refuge at an elevation of 2.169m (7,116ft) above the sea level, located in the Carnic Alps, in the region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy.

Colle di Perascritta is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 2.154m (7,066ft) above the sea level, located in the Italian region Piedmont.

Lago di Tovel is a mountain lake at an elevation of 1.178m (3,864ft) above the sea level, located in Trentino, Italy.

Kiener Alm is a high mountain refuge at an elevation of 1.750m (5,741ft) above the sea level, located in South Tyrol in northern Italy.

Lago del Chiotas is a high mountain lake at an elevation of 1.978m (6,490ft) above the sea level, located in the Province of Cuneo, Piedmont, Italy.

Maso Corto-Kurzras is a high mountain town at an elevation of 2.004m (6,574ft) above the sea level, located in the autonomous province of South Tyrol, Italy.

Pizzo Groppera is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 2.242m (7,355ft) above the sea level, located in the Province of Sondrio in the Italian region Lombardy.

Furggen is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 2.949m (9,675ft) above the sea level, located in the Valle d’Aosta region, right inbetween Italy and Switzerland. It’s one of the highest roads of Europe.

Lago di Valscura is a high mountain lake at an elevation of 2.274m (7,460ft) above the sea level, part of the Maritime Alps, located in Piedmont, in the province of Cuneo, in Italy.

Forcella Zovo is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 1.604m (5,262ft) above the sea level, located in the province of Belluno, in the Italian region of Veneto.

Bormio 2000 is a ski station at an elevation of 1.938m (6,358ft) above the sea level, located in the Province of Sondrio, Lombardy region of the Alps in northern Italy, near the Swiss border.

Rifugio Val Formica is a high mountain refuge at an elevation of 1.658m (5,439ft) above the sea level located in Asiago, Province of Vicenza, Veneto, in northeast Italy.

Cheneil is a small village at an elevation of 2.043m (6,702ft) above the sea level, located in the province of Aosta, in northwestern Italy.

Monte Tombea is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 1.976m (6,483ft) above the sea level, located in the province of Brescia, in Lombardy in northern Italy.

Conca Cialancia is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 2.855m (9,366ft) above the sea level, located in the Parco Naturale di Conca Cialancia, in Torino, Italy.

Colle Bettaforca is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 2.728m (8,950ft) above the sea level, located in Valle d’Aosta region, in northwestern Italy. It’s one of the highest roads of Europe.

Monte Lozze is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 1.920m (6,299ft) above the sea level, located in the province of Vicenza, Veneto, Italy.

Lago Nero is a high mountain lake at an elevation of 2.014m (6,607ft) above the sea level, located in the Province of Turin in the Italian region Piedmont.

Preda Rossa is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 1.955m (6,414ft) above the sea level, located in the Province of Sondrio in the Italian region Lombardy. In 1991 the road was severely destroyed by a major landslide and then a bad gravel road on the other side of the valley served as the only way to go up.

Passo Avanza da Pierabech is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 1.740m (5,708ft) above the sea level, located in the Carnic Alps, northern Italy.

Bellecombe is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 2.602m (8,536ft) above the sea level, located in the Alps on the French-Italian border. It’s one of the highest roads of the country.

Passo della Digola is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 1.674m (5,492ft) above the sea level, located in the province of Belluno, in the Italian region of Veneto.

Sa Crabarissa is a natural landmark, resembling a woman, located in the Provincia di Nuoro, in the Italian island of Sardinia.

Passo di Val Viola is an international high mountain pass at an elevation of 2.432m (7,979ft) above the sea level, located in the Alps on the border between Switzerland and Italy.

Colla Domenica is a mountain pass at an elevation of 947m (3,106ft) above the sea level, located in the Province of Imperia in the Italian region Liguria.

Cappella Madonna del Cotolivier is a high mountain chruch at an elevation of 2.086m (6,843ft) above the sea level,located  in the Italian province of Turin, in Piedmont.

Chalet Val Ferret is an Alpine hotel at an elevation of 1.771m (5,810ft) above the sea level, located in northern Italy, in the autonomous region of Aosta Valley.

Forcella Àuta/Alta is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 1.984m (6,509ft) above the sea level, located in the Dolomites of northeastern Italy. 

Prato Nevoso is a ski resort in the Province of Cuneo in the Italian region Piedmont, at an elevation of 1.735m (5,692ft) above the sea level.

Lago di Rochemolles is a high mountain reservoir at an elevation of 1.982m (6,502ft) above the sea level, located in Piedmont, Italy, in the middle of Susa Valley.

Lago di Maulazzo is a high mountain lake at an elevation of 1.453m (4,767ft) above the sea level, located in the Italian region Sicily.

Albergo Saltner Edelweiss is a high mountain hotel at an elevation of 1.351m (4,429ft) above the sea level, located in the South Tyrol province of north Italy. The climb is simply brutal, with a maximum gradient of 30%.

Corno della Paura is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 1.525m (5,003ft) above the sea level, located in Trentino in the northern Italian region Trentino-Alto Adige.

Rifugio Ghiacciaio dei Forni is a high mountain refuge at an elevation of 2.178m (7,145ft) above the sea level, located in the Cedec valley, in the Lombardy region of the Alps in northern Italy.